2.1
Variability of "environmental" wind profiles and the role of boundaries during VORTEX
Paul Markowski, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
The variability of storm-relative helicity during VORTEX will be documented. It will be shown that roughly two-thirds of significant tornadoes during VORTEX occurred near boundaries not associated with the forward- or rear-flank gust fronts of the tornadic storms. Thus, tornadogenesis may require local augmentation of low-level horizontal vorticity or storm-relative helicity. Regions of enhanced vorticity, while often not detectable, can often be inferred from "conventional" data.
Session 2, Supercells and their environments
Wednesday, 12 January 2000, 9:30 AM-11:30 AM
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