Observations of Oklahoma severe thunderstorms using airborne Doppler lidarThe NASA airborne Doppler lidar was successfully employed in obtaining detailed views of the horizontal wind fields near a complex of severe multicell thunderstorms in central Oklahoma on June 30, 1981. Despite uncertainties caused by inertial navigation errors, clear pictures of the relative reflectivity distributions, horizontal wind velocity, and velocity spectral width near the cloud base were obtained. The presence of numerous gust front vortices along the leading edge of the advancing storm outflow were noted which correspond to inflections in the shape of the gust front arcus cloud formation. Explanations for the observed vortical circulations and calculated vorticities are given.
Document ID
19870047437
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Mccaul, E. W., Jr. (Oklahoma Univ. Norman, OK, United States)
Bluestein, Howard B. (Oklahoma, University; Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, Norman, United States)
Doviak, Richard J. (NOAA, National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman OK, United States)