Author

Meredith Bean

Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Atmospheric and Earth Science

Committee Chair

Lawrence Carey

Committee Member

Sean Freeman

Research Advisor

Kevin Knupp

Subject(s)

Severe storms--Forecasting, Tornadoes--Forecasting, Convection (Meteorology), Mesometeorology

Abstract

The Propagation Evolution and Rotation of Linear Storms (PERiLS) field campaign deployed mobile facilities on 24 March 2023 to the Mississippi Delta region. During the intensive operational period, a storm system passed over the PERiLS network that later produced multiple tornadoes in Mississippi and North Alabama. This mesoscale convective system evolved from supercells and merged into a QLCS. This study aimed to document and understand the changes in environmental parameters and associated convective-scale structures as the system moved from initiation over the PERiLS network to North Alabama. The analysis methodology utilizes ground-based assets to ascertain if the MCS was surface driven, the evolution of the thermodynamic environments, and the behavior of the associated mesocyclones/mesovortices. It was found that the system was surface driven, two differing thermodynamic environments evolved to one, and after merging the mesovortices/embedded mesocyclones continually reformed over North Alabama in a linear fashion.

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