Midlevel cyclonic vortices generated by mesoscale convective systems

Abstract

Despite the large number of convective systems that occur over the US every year, there are typically only a few well-defined, midlevel vortices apparent in satellite imagery after the overlying anvil debris from some convective complexes has dissipated or advected away. A climatology of mesoscale convectively generated vortex (MCV) events for 1981-1988 is presented and the synoptic setting in which the circulation becomes apparent is discussed. Most MCVs emerge from MCC-type (i.e., circular) systems, but of the cases noted (24 events over the central US between 1981-1988) only half originated in systems that met Maddox's stringent MCC size and duration criteria. -from Authors