Atmospheric Sciences Commons^™

Droughtscape, Fall 2022, National Drought Mitigation Center

DroughtScape: Quarterly Newsletter of the National Drought Mitigation Center (2007–2023)

DroughtScape, Fall 2022

Weather Routing For The Refined Management Of Passage, Guobao Gong

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Defining Viable Solar Resource Locations In The Southeast United States Using The Satellite-Based Glass Product, Jolie Kavanagh

Theses and Dissertations

This research uses satellite data and the moment statistics to determine if solar farms can be placed in the Southeast US. From 2001-2019, the data are analyzed in reference to the Southwest US, where solar farms are located. The clean energy need is becoming more common; therefore, more locations than arid environments must be observed. The Southeast US is the main location of interest due to the warm, moist environment throughout the year. This research uses the Global Land Surface Satellite (GLASS) photosynthetically active radiation product (PAR) to determine viable locations for solar panels. A probability density function (PDF) along …

An Investigation Of Geostationary Satellite Imagery To Compare Developing And Non-Developing African Easterly Waves, Jenna Bartlett

Theses and Dissertations

African easterly waves (AEWs) are known precursors to tropical cyclone (TC) formation, although it is not always clear which AEWs will develop and which AEWs will not. To investigate AEW evolution, this study examines novel observations from the geostationary Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) during July-September 2019. Case studies are conducted for two AEWs: one that became Hurricane Dorian, the strongest and most devastating hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season, and a long-lived September AEW that did not become a TC. Lower-level moisture and flow, and the strength and spatial distribution of convective activity, differed between these two waves. By …

Examining The Impact Of Stratospheric Vortex Variability On Us Surface Temperature, Elena M. Fernandez

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Variability in high-latitude stratospheric flow, including major sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) or strong polar vortex events, can modulate tropospheric circulation and have meteorological implications on surface temperature and weather. The largest tropospheric impacts from Northern Hemisphere stratospheric variability – and the regions of focus in the literature – are observed in the North Atlantic, Europe and Asia. Impacts on North America occur but have received less research attention. The goal of this thesis research is to identify and quantify the relationship between high-latitude stratospheric variability and North American wintertime temperature.Using the ERA-Interim and ERA-5 reanalysis for the period of 1999/2000–2018/19, …

Impacts Of Physical Parameterization Schemes And Soil Moisture Initialization On Boundary Layer Evolution In The Weather Research And Forecasting (Wrf) Model, Grace Cutting

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Numerical weather prediction (NWP) models have become a necessary addition to the atmospheric research community over the last several decades, and atmospheric modeling has been used internationally for numerous operational and research purposes. NWP models contain a vast number of combinations of physical and dynamical parameterization schemes; however, they are not always accurate in forecasting weather phenomena at a particular location, as different combinations of parameterization schemes represent differing conditions. Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model simulations were run to explore which of the commonly used planetary boundary layer (PBL) schemes best represented upper-air data (as well as PBL evolution) …

Using Remote And In Situ Observations From Torus To Investigate A Preexisting Airmass Boundary And Its Influence On A Tornadic Supercell On 28 May 2019, Kristen Axon

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

During the 2019 field phase of Targeted Observation by Radars and UAS of Supercells (TORUS), a preexisting airmass boundary was sampled on 28 May 2019 in north-central Kansas in close proximity to a tornadic supercell. This work hypothesized that the preexisting airmass boundary was associated with a mesoscale air mass with high theta-E (MAHTE) that favorably interacted with the tornadic supercell to increase the likelihood of tornadogenesis. Observations from TORUS including mobile mesonets, unoccupied aerial vehicles, soundings, and ground-based mobile radar were used along with GOES-16 visible satellite imagery, Kansas mesonet surface stations, and KUEX WSR-88D data to investigate this …

Droughtscape, Summer 2022, National Drought Mitigation Center

DroughtScape: Quarterly Newsletter of the National Drought Mitigation Center (2007–2023)

DroughtScape, Summer 2022

Understanding Coastal And Inland Hydrometeorological Hazards Produced By Extratropical And Tropical Cyclones Along The East Coast Of The United States, Katherine Towey

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

As global temperatures continue to rise, the effects of anthropogenic climate change will impact the magnitude and frequency of pluvial, fluvial, and coastal flooding events. If we want to accurately predict changes in these flooding events, we need to fully understand them in the current climate. As such, this research examines the relationship between hydrometeorological hazards and the characteristics of the storm types, such as extratropical cyclones (ETCs) and tropical cyclones (TCs), that produce such hazards. Through the use of observational and reanalysis data, the work herein utilizes a cyclone-hazard association algorithm and extreme value analysis to assess the extent, …

Changes In Heat Metrics Following A Major Hurricane And Implications On Heat Stress, Cade Reesman

LSU Master's Theses

Tropical cyclones modify surface-atmosphere interactions in several ways, including the destruction of patches of tree canopy, increasing the direct and diffuse (shortwave) radiation reaching the surface. This addition of radiation at the surface impacts the sensible, latent, and substrate heat (energy) fluxes, generating heat anomalies along the hurricane’s track, which, among other effects, contributes to the higher post-hurricane surface air temperatures. This study consists of a case study on Hurricane Laura (2020) to examine hurricane defoliation impacts on heat stress metrics. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data from NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) identified the spatial extent of defoliation …

Meteorological Characteristics Of Fog Events In Korean Smart Cities And Machine Learning Based Visibility Estimation, Jaemin Kim, Seung Hee Kim, Hyun Woo Seo, Yi Victor Wang, Yun Gon Lee

Institute for ECHO Articles and Research

To address various urban issues such as fine dust, traffic congestion, and water shortage caused by rapid urbanization, a national pilot Smart City is planned in two Korean cities, Sejong and Busan. As weather data is crucial for improving the environment and operating future transportation while constructing a smart city, preparing for future weather disasters by analyzing the characteristics of various meteorological phenomena in the planned development area is necessary. This study analyzed the fog generation characteristics for the period of 2016–2020 at the automatic weather system sites of the Korea Meteorological Administration in Sejong and Busan, and the characteristics …

An Investigation Of Sea-Breeze Driven Convection Along The Northern Gulf Coast, Caitlin Ford

Theses and Dissertations

Although sea-breezes frequently initiate convection, it is oftentimes challenging to forecast the precise location of storm development. This research examines temporal and spatial characteristics of sea-breeze driven convection and environmental conditions that support convective or non-convective sea-breeze days along the Northern Gulf Coast. Base reflectivity products were used to identify the initial time of convection (values greater than 30 dBZs) along the sea-breeze front. It was found that convective sea-breezes initiated earlier in the day compared to non-convective sea-breezes. Mapping convective cells in ArcGIS revealed favored locations of thunderstorm development including the southeastern cusp of Mobile County, Alabama and convex …

Impact Of Climate Oscillations/Indices On Hydrological Variables In The Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer., Meena Raju

Theses and Dissertations

The Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer (MRVAA) is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the United States. The main objectives of this research are to identify long term trends and change points in hydrological variables (streamflow and rainfall), to assess the relationship between hydrological variables, and to evaluate the influence of global climate indices on hydrological variables. Non-parametric tests, MMK and Pettitt’s tests were used to analyze trend and change points. PCC and Streamflow elasticity analysis were used to analyze the relationship between streamflow and rainfall and the sensitivity of streamflow to rainfall changes. PCC and MLR analysis …

Comparing Composite Severe Weather Indices Of Thunderstorm Activity On Sea-Breeze And Non-Sea-Breeze Days In The Mobile, Alabama Area, Elizabeth Seiler

Poster Presentations

Poster for the Honors Thesis project.

Sea breezes (SB) occur frequently from May through October along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Coast. One reason why SBs interest forecasters is their ability to spawn summertime thunderstorms, which can cause flash flooding, lightning, and hail. However, forecasting the exact timing and location of SB-driven convection can be challenging. This thesis will focus on Mobile and Baldwin Counties in southwest Alabama, which experience two types of phenomena – SBs along the Gulf of Mexico Coast and bay breezes on either side of Mobile Bay. Over the past years, multiple undergraduate students have analyzed …

Comparing Composite Severe Weather Indices Of Thunderstorm Activity On Sea-Breeze And Non-Sea-Breeze Days In The Mobile, Alabama Area, Elizabeth Seiler

Honors Theses

Sea breezes (SB) occur frequently from May through October along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Coast. One reason why SBs interest forecasters is their ability to spawn summertime thunderstorms, which can cause flash flooding, lightning, and hail. However, forecasting the exact timing and location of SB-driven convection can be challenging. This thesis will focus on Mobile and Baldwin Counties in southwest Alabama, which experience two types of phenomena – SBs along the Gulf of Mexico Coast and bay breezes on either side of Mobile Bay. Over the past years, multiple undergraduate students have analyzed Mobile, Alabama radar imagery of past …

A Mesonet-Based Analysis Of Severe Convective Winds In West Texas., Quint Long

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Multiple studies have investigated the occurrence of severe convective-related winds and have increased our understanding of the forces driving severe winds and their spatial and temporal patterns. Data for these studies have come from airport stations maintained by the National Weather Service. Their standardization across the United States makes them ideal for research, but they are limited in their distribution. This study aims to create a similar climatology of severe surface level winds using a mesoscale network (“mesonet”). Like their ASOS (Automated Surface Observing System) and AWOS (Automated Weather Observing System) counterparts, these stations are standardized and well maintained. This …

The Impact Of Sea-Level Rise In Numerically Modeled Landfalling Hurricanes: Katrina And The Gulf Coast., Serenity Nadirah Mercuri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With climate change, landfalling hurricanes become an increasing threat to coastal regions. However, the interactions between the coastal landscape and landfalling hurricanes are often overlooked when addressing sea-level rise outside of inundation and independent of sea surface temperature. This study analyzed the potential impacts regarding structure and intensity as a result of sea-level rise in the Gulf of Mexico using the WRF-ARW numerical model coupled with a 1D ocean model. Analysis showed that 10 m windspeed from landfall forward was higher in modified coastlines, and minimum sea-level pressure post-landfall was consistently lower for modified runs where storms maintain a higher …

An Investigation Of Water Obstructions And Related Weather Conditions For Nebraska Roadways, Logan Bundy

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Roadway resilience across the 10,000 miles of road and 3,500 bridges in Nebraska is critical to the economic success of production and logistics. In a state where historical flooding scenarios, such as the one in March 2019 that caused $150 million in damage, could potentially be increasing, it has become essential to understand the spatial and temporal distribution of high-frequency water obstruction areas on roadways. Using Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) historical water obstruction data from June 2016 through August 2021, statistical and spatial analyses were conducted to quantify the relationship between water obstructions and their associated meteorological conditions, and …

Droughtscape, Spring 2022, National Drought Mitigation Center

DroughtScape: Quarterly Newsletter of the National Drought Mitigation Center (2007–2023)

DroughtScape, Spring 2022

Design And Development Of Distributed Lower Atmospheric Instrumentation Packages, Julio Guardado

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The recent miniaturization of embedded electronics and widespread availability of low-cost sensors, microcontrollers and transceivers has enabled development of sensor suites that can be used for high temporal and spatial resolution measurements of atmospheric parameters such as temperature, pressure, humidity, particulate counts, wind velocity and much more. This thesis presents the development of both airborne and ground based distributed atmospheric instrumentation suites. First, we present a low-cost radiosonde platform capable of simultaneous multipoint launches or high cadence back-to-back continuous launches. This radiosonde platform can do wind measurements on an approximately 60 m scale up to a minimum of 25 km. …

Connections Between Atmospheric Blocking, General Circulation, And Weather Extremes In A Hierarchy Of Models And Various Climates, Veeshan Narinesingh

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The field of geophysical fluid dynamics (GFD) includes the study of both the motion and thermodynamic aspects of the atmosphere. These properties are of particular importance because they directly influence both local and large-scale weather and climate and are associated with various phenomena. One phenomena that is particularly influential is atmospheric blocking. Atmospheric blocks are persistent, quasi-stationary anticyclones (a.k.a. high-pressure systems) that occur in the atmosphere and disrupt the flow. Blocks are known to induce heat extremes and cold spells, as well as steer storms and cause numerous types of hazards. Yet despite the hazards associated with blocks, our current …

The Mountain Gap Wind Of The Isthmus Of Tehuantepec And Its Impact On Tropical Cyclogenesis In The Eastern Pacific, Adolfo Lugo Rios

Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation we research two aspects of the mountain gap wind northerlies of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Southern Mexico. The causes of extreme gap wind northerlies, emphasizing the causes by tropical weather systems, like easterly waves troughs or hurricanes, and the impacts of an extreme gap wind events on tropical cyclogenesis.

Through the use of an index to diagnose the mountain gap wind strength, its evolution through the year and the mechanisms leading to extreme mountain gap winds was highlighted. The index revealed that the gap wind is strongly related to high surface pressure anomalies over the GoM …

Droughtscape, Winter 2022, National Drought Mitigation Center

DroughtScape: Quarterly Newsletter of the National Drought Mitigation Center (2007–2023)

DroughtScape, Winter 2022

A Temporal Examination Of The Connections Between Convective Available Potential Energy And Convective System Development, Chad A. Small

Dissertations and Theses

In 1983, the World Climate Research Programme launched its first project: the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP). While the ISCCP has succeeded in many of its cataloging and analytical goals, one of its flagship products, the Convection Tracking (CT) Database does not contain certain environmental parameters that are essential in understanding how, and when, convection is initiated or intensified. The development of mesoscale convection – notably, convective systems (CS) – is also largely dependent on parameters like convective available potential energy (CAPE) which the ISCCP CT Database does not record. By tying information on CAPE to CS, discoveries in …

Air Quality: Assessment Of Pollutant Levels And Chemistry In Kitchener, On Using Multisensor Pods, Wisam Mohammed

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Air quality is a growing concern amongst governmental bodies worldwide. A large number of scientific studies accumulated over the past 25 years suggest that poor ambient air quality is attributed to adverse health effects, especially in vulnerable communities that exhibit pre-existing conditions. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported around 600 000 deaths globally in children under the age of 5 as a result of acute lower respiratory infections caused by poor air quality. With the current statistics on air quality impacts, it is clear that more needs to be done. This MSc work aims to put into perspective the …

Automated Detection And Characterization Of Mesocyclones In X-Band Radar Observations, Raychel E. Nelson

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Droughtscape, Fall 2021, National Drought Mitigation Center

DroughtScape: Quarterly Newsletter of the National Drought Mitigation Center (2007–2023)

DroughtScape, Fall 2021

High Altitude Ballooning As A Platform For Measuring Ozone Uptake Over Agricultural Landscapes, Thomas Sykora, Mark Potosnak

DePaul Discoveries

Measuring plant health is a key aspect in maximizing crop outputs. One often overlooked risk to crop fields is damage caused by stomatal ozone uptake; measuring this uptake is an important tool in understanding crop losses. Traditional methods for measuring plant ozone uptake are prohibitively expensive and rely on equipment that cannot easily be moved. Here, we propose high-altitude weather ballooning as a cost-effective alternative for measuring ozone uptake on a regional (~10 km) spatial scale. Ozonesounde data was obtained with weather balloons launched from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research station in Boulder, Colorado. This data was then …

Exploring Environmental And Methodological Sensitivities Of Forecasted And Observed Surface Winds And Gusts Using Underutilized Datasets, Alex Roslyn Gallagher

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Accurate forecasts and reliable observations of surface mean winds and gusts inhabit a vast and essential role in meteorological applications that range from wind energy, atmospheric transport, fire weather, and hazard assessment. This dissertation aims to address and explore known shortfalls in the prediction of mean winds and gusts as well as enhance evaluation and understanding of observed surface wind measurements. A variety of forecasts, methodologies, and observational dataset, many of which have been previously un- or under-utilized, are leveraged to tackle the differing needs of assessing mean winds, gusts, and the surface environment.Detailed verifications of HRRR (version 3 and …

Theoretical And Observational Analysis Of Ice Particles For Improvement Of Ice Microphysical Models, Vanessa Przybylo

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Frozen hydrometeors can grow to acquire a multitude of shapes and sizes, which influence the distribution of mass within cloud systems. Aggregates have a variety of formations based on initial ice particle size, shape, falling orientation, and the number of particles that collect. This work employs the theoretical Ice Particle and Aggregate Simulator (IPAS) as a statistical tool to repetitively collect ice crystals to derive bulk aggregate characteristics.