A Thunderstorm Bow Wave

Abstract

The thunderstorm solitary gust or bow wave, observed by Doviak and Ge, is examined from the viewpoint of boundary layer wave theory. It is concluded that all its well defined characteristics are consistently modeled as a bow wave of ducted atmospheric modes accompanying the traveling storm. Secondary features, such as the later onset of turbulence, the solitary echo in the radar return, and the apparent rarity of such events can also be understood through a bow wave model. It is also suggested that the radar echo return cannot be attributed to a homogeneous distribution of scattering centers, and more investigation into the actual scattering process is needed.