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Review / Synthèse

Environmental Controls on Tornadoes and Tornado Outbreaks

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Pages 399-421 | Received 24 Apr 2022, Accepted 12 May 2022, Published online: 09 Jun 2022
 

ABSTRACT

In this article, the global climatology of tornadoes and current understanding of the synoptic- and meso-scale environments of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks are reviewed. The study of tornadoes involves the investigation of atmospheric processes at global- to micro-scales and has advanced the understanding of multiscale processes. Global-scale circulation controls synoptic-scale processes such as extratropical cyclones, upper-level jets, and anticyclonic circulation; synoptic-scale processes affect mesoscale processes that cause severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. Studies of the near-storm environment of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks over decades have improved our understanding of differences in environmental parameters such as vertical shear and buoyancy between tornadic and nontornadic thunderstorms. Composite parameters associated with vertical shear and buoyancy have been developed and found to be skilful at predicting the potential of tornado occurrence. However, false alarm ratios for tornado prediction are still large. Since it is still a challenge to predict based on the environment whether or not a tornado will occur, further understanding of the near-storm environment of tornadoes and the development of new meteorological parameters to improve prediction skill are required in the future studies.

RESUME

[Traduit par la redaction] Le présent article se penche sur la climatologie globale des tornades et les connaissances actuelles sur les environnements synoptiques et méso-échelles des tornades et des foyers de tornades. L’étude des tornades comprend l’investigation des processus atmosphériques à l’échelle globale et micro-échelle et a fait évoluer la compréhension des processus multi-échelles. La circulation à l’échelle globale contrôle les processus à l’échelle synoptique, tels que les cyclones extratropicaux, les jets de haute altitude et la circulation anticyclonique. L’étude de l’environnement proche des tornades et des foyers de tornades au cours des décennies a amélioré notre compréhension des différences dans les paramètres environnementaux tels que le cisaillement vertical et la flottabilité entre les orages tornadiques et non tornadiques. Des paramètres composites associés au cisaillement vertical et à la flottabilité ont été élaborés et se sont avérés efficaces pour prédire le potentiel d’occurrence des tornades. Les taux de fausses alarmes pour la prédiction des tornades sont néanmoins encore élevés. Puisqu’il est toujours difficile de prédire, sur la base de l’environnement, si une tornade va se produire ou non, il est nécessaire de mieux comprendre l’environnement proche des tornades et de concevoir de nouveaux paramètres météorologiques pour améliorer la capacité de prédiction dans les études ultérieures.

Acknowledgements

The author is grateful to two anonymous reviewers for their useful comments and suggestions that have significantly improved the original manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author is partly supported by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI No. and 18H01277, 19H05697, 19KK0351, 20K14553, 22H01295, and 24244074.

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