Browsing by Subject "Convection (Meteorology) -- Texas"
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Item A mesoscale study of Texas South Plains convective systems(Texas Tech University, 1983-05) Solomon, Martin DA mesoscale investigation of the properties of four days which had varying degrees of convective activity in the Texas South Plains region has been performed. The four days were classified into categories based on intensity and organization of the convection. The categories had been developed through previous research performed on HIPLEX data sets. Mesoscale analysis techniques, including the time change of potential buoyant energy, lifting condensation level, and lifted index plots, wind and equivalent potential temperature vertical profiles, average sounding plots, and moisture divergence computations, were employed in the search for the distinguishing meteorological characteristics in each case. Synoptic scale observations consisted of National Weather Service (NWS) surface and upper air maps, and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-EAST) imagery. The results indicate that each classification did have a unique set of properties on the mesoscale. It is also shown that the parameters of 9e, PBE, LCL and wind velocity were superior in explaining the meteorological differences among the categories. Although only a limited number of case studies have been undertaken here, insight has been gained in the understanding of the mesoscale characteristics of convectively driven precipitation events over the Texas South Plains.Item Lightning signatures in convective storms on the High Plains(Texas Tech University, 2003-12) Martinez, MaribelAn understanding of the association between storm intensity and lightning activity may help forecasters better distinguish between severe and non-severe storms. Seven storms were analyzed in this study in attempt to better understand lightning behavior relative to storm severity. Six of the cases analyzed produced severe weather. The main distinguishing factor between non-severe and severe storms was a flash rate increase and a radiation spread in the 4 to 10 km regions. Each of the cases produced +CG lightning but more importantly experienced a polarity reversal. In cases where either a tornado warning was issued or an actual tornado was reported, the polarity reversal occurred before all tornadic events. The polarity reversal itself was associated with a decrease in lightning in the mid-levels of the temporal height distributions. Peak currents also increased in strength after the reversal. The study shows that total lightning behavior, although it may vary from region to region, differs in severe and non-severe stages of thunderstorms