CURRENT RESEARCH
My main interests in research lie with severe storms, particularly tornadic storms. Current projects include data collection and analysis associated with several field projects, including VORTEX, MOCISE, and STEPS. Through these observational projects, I'm taking a hard look into the many facets of the Great Plains Dryline, Denver Convergence Vorticity Zone (DCVZ), and a variety of surface fronts, as well as numerous outflow boundaries. The goal is to sample and observe thermodynamic and kinematic variables to gain a better understanding of the mesoscale processes and underlying dynamics driving convection associated with said boundaries, with an emphasis on the question of convective initiation.
In the spring of 2000, I conducted a field project, MOCISE, to further explore convective initiation, as well as coherent flow structures and gradients in low level boundaries. Support for the project was generously provided by NSSL, University of Oklahoma, Texas Tech University, and several individual NWSFOs. This work was continued in part during STEPS. During the first five weeks of STEPS I served as the Field Coordinator and acting P.I. for the mobile units. Additionally, I'm involved with the Hurricane At Landfall experiment, HAL, which intercepted HRCN George ('98), Dennis ('99), and Floyd ('99).
In the spring 2001 I field coordinated a tornado field experiment in preparation for VORTEX-2. Collaboration for the project involved NSSL and the National Geographic Society. Emphasis was placed in the collection of in-situ mobile mesonet observations in tornado cyclones and near tornado corner regions. Digital stereo video photogrammetry was also conducted on tornado corner regions. Additionally, work was performed in deploying new observational platforms to be utilized during the field effort, IHOP, in 2002 (No, we will not be tossing pancakes across the dryline like Frisbees).
The following links are to case studies involving the use of mobile mesonets or supercells interacting with boundaries. A complete discussion on the capabilities of the mobile mesonet can be found in:
Straka, J. M., E. N. Rasmussen, and S. E. Fredrickson,1996: A mobile mesonet for fine scale meteorological observations. J. Atmos.
Check back every so often as I update the web page with new case studies/papers. * = papers either published, in internal and/or formal review. A big thanks goes out to Dr. David Blanchard for maintaining the VORTEX and HAL links.
MOBILE MESONET DATA
18 June 2001 Braham, MN and SIREN, WI Tornadoes 16 July 1998 -DCVZ * 10 June 1999 -Dryline * 5 May 2000 -Dryline * 30 April 2000 -Dryline 29 April 200 -Dryline 15 April 2000 -Dryline
HRCN FLOYD 16 September 1999 -Eyewall baroclinic study *
HRCN GEORGES 28 September 1998 -Eyewall baroclinic study BOUNDARY INTERACTIONS
5 June 2001 -West Texas non-supercell tornadoes 4 October 1998 -Tornadic mini-supercell *
