Simulating Severe Weather

Simulation of a Thunderstorm in a Weak Shear Environment: A thunderstorm was simulated using a numerical model. The environment the thunderstorm was simulated in had very little wind shear (change in wind direction or speed with height). The thunderstorm (white region) forms and quickly dissipates within 7200 seconds (120 minutes) (yellow numbers in the lower right). The same thunderstorm was tested in an environment with strong shear (the animation below). Such tests can let researchers determine the influence of different environmental factors, in this case the lack of shear. Courtesy of Brian Jewett, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Simulation of a Thunderstorm in a Strong Shear Environment: A thunderstorm was simulated using a numerical model in an environment with strong wind shear. The thunderstorm (white region) forms quickly and develops into a well structured severe storm within 7200 seconds (120 minutes) (yellow numbers in the lower right). This same thunderstorm was tested in an environment with little shear (the animation above). These type of tests allow researchers to determine which environmental factors influences storms and to what degree they affect them. Courtesy of Brian Jewett, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign