Abstract
The history of investigation of rotating thunderstorms is briefly reviewed with emphasis on the recent results from comparisons of observations by Doppler radar and three-dimensional numerical simulations. The development of rotation is shown to depend on the tilting into the vertical of horizontal vorticity associated with mean shear. The concept of helicity as a quasi-conserved variable allows further insight into the process. It is suggested that rotating storms are unusually persistent and efficient because helical flow resists turbulent decay.
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Lilly, D.K. (1983). Dynamics of Rotating Thunderstorms. In: Lilly, D.K., Gal-Chen, T. (eds) Mesoscale Meteorology — Theories, Observations and Models. NATO ASI Series, vol 114. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2241-4_28
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2241-4_28
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