Central American biomass burning smoke can increase tornado severity in the U.S

P. E Saide; S. N Spak; R. B Pierce; J. A Otkin; T. K Schaack; A. K Heidinger; A. M Silva; M Kacenelenbogen; J Redemann; G. R Carmichael

doi:10.1002/2014GL062826

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Central American biomass burning smoke can increase tornado severity in the U.S

Journal article

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Central American biomass burning smoke can increase tornado severity in the U.S

P. E Saide, S. N Spak, R. B Pierce, J. A Otkin, T. K Schaack, A. K Heidinger, A. M Silva, M Kacenelenbogen, J Redemann and G. R Carmichael

Geophysical Research Letters, Vol.42(3), pp.956-965

02/16/2015

DOI: 10.1002/2014GL062826

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Abstract

Tornadoes in the Southeast and central U.S. are episodically accompanied by smoke from biomass burning in central America. Analysis of the 27 April 2011 historical tornado outbreak shows that adding smoke to an environment already conducive to severe thunderstorm development can increase the likelihood of significant tornado occurrence. Numerical experiments indicate that the presence of smoke during this event leads to optical thickening of shallow clouds while soot within the smoke enhances the capping inversion through radiation absorption. The smoke effects are consistent with measurements of clouds and radiation before and during the outbreak. These effects result in lower cloud bases and stronger low‐level wind shear in the warm sector of the extratropical cyclone generating the outbreak, two indicators of higher probability of tornadogenesis and tornado intensity and longevity. These mechanisms may contribute to tornado modulation by aerosols, highlighting the need to consider aerosol feedbacks in numerical severe weather forecasting. Key Points First time smoke influence on tornado severity is shown for a real case study A new mechanism on how smoke can influence tornadoes is presented We show that aerosol effects should be considered in severe weather forecasts

WRF‐Chem

smoke

aerosol‐cloud radiation interactions

severe weather prediction

GSI

AOD data assimilation

Details

Title: Subtitle: Central American biomass burning smoke can increase tornado severity in the U.S
Creators: P. E Saide - University of Iowa
S. N Spak - University of Iowa
R. B Pierce - NOAA Satellite and Information Service (NESDIS) Center for Satellite Applications and Research
J. A Otkin - University of Wisconsin‐Madison
T. K Schaack - University of Wisconsin‐Madison
A. K Heidinger - NOAA Satellite and Information Service (NESDIS) Center for Satellite Applications and Research
A. M Silva - Global Modeling and data Assimilation Office, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
M Kacenelenbogen - BAER Institute/NASA Ames Research Center
J Redemann - NASA Ames Research Center
G. R Carmichael - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Geophysical Research Letters, Vol.42(3), pp.956-965
DOI: 10.1002/2014GL062826
ISSN: 0094-8276
eISSN: 1944-8007
Number of pages: 10
Grant note: NASA (NNX08AL05G; NNX11AI52G) EPA (83503701) National Institutes of Health (NIH) (NA10NES4400013) NOAA CIMSS GOES‐R Risk Reduction and GOES‐R Algorithm Working Group NASA Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) (UL1RR024979)
Language: English
Date published: 02/16/2015
Academic Unit: Civil and Environmental Engineering; Center for Global & Regional Environmental Research; Nursing; Public Policy Center (Archive); Chemical and Biochemical Engineering; School of Planning and Public Affairs
Record Identifier: 9983993029302771

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