Theses and Dissertations

Zoe Schroder

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Brown, Michael E.

Committee Member

Mercer, Andrew

Committee Member

Rodgers, John C. III

Date of Degree

5-6-2017

Original embargo terms

Worldwide

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Geosciences, Operational Meteorology

Degree Name

Master of Science

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Department of Geosciences

Abstract

Tornadoes frequently occur in Tornado Alley (Northern Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska) and Dixie Alley (Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia). This study utilizes sounding variables taken within 2-hours and 80 km of a tornado event for the period 1995-2015 to compare and differentiate between these regions. Data bootstrapping and cluster analysis were used to assess differences and similarities in the environmental data between the regions. Of the variables used, the thermodynamic variables showed the greatest discrimination between Dixie Alley and Tornado Alley tornado environments with Dixie Alley having lower LCL heights and CAPE values as well as higher SREH and BWD values when compared to Tornado Alley. However, due to thermodynamic and kinematic inputs, EHI shows the greatest potential in discriminating between tornadic environments in Dixie Alley and Tornado Alley which is beneficial in severe weather forecasting.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/16889

Comments

Cluster Analysis||Bootstrap||Kinematic||Thermodynamic||Atmospheric Variables||Proximity Soundings||Tornadic Environments||Tornadoes

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