Mother Nature Doesn't Separate the Scale of Atmospheric Motion

Extreme weather, especially heavy precipitation, is inherently multiscale. For example, synoptic-scale disturbances (e.g., such extratropical cyclones) directly trigger precipitation through mechanically forced ascent of moist air and simultaneously serve as backgrounds of localized mesoscale convection. These synoptic circulations also nonlinearly interact with slowly varying large-scale circulations.

Advancing our understanding and prediction of extreme events requires capturing this hierarchical interplay across scales. Working at the intersection of synoptic/mesoscale meteorology and large-scale/climate dynamics, I pursue the role of a bridge-builder—one who can provide a holistic, integrated explanation of extreme weather.