TornadoGenesis and Extreme Weather in the Po Valley

Department

Department of Earth Sciences "Ardito Desio", University of Milan

Main research activities/topics/projects

Tornadoes stand out as the most destructive phenomena produced by convective storms. Despite their enormous societal and economic impacts, a complete understanding of the physical mechanisms that cause tornadogenesis has remained elusive. In recent years, a growing body of literature has highlighted the importance of storm- and even subtornado-scale circulations to the development of tornadoes in supercell thunderstorms, namely, the most prolific tornado-producing storm type. The importance of small-scale circulations in supercell tornadogenesis point to the need of a heightened comprehension of the relationship of supercells, boundary-layer processes, and their underlying topography. This topic is particularly relevant in Italy, especially in areas such as the Po Valley and Ionian region, where damaging supercell tornadoes occur regularly and mesoscale flow interaction with complex orography has been shown to favors supercell tornadogenesis. This Research Proposal seeks to evaluate the relationship of tornadic supercells and their attendant boundary layer circulations by conducting high-resolution (subkilometer-scale) real-data numerical simulations of a select case in the Po Valley or the Ionian region, where a significant tornado occurred. The main goal is to determine the relative role played by turbulent structures inside the storm's cold pool and outside the storm (i.e., in their nearby, "undisturbed" environment). The results expected from this Proposal should provide a more complete and detailed depiction of the mechanisms that sustain supercell tornadogenesis in Italy and, possibly, in the realm of supercell tornadoes in general.

Working language

English, Portuguese

Duration in months (min-max)

Post Doc: 2- 6