Using Ground-Based Mobile Profiling Systems to Explore the Relationship Between Boundary Layer Heterogeneity and Storm-scale Processes in the Southeast United States

Storm-scale processes such as tornado-genesis remain among the most complicated problems in atmospheric science. While idealized simulations have provided a framework for how classic supercell dynamics contribute to the formation of tornadoes, most observed tornadoes occur in far from ideal environments, particularly in the southeast United States. Tornadoes in this region have been observed in a variety of synoptic environments and are associated with a diverse assortment of convective modes. Recent field campaigns such as VORTEX-SE and PERiLS have employed a large array of observational methods, including boundary layer profilers, to explore why this is the case. These profilers can be used to obtain high temporal resolution observations of the atmospheric boundary layer that allow for comprehensive probing of mesoscale and storm-scale features that traditional observational techniques are not capable of. This talk explores how these observations can be used to better understand how storm-scale features and processes impact the evolution of the pre-convective boundary layer. Furthermore, I will discuss how a specific terrain feature on the eastern boundary of the Mississippi River delta impacts the pre-convective boundary layer in a way that can influence the behavior of severe convection and its tornado-producing potential.