Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Gutter, Barrett F.

Committee Member

Brown, Michael E.

Committee Member

Kimball, Sytske K.

Date of Degree

5-13-2022

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Professional Meteorology/Climatology

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Department of Geosciences

Abstract

Although sea-breezes frequently initiate convection, it is oftentimes challenging to forecast the precise location of storm development. This research examines temporal and spatial characteristics of sea-breeze driven convection and environmental conditions that support convective or non-convective sea-breeze days along the Northern Gulf Coast. Base reflectivity products were used to identify the initial time of convection (values greater than 30 dBZs) along the sea-breeze front. It was found that convective sea-breezes initiated earlier in the day compared to non-convective sea-breezes. Mapping convective cells in ArcGIS revealed favored locations of thunderstorm development including the southeastern cusp of Mobile County, Alabama and convex coastlines. Meteorological variables from the North American Regional Reanalysis dataset were compared between convective and non-convective sea-breeze days via a bootstrap analysis to reveal environmental characteristics pertinent to forecasting sea-breeze driven convection. Lapse rates, CAPE, CIN, specific humidity, dew point temperature, relative humidity, and precipitable water values were statistically significant.

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