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RAINEX: Convective Structures in Tropical Cyclones Robert Houze D. Hence, A. Didlake, B. Smull, W.-C. Lee, M. Bell Hurricane Workshop NCAR Boulder 23 February 2010
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Title Idealized hurricane structure
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RAINEX (2005) Results Ophelia—genesis case Katrina—principal rainband Rita—double eyewall and moat
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Ophelia
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Convection During Ophelia Genesis ELDORA flight
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Flight track with ELDORA
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Convective Cell Shown by ELDORA
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Convective contributions to genesis
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Katrina
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ELDORA flight along Principal Rainband
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Principal Rainband
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Obtained Statistics of the Cells in the Principal Rainband
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Mean w in the Principal Rainband
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Detail of a Cell in the Principal Rainband dBZ and Airflow Div & Vort W & vort V T & vort w dBZ
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Consistent with the Idealization dBZ and Airflow Div & Vort W & Vort V T & Vort dBZ w Updrafts
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Detail of a Cell in the Principal Rainband dBZ and Airflow Div & Vort W & vort V & vort w dBZ
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Detail of Downdrafts in the Principal Rainband
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dBZw VTVT div Downdrafts
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Rita
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Double Eyewall of Rita
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Better Understanding of the Moat
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Vorticity Distribution the 2 Eyewalls
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Vorticity, Units: 10 -4 s -1 Units: 10 -4 s -1 Vorticity Distribution the 2 Eyewalls
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Vertical Velocity in 2ndary Eyewall
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RAINEX/ELDORA Findings About Convective Structures in Hurricanes Convection during Ophelia’s genesis – Deep – Wide – Intense – Rotating – Very little downdraft
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RAINEX/ELDORA Findings About Convective Structures in Hurricanes Principal rainband in Katrina – Alternating convective-scale elements – Updraft cells feed vorticity into jet at 4 km – Inner-edge downdrafts strengthen low-level tangential flow inward of band
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RAINEX/ELDORA Findings About Convective Structures in Hurricanes Eyewall replacement in Rita – Moat was taking on structure of an eye – Outer eyewall had an alternating cellular structure but not like principal rainband
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End
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Acknowledgment This research was supported by NSF grant ATM-0743180 and NASA grant NNX07AD59G
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