TY - JOUR
T1 - An electrical and polarimetric analysis of the overland reintensification of Tropical Storm Erin (2007)
AU - Griffin, Erica M.
AU - Schuur, Terry J.
AU - MacGorman, Donald R.
AU - Kumjian, Matthew R.
AU - Fierro, Alexandre O.
PY - 2014/6
Y1 - 2014/6
N2 - While passing over central Oklahoma on 18-19 August 2007, the remnants of Tropical Storm Erin unexpectedly reintensified and developed an eyelike feature that was clearly discernable in Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) imagery. During this brief reintensification period, Erin traversed a region of dense surface and remote sensing observation networks that provided abundant data of high spatial and temporal resolution. This study analyzes data from the polarimetric KOUN S-band radar, total lightning data from the Oklahoma Lightning Mapping Array, and ground-flash lightning data from the National Lightning Detection Network. Erin's reintensification was atypical since it occurred well inland and was accompanied by stronger maximum sustained winds and gusts (25 and 37 m s-1, respectively) and lower minimum sea level pressure (1001.3 hPa) than while over water. Radar observations reveal several similarities to those documented in mature tropical cyclones over open water, including outward-sloping eyewall convection, near 0-dBZ reflectivities within the eye, and relatively large updraft velocities in the eyewall as inferred from single-Doppler winds and ZDR columns. Deep, electrified convection near the center of circulation preceded the formation of Erin's eye, with maximum lightning activity occurring prior to and during reintensification. The results show that inner-core convection may have played a role in the reinvigoration of the storm.
AB - While passing over central Oklahoma on 18-19 August 2007, the remnants of Tropical Storm Erin unexpectedly reintensified and developed an eyelike feature that was clearly discernable in Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) imagery. During this brief reintensification period, Erin traversed a region of dense surface and remote sensing observation networks that provided abundant data of high spatial and temporal resolution. This study analyzes data from the polarimetric KOUN S-band radar, total lightning data from the Oklahoma Lightning Mapping Array, and ground-flash lightning data from the National Lightning Detection Network. Erin's reintensification was atypical since it occurred well inland and was accompanied by stronger maximum sustained winds and gusts (25 and 37 m s-1, respectively) and lower minimum sea level pressure (1001.3 hPa) than while over water. Radar observations reveal several similarities to those documented in mature tropical cyclones over open water, including outward-sloping eyewall convection, near 0-dBZ reflectivities within the eye, and relatively large updraft velocities in the eyewall as inferred from single-Doppler winds and ZDR columns. Deep, electrified convection near the center of circulation preceded the formation of Erin's eye, with maximum lightning activity occurring prior to and during reintensification. The results show that inner-core convection may have played a role in the reinvigoration of the storm.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84901641425&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84901641425&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1175/MWR-D-13-00360.1
DO - 10.1175/MWR-D-13-00360.1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84901641425
VL - 142
SP - 2321
EP - 2344
JO - Monthly Weather Review
JF - Monthly Weather Review
SN - 0027-0644
IS - 6
ER -