An Analysis of the Processes Affecting Rapid Near-Surface Water Vapor Increases during the Afternoon to Evening Transition in Oklahoma
Abstract
Abstract This study used 20 years of Oklahoma Mesonet data to investigate the changes of near-surface water vapor mixing ratio qυ during the afternoon to evening transition (AET). Similar to past studies, increases in qυ are found to occur near sunset. However, the location, magnitude, and timing of the qυ maximum occurring during the AET are shown to be dependent on the seasonal growth and harvest of vegetation across Oklahoma in the spring and summer months. Particularly, the late spring harvest of winter wheat grown in Oklahoma appears to modify the relative contribution of local and nonlocal processes on qυ. By analyzing time series of qυ during the AET, it is found that the likelihood of a presunset qυ maximum is strongly dependent upon vegetation, soil moisture, wind speed, and cloud cover. Analysis also reveals that the increase in qυ during the AET can increase the parcel conditional instability despite the surface cooling produced by loss of insolation. Next to known changes in low-level wind shear, these changes in instability and moisture demonstrate new ways the AET can modify the presence of the key ingredients relevant to explaining the climatological increase in severe convective storm hazards around sunset.
- Authors:
-
- School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
- NOAA/Earth Systems Research Laboratory Global Sciences Division, Boulder, Colorado
- School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
- NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, Oklahoma
- School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
- School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
- Publication Date:
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1570023
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0014375
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology Journal Volume: 58 Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 1558-8424
- Publisher:
- American Meteorological Society
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Citation Formats
Blumberg, W. G., Turner, D. D., Cavallo, S. M., Gao, Jidong, Basara, J., and Shapiro, A. An Analysis of the Processes Affecting Rapid Near-Surface Water Vapor Increases during the Afternoon to Evening Transition in Oklahoma. United States: N. p., 2019.
Web. doi:10.1175/JAMC-D-19-0062.1.
Blumberg, W. G., Turner, D. D., Cavallo, S. M., Gao, Jidong, Basara, J., & Shapiro, A. An Analysis of the Processes Affecting Rapid Near-Surface Water Vapor Increases during the Afternoon to Evening Transition in Oklahoma. United States. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-19-0062.1
Blumberg, W. G., Turner, D. D., Cavallo, S. M., Gao, Jidong, Basara, J., and Shapiro, A. Thu .
"An Analysis of the Processes Affecting Rapid Near-Surface Water Vapor Increases during the Afternoon to Evening Transition in Oklahoma". United States. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-19-0062.1.
@article{osti_1570023,
title = {An Analysis of the Processes Affecting Rapid Near-Surface Water Vapor Increases during the Afternoon to Evening Transition in Oklahoma},
author = {Blumberg, W. G. and Turner, D. D. and Cavallo, S. M. and Gao, Jidong and Basara, J. and Shapiro, A.},
abstractNote = {Abstract This study used 20 years of Oklahoma Mesonet data to investigate the changes of near-surface water vapor mixing ratio qυ during the afternoon to evening transition (AET). Similar to past studies, increases in qυ are found to occur near sunset. However, the location, magnitude, and timing of the qυ maximum occurring during the AET are shown to be dependent on the seasonal growth and harvest of vegetation across Oklahoma in the spring and summer months. Particularly, the late spring harvest of winter wheat grown in Oklahoma appears to modify the relative contribution of local and nonlocal processes on qυ. By analyzing time series of qυ during the AET, it is found that the likelihood of a presunset qυ maximum is strongly dependent upon vegetation, soil moisture, wind speed, and cloud cover. Analysis also reveals that the increase in qυ during the AET can increase the parcel conditional instability despite the surface cooling produced by loss of insolation. Next to known changes in low-level wind shear, these changes in instability and moisture demonstrate new ways the AET can modify the presence of the key ingredients relevant to explaining the climatological increase in severe convective storm hazards around sunset.},
doi = {10.1175/JAMC-D-19-0062.1},
journal = {Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology},
number = 10,
volume = 58,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Oct 10 00:00:00 EDT 2019},
month = {Thu Oct 10 00:00:00 EDT 2019}
}
https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-19-0062.1
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