The relationship between storm mergers and tornado formation can result in localconditions more favorable for rapid intensification of vertical vorticity at the surface than foundin the surrounding environment. Following the work of Lemon (1976) and Lee et al. (2006), thisstudy uses high-resolution WRF simulations to simulate and understand the significance of stormmergers in subsequent intensification of the parent rotating updraft (mesocyclone) and tornadicvortex in the 22 May 2011 Joplin, MO case. This case was noted for the rapid evolution of thestorm from tornado formation (tornadogenesis) to peak intensity in relation to the merging ofcells in the rear-flank region of the parent storm.In an effort to identify the importance of the mergers in the tornadogenesis process, casestudyWRF simulations are used to reproduce behavior observed in the event. An in-depthqualitative and quantitative analysis of the relationships between internal storm dynamicalprocesses, such as precipitation loading and increased surface convergence, is performed. Three-dimensionalvisualization is utilized to identify spatial and temporal relationships between stormscaleprocesses. Sensitivity tests, including the artificial removal or alteration of the mergingcells in the model, modify the storm evolution and allow the quantification of the mergers’effects. This study pursued a goal of identifying storm scale processes resulting from stormmergers that enhance, weaken or otherwise modulate tornado development in supercell storms.
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Storm mergers and their role in tornado genesis during the 2011 Joplin storm
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