Spatial Patterns of Turbulence Near Thunderstorms

Severe turbulence encounters can result in serious injuries and millions of dollars of operational costs to airlines. In addition to the turbulence generated within the storm, thunderstorms can induce gravity waves in the surrounding clear air which can propagate large distances. Using relatively limited datasets, past studies have indicated that severe turbulence can extend beyond the current federal guidelines for avoidance (20 mi/~32 km), but many questions remain. For example, 1) What is the spatial distribution of convection induced turbulence relative to individual storms? 2) What dynamical factors determine the spatial distribution? Now, extensive archives of operational radar data and automated eddy dissipation rate (EDR) reports from commercial aircraft present an opportunity for detailed analysis. To address the above questions, we objectively identify thunderstorms in the GridRad hourly archive and compare them to automated turbulence reports over a period of 9 years (2009-2017). This is used to diagnose spatial patterns of turbulence near thunderstorms. ERA5 reanalysis data is used to explore relationships to environmental factors such as winds and tropopause height.