Open AccessWhirlwinds and Hairpins in the Atmospheric Surface Layer
Author(s) -
Steven Oncley,
Oscar Hartogensis,
Chenning Tong
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of the atmospheric sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.853
H-Index - 173
eISSN - 1520-0469
pISSN - 0022-4928
DOI - 10.1175/jas-d-15-0368.1
Subject(s) - vortex , tornado , turbulence , surface layer , atmospheric sciences , layer (electronics) , surface (topology) , meteorology , physics , environmental science , geology , materials science , geometry , nanotechnology , mathematics
Vortices in the atmospheric surface layer are characterized using observations at unprecedented resolution from a fixed array of 31 turbulence sensors. During the day, these vortices likely are dust devils, though no visual observations are available for confirmation. At night, hairpin vortices appear to have been observed. The structure and dynamics of several types of vortices are described and related to other vortex investigations, including tornadoes and hurricanes.