High resolution numerical simulation of a nocturnal mesoscale convective system: Comparison with pecan observations

Nighttime convective storms produce a significant portion of warm season precipitation across the Great Plains region of the United States. The PECAN (Plains Elevated Convection at Night) project was designed to improve our understanding of how these storms can develop and maintain themselves in the absence of traditional sources of CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy). This thesis focuses on the 20 June 2015 MCS (Mesoscale Convective System) event, in which airborne in-situ microphysical and radar data were collected using the NOAA P3 research aircraft. In terms of elevated MCS structure, this was the most ideal case observed during the campaign and produced numerous severe wind and hail reports, as well as at least one tornadic supercell. In order to expand upon the impact of microphysical processes on the kinematic evolution of the storm sampled by the P3, the WRF-ARW model was used to run high-resolution numerical simulations which would help highlight in detail the mechanisms that allowed this storm to maintain itself through the night and into the next morning. This thesis will address the benefits and limitations of data collection in field projects such as PECAN by directly comparing the data collected by the P-3 with analogous datasets extracted from the numerical simulation, and show that the simulation is sufficiently robust to carry out a detailed dynamical analysis of nocturnal MCSs’ mechanisms for propagation and maintenance.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Atmospheric Sciences

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2020

Author dc:creator

• Adams, Alexander John

Contributors dc:contributor

• Rauber, Robert M

• Mesoscale Convective Systems
• Nocturnal Convection
• Elevated Convection
• MCS Structure
• PECAN
• Numerical Modeling
• High Resolution
• WRF
• Radar
• Aircraft Observations
• Comparisons

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2020 Alexander Adams

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/107932

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/107932