Multiple-platform and multiple-Doppler radar observations of a supercell thunderstorm in South America during RELAMPAGO

Journal Article · Tue Jul 14 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · Monthly Weather Review

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-20-0125.1· OSTI ID:1673629

Trapp, Robert ^[1]; Kosiba, Karen A. ^[2]; Marquis, James N. ^[3]; Kumjian, Matthew R. ^[4]; Nesbitt, Steve W. ^[1]; Wurman, Joshua ^[5]; Salio, Paulo ^[6]; Grover, Maxwell ^[1]; Robinson, Paul ^[7]; Hence, Deanna A. ^[1]

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1. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2. Center for Severe Weather Research, Boulder CO
3. BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB)
4. Pennsylvania State University
5. Center for Severe Weather Research, Boulder, CO
6. Universidad de Buenos Aires
7. Center for Severe Weather Research

On 10 November 2018, during the RELAMPAGO field campaign in Argentina, South America, a thunderstorm with supercell characteristics was observed by an array of mobile observing instruments, including three Doppler on Wheels (DOW) radars. This is believed to be the first such storm ever sampled by multiple Doppler radars in South America, and one of perhaps two such sets of observations in the Southern Hemisphere. The observational strategies employed within the Córdoba Province on 10 November are described, as also is the evolution of the initial deep convective clouds through their organization into a supercell. In contrast to the archetypal supercell, the updraft rotation in this storm was rather short lived (~20 min), as also was the occurrence of damaging hail, causing us to question whether this indeed was indeed a supercell. However, additional data collected within the Córdoba Province provide us with evidence of other storms with this behavior, which appears to be attributable in part to effects of the local terrain. Thus, the structure and evolution of this storm documented during RELAMPAGO may be typical in this region.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1673629
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-152475
• Journal Information: Monthly Weather Review, Journal Name: Monthly Weather Review Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 148
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English