An investigation of severe convection in the Chesapeake Bay region

The Chesapeake Bay region is characterized by the Appalachian Mountains to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and various land-use patterns (e.g., forested areas, agriculture zones, and urbanization centers). Moreover, the Chesapeake Bay itself possesses a highly convoluted coastline. It has been speculated that this complex geography is a factor in the corresponding spatial variability of severe convection. The present research investigates such by first establishing a regional climatology of severe convection. Second, particularly robust severe convection events are modeled with varying geographical features to assess those features' impacts on said events. In addition, the present research investigates whether the regional climatology of severe convection is biased by population density.