David O. Blanchard

Last updated
Dave Blanchard
Alma mater Florida State University (B.S.)
Colorado State University (M.S., 1983; Ph.D., 1994)
Known forSevere convective storms research
Scientific career
Fields Meteorology, Photography
Institutions National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Thesis Jet-induced Inertial Instabilities and the Growth of Mesoscale Convective Systems (1994)

David Owen Blanchard is an American meteorologist, photographer, and storm chaser. He was a significant collaborator in seminal research on tornadogenesis, specifically the importance of baroclinic boundaries, the rear-flank downdraft (RFD) and its thermodynamic characteristics. [1]

Tornadogenesis process by which a tornado forms

Tornadogenesis is the process by which a tornado forms. There are many types of tornadoes and these vary in methods of formation. Despite ongoing scientific study and high-profile research projects such as VORTEX, tornadogenesis is a volatile process and the intricacies of many of the mechanisms of tornado formation are still poorly understood.

Atmospheric thermodynamics is the study of heat-to-work transformations that take place in the earth's atmosphere and manifest as weather or climate. Atmospheric thermodynamics use the laws of classical thermodynamics, to describe and explain such phenomena as the properties of moist air, the formation of clouds, atmospheric convection, boundary layer meteorology, and vertical instabilities in the atmosphere. Atmospheric thermodynamic diagrams are used as tools in the forecasting of storm development. Atmospheric thermodynamics forms a basis for cloud microphysics and convection parameterizations used in numerical weather models and is used in many climate considerations, including convective-equilibrium climate models.

Background

Blanchard studied meteorology at Florida State University (FSU) where he earned a B.S. and at Colorado State University (CSU) where he earned a M.S. in 1983 with the thesis Variability of the Convective Field Pattern in South Florida and its Relationship to the Synoptic Flow and a Ph.D. in 1994 with the dissertation Jet-induced Inertial Instabilities and the Growth of Mesoscale Convective Systems. From 1978-1980 Blanchard worked at the NOAA National Hurricane and Experimental Meteorology Laboratory (NHEML) in Coral Gables, Florida after which he moved to the Office of Weather Research and Modification (OWRM) in Boulder, Colorado until 1982 when he worked at the Weather Research Program (WRP) until 1988. Blanchard was at the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) in Boulder from 1998-1994, the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) from 1994-1995, and returned to NSSL Boulder from 1996-1999. Since 1999 he has been a meteorologist at National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs). [2]

Meteorology Interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere focusing on weather forecasting

Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences which includes atmospheric chemistry and atmospheric physics, with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw modest progress in the field after weather observation networks were formed across broad regions. Prior attempts at prediction of weather depended on historical data. It was not until after the elucidation of the laws of physics and more particularly, the development of the computer, allowing for the automated solution of a great many equations that model the weather, in the latter half of the 20th century that significant breakthroughs in weather forecasting were achieved. An important domain of weather forecasting is marine weather forecasting as it relates to maritime and coastal safety, in which weather effects also include atmospheric interactions with large bodies of water.

Florida State University university in the United States

Florida State University is a public space-grant and sea-grant research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the state of Florida.

Colorado State University public research university in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

Colorado State University is a public research university in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.

Blanchard participated as a team leader for Project VORTEX in 1994-1995 [3] and was co-principal investigator (PI) of subVORTEX during 1997-1998. Blanchard is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM) by the American Meteorological Society (AMS), served on the AMS Severe Local Storms Committee, an associated editor of Monthly Weather Review , and on the Atmospheric Dynamics Committee of the American Geophysical Union (AGU).[ citation needed ]

VORTEX projects

The Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment or VORTEX are field projects that study tornadoes. VORTEX1 was the first time scientists completely researched the entire evolution of a tornado with an array of instrumentation, enabling a greater understanding of the processes involved with tornadogenesis. A violent tornado near Union City, Oklahoma was documented in its entirety by chasers of the Tornado Intercept Project (TIP) in 1973 and visual observations led to advancement in understanding of tornado structure and life cycles. VORTEX2 utilized enhanced technology allowing scientists to improve forecasting capabilities to improve advanced warnings to residents. VORTEX2 sought to elucidate how tornadoes form, how long they last and why they last that long, and what causes them to dissipate.

In Canada and the United States, the term principal investigator (PI) refers to the holder of an independent grant and the lead researcher for the grant project, usually in the sciences, such as a laboratory study or a clinical trial. The phrase is also often used as a synonym for "head of the laboratory" or "research group leader." While the expression is common in the sciences, it is used widely for the person or persons who make final decisions and supervise funding and expenditures on a given research project.

Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM) is the title of a person designated by the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and CCM Board to possess the attributes of Knowledge, Experience, and Character as they pertain to the field of meteorology. Announced in 1957, the CCM program is a service for the general public by the AMS to establish high standards for those who provide advice in meteorology to the public.

Related Research Articles

This is a list of meteorology topics. The terms relate to meteorology, the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and forecasting.

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The National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather research laboratory under the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. It is one of seven NOAA Research Laboratories (RLs).

Lifted index

The lifted index (LI) is the temperature difference between the environment Te(p) and an air parcel lifted adiabatically Tp(p) at a given pressure height in the troposphere of the atmosphere, usually 500 hPa (mb). The temperature is measured in Celsius. When the value is positive, the atmosphere is stable and when the value is negative, the atmosphere is unstable.

Ron Przybylinski American meteorlogist

Ronald William Przybylinski was an American meteorologist with primary areas of interest in bow echoes, mesovortices, and quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) tornadoes.

Neil Burgher Ward, American meteorologist, was the first scientific storm chaser, and second known storm chaser, developing ideas of thunderstorm and tornado structure and evolution as well as techniques for forecasting and intercept. He also was a pioneering developer of physical models of tornadoes, first at his home, then at the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL). He significantly furthered understanding of atmospheric vortices, particularly the tornado.

Harold E. Brooks American storm chaser

Harold Edward Brooks is an American meteorologist whose research is concentrated on severe convective storms and tornadoes, particularly severe weather climatology, as well as weather forecasting.

European Severe Storms Laboratory organization

The European Severe Storms Laboratory (ESSL) started as an informal network of European scientists with the goal to advance research on severe convective storms and extreme weather events on a European level and can be seen as the European equivalent to the National Severe Storms Laboratory. Severe weather includes extreme local meteorological events like tornados, heavy precipitation events and avalanches. The ESSL focuses on research questions concerning convective storms and other extreme weather phenomena which can be treated more efficiently on a pan-European scale.

Howard Bruce Bluestein is a research meteorologist known for his mesoscale meteorology, severe weather, and radar research. He is a major participant in the VORTEX projects. A native of the Boston area, Dr. Bluestein received his Ph.D. in 1976 from MIT. He has been a professor of meteorology at the University of Oklahoma (OU) since 1976.

Roger Wakimoto meteorologist

Roger M. Wakimoto is an atmospheric scientist specializing in research on mesoscale meteorology, particularly severe convective storms and radar meteorology. A former director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Wakimoto in November 2012 was appointed as assistant director of the Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) of the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Erik N. Rasmussen American meteorologist

Erik Nels Rasmussen is an American meteorologist and leading expert on mesoscale meteorology, severe convective storms, forecasting of storms, and tornadogenesis. He was the field coordinator of the first of the VORTEX projects in 1994-1995 and a lead principal investigator for VORTEX2 from 2009-2010 and VORTEX-SE from 2016-2017, as well as involved in other smaller VORTEX offshoots and many field projects.

The following is a glossary of tornado terms. It includes scientific as well as selected informal terminology.

Robert Davies-Jones British atmospheric scientist

Robert Peter Davies-Jones is a British atmospheric scientist who substantially advanced understanding of supercell and tornado dynamics and of tornadogenesis. A theoretician, he utilized numerical simulations as well as storm chasing field investigations in his work as a longtime research meteorologist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) in Norman, Oklahoma.

Louis Wicker American meteorologist

Louis John Wicker is an American atmospheric scientist with expertise in numerical analysis, numerical simulation, and forecasts of severe convection and tornadoes. Doing storm chasing field research, Wicker deployed the TOtable Tornado Observatory (TOTO) and was in leadership roles in the VORTEX projects. He is also known for pioneering work simulating convection at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (UIUC).

Adam Clark (meteorologist) meteorologist

Adam James Clark is an American meteorologist at the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS) and the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) recognized for contributions to numerical modeling of convection.

David Stensrud American meteorologist

David Jonathan Stensrud is an American meteorologist recognized for numerical modeling and forecasting of hazardous synoptic and mesoscale weather and for incorporating new data into models.

Donald W. Burgess American meteorologist

Donald W. Burgess is an American meteorologist who has made important contributions to understanding of severe convective storms, particularly tornadoes, radar observations and techniques, as well as to training other meteorologists. He was a radar operator during the first organized storm chasing expeditions by the University of Oklahoma (OU) in the early 1970s and participated in both the VORTEX projects.

Alan Moller American meteorologist

Alan Roger Moller was an American meteorologist, storm chaser, nature and landscape photographer known for advancing spotter training and bridging operational meteorology with research.

Roger Edwards (meteorologist) American meteorologist

Roger Edwards is an American meteorologist and expert on severe convective storms (thunderstorms). He is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Electronic Journal of Severe Storms Meteorology (EJSSM).

Edwin Kessler

Edwin Kessler III was an American atmospheric scientist who oversaw the development of Doppler weather radar and was the first director of the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL).

References

  1. Rasmussen, Erik (1998). "New findings on the origins of tornadoes from VORTEX" (PDF). NSSL Briefings. Norman, OK: National Severe Storms Laboratory. 2 (3): 1–2.
  2. "David O. Blanchard". About Our Staff. Severe Storms Research and Consulting. Archived from the original on 2008-11-20. Retrieved 2014-04-30.
  3. "VORTEX". Field Projects. UCAR Earth Observing Laboratory. Retrieved 2014-04-30.