Title
Role of stratospheric air in a severe weather event: Analysis of potential vorticity and total ozone
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
6-2001
Journal or Book Title
Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres
Volume
106
Issue
D11
First Page
11813
Last Page
11823
DOI
10.1029/2000JD900651
Abstract
The role of dry stratospheric air descending to low and middle tropospheric levels in a severe weather outbreak in the midwestern United States is examined using NCEP Eta model output, Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) analyses, and Earth probe Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (EP/TOMS) total ozone data. While stratospheric air was not found to play a direct role in the convection, backward trajectories show stratospheric air descended to 800 hPa just west of the convection. Damaging surface winds not associated with thunderstorms also occurred in the region of greatest stratospheric descent. Small-scale features in the high-resolution total ozone data compare favorably with geopotential heights and potential vorticity fields, supporting the notion that stratospheric air descended to near the surface. A detailed vertical structure in the potential vorticity appears to be captured by small-scale total ozone variations. The capability of the total ozone to identify mesoscale features assists model verification. The total ozone data suggest biases in the RUC analysis and Eta forecast of this event. The total ozone is also useful in determining whether potential vorticity is of stratospheric origin or is diabatically generated in the troposphere.
Copyright Owner
American Geophysical Union
Copyright Date
2001
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Goering, Melissa A.; Gallus, William A. Jr.; Olsen, Mark A.; and Stanford, John L., "Role of stratospheric air in a severe weather event: Analysis of potential vorticity and total ozone" (2001). Geological and Atmospheric Sciences Publications. 23.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ge_at_pubs/23
Included in
Astrophysics and Astronomy Commons, Atmospheric Sciences Commons, Geology Commons, Physics Commons
Comments
This article is from Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 106 (2001): 11813, doi: 10.1029/2000JD900651. Posted with permission.