Email: rotunno@ucar.edu
Phone: 303-497-8904
Postal Address: P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO, 80307-3000
Shipping Address: 3450 Mitchell Lane, Boulder, CO, 80307-3000
Mesoscale Meteorology
Rich Rotunno has worked on the theory and modeling of a number of meteorological phenomena including tornadoes, supercell thunderstorms, squall lines, hurricanes, polar lows, midlatitude cyclones and fronts, stratified flow past mountains, sea breezes, and variety of related fluid-dynamics problems such vortex instability, density currents, internal bores and hydraulic jumps. Current research interests include orographic precipitation and atmospheric predictability.
Recent Publications
To search my complete list of publications, please see The ESSL Publications Search.
Moscatello, A., Miglietta, M. M., Rotunno, R., 2008: Observational analysis of a Mediterranean 'hurricane' over south-eastern Italy. Weather. (In Press).
Davis, C. A., Wang, W., Chen, S., Chen, Y., Corbosiero, K., DeMaria, M., Dudhia, J., Holland, G., Klemp, J., Michalakes, J., Reeves, H., Rotunno, R., Xiao, Q., 2008: Prediction of landfalling hurricanes with the advanced hurricane WRF model. Monthly Weather Review. (In Press).
Rotunno, R., Snyder, C., 2008: A generalization of Lorenz's model for the predictability of flows with many scales of motion. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 65, doi: 10.1175/2007JAS2449.1, 1063-1076.
Bryan, G. H., Rotunno, R., 2008: Gravity currents in a deep anelastic atmosphere. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 65, doi: 10.1175/2007JAS2443.1, 536-556.
Reeves, H. D., Lin, Y., Rotunno, R., 2008: Dynamic forcing and mesoscale variability of heavy precipitation events over the Sierra Nevada mountains. Monthly Weather Review, 136, doi: 10.1175/2007MWR2164.1, 62-77.
Antonelli, M., Rotunno, R., 2007: Large-eddy simulation of the onset of the sea breeze. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 64, doi: 10.1175/2007JAS23261.1, 4445-4457.
Kirshbaum, D. J., Rotunno, R., Bryan, G. H., 2007: The spacing of orographic rainbands triggered by small-scale topography. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 64, doi: 10.1175/2007JAS2335.1, 4222-4245.
Zhang, F., Bei, N., Rotunno, R., Snyder, C., Epifanio, C. C., 2007: Mesoscale predictability of moist baroclinic waves: Convection-permitting experiments and multistage error growth dynamics. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 64, 3579-3594.
Kirshbaum, D. J., Bryan, G. H., Rotunno, R., Durran, D. R., 2007: The triggering of orographic rainbands by small-scale topography. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 64, doi: 10.1175/JAS3924.1, 1530-1549.
Rotunno, R., Houze, R. A., 2007: Lessons on orographic precipitation from the Mesoscale Alpine Programme. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 133, doi: 10.1002/qj.67, 811-830.
Bryan, G. H., Rotunno, R., Fritsch, J. M., 2007: Roll circulations in the convective region of a simulated squall line. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 64, 1249-1266.
Miglietta, M. M., Rotunno, R., 2006: Further Results on Moist Nearly Neutral Flow over a Ridge. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 63, doi: 10.1175/JAS3793.1, 2881-2897.
Epifanio, C., Rotunno, R., 2005: The dynamics of orographic wake formation in flows with upstream blocking. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 62, 3127-3150.
Ralph, F. M., Neiman, P. J., Rotunno, R., 2005: Dropsonde observations in low-level jets over the Northeastern Pacific Ocean from CALJET-1998 and PACJET-2001: mean vertical-profile and atmospheric-river characteristics. Monthly Weather Review, 133, 889-910.
Miglietta, M. M., Rotunno, R., 2005: Numerical simulations of nearly moist neutral flow past a two-dimensional ridge. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 62, 1410-1427.
Weisman, M. L., Rotunno, R., 2005: Reply to Comment by Stensrud et al. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 62, doi: 10.1175/JAS3515.1, 2997-3002.
Takemi, T., Rotunno, R., 2005: CORRIGENDUM. Monthly Weather Review, 133, 339-341.
Rampanelli, G., Zardi, D., Rotunno, R., 2004: Mechanisms of up-valley winds. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 61, 3097-3111.
Tan, Z. M., Zhang, F., Rotunno, R., Snyder, C., 2004: Mesoscale predictability of moist baroclinic waves. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 61, 1794-1804.
Moeng, C., McWilliams, J. C., Rotunno, R., Sullivan, P. P., Weil, J. C., 2004: Investigating 2D modeling of atmospheric convection in the PBL. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 61, 889-903.
Flamant, C., Richard, E., Schar, C., Rotunno, R., Nance, L., Sprenger, M., Benoit, R., 2004: The wake south of the Alps: dynamics and structure of the lee-side flow and secondary potential vorticity banners. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 130, 1275-1303.
Weisman, M. L., Rotunno, R., 2004: "A theory for strong long-lived squall lines'' revisited. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 61, 361-382.
Fedorovich, E., Rotunno, R., Stevens, B., 2004: Atmospheric turbulence and mesoscale meteorology. Atmospheric Turbulence and Mesoscale Meteorology, 280 pp.
Rotunno, R., Weisman, M. L., 2003: Comment on "Linear and nonlinear propagation of supercell thunderstorms.". Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 60, 2413-2419.
Takemi, T., Rotunno, R., 2003: The effects of subgrid model mixing and numerical filtering in simulations of mesoscale cloud systems. Monthly Weather Review, 131, 2085-2101.
Zhang, F., Snyder, C., Rotunno, R., 2003: Effect of moist convection on mesoscale predictability. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 60, 1173-1185.
Rotunno, R., Ferretti, R., 2003: Orographic effects on rainfall in MAP cases IOP2b and IOP8. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 129, 373-390.
Rotunno, R., 2002: Gust Fronts. Encyclopedia of Atmospheric Sciences, 915-918.
Skamarock, W. C., Rotunno, R., Klemp, J. B., 2002: Catalina eddies and coastally-trapped disturbances. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 59, 2270-2278.
Zhang, F., Snyder, C., Rotunno, R., 2002: Mesoscale predictability of the "surprise" 24-25 January 2000 snow storm. Monthly Weather Review, 130, 1617-1632.
Rotunno, R., Ferretti, R., 2001: Mechanisms of intense alpine rainfall. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 58, 1732-1749.
Welch, W. T., Smolarkiewicz, P. K., Rotunno, R., Boville, B., 2001: The large scale effects of flow over periodic mesoscale topography. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 58, 1477-1492.
Chong, M., Rotunno, R., 2000: Real-time wind synthesis from Doppler radar observations during the Mesoscale Alpine Programme. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 81, 2953-2962.
Rotunno, R., Muraki, D., Snyder, J. B., 2000: Unstable baroclinic waves beyond quasigeostrophic theory. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 57, 3285-3295.
Nuss, W. A., Bane, J. M., Thompson, G., Holt, T., Dorman, C., Ralph, F., Rotunno, R., Klemp, J. B., Skamarock, W. C., Samelson, R. M., Reason, C., Jackson, P., 2000: Coastally trapped wind reversals: Progress towards understanding. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 81, 719-744.
Ferretti, R., Low-Nam, S., Rotunno, R., 2000: Numerical simulations of the Piedmont flood of 4-6 November 1994. Tellus, 52A, 162-180.
Weisman, M. L., Rotunno, R., 2000: On the use of vertical wind shear versus helicity in interpreting supercell dynamics. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 57(9), 1452-1472.
Braun, S. R., Rotunno, R., Klemp, J. B., 1999: Effects of coastal orography on landfalling cold fronts. Part II: Effects of surface friction. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 56, 3366-3384.
Skamarock, W. C., Rotunno, R., Klemp, J. B., 1999: Models of coastally trapped disturbances. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 56(19), 3349-3365.
Braun, S. R., Rotunno, R., Klemp, J. B., 1999: Effects of coastal orography on landfalling cold fronts. Part I: Effects of surface friction. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 56, 517-533.
Muraki, D., Snyder, C., Rotunno, R., 1999: The next-order corrections to quasi-geostrophic theory. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 56, 1547-1560.
Rotunno, R., Grubisic, V., Smolarkiewicz, P. K., 1999: Vorticity and potential vorticity in mountain wakes. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 56, 2796-2810.
Rotunno, R., Skamarock, W. C., Snyder, C., 1998: Effects of surface drag on fronts within numerically simulated baroclinic waves. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 55, 2119-2129.
Klemp, J. B., Rotunno, R., Skamarock, W. C., 1997: On the Propagation of Internal Bores. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 331, 81-106.
Skamarock, W. C., Klemp, J. B., Rotunno, R., 1996: The diffraction of Kelvin waves and bores at coastal bends. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 53, doi: 10.1175/1520-0469(1996)053<1327:TDOKWA>2.0.CO;2, 1327-1337.
Rotunno, R., Bao, J., 1996: A case study of cyclogenesis using a model hierarchy. Monthly Weather Review, 124, 1051-1066.
Gray, G. H., Rotunno, R., 1996: Book Review of International Bibliography of Meteorology: From the Beginning of Printing to 1889. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 77, 570-573.
Rotunno, R., Pietrafesa, L. J., Allen, J. S., Colman, B. R., Dorman, C. M., Kreitzberg, C. W., Lord, S. J., Mcphee, M. G., Mellor, G. L., Mooers, C. N. K., Niiler, P. P., Pielke, R. A., Powell, M. D., Rogers, D. P., Smith, J. D., Xie, L. A., 1996: Coastal Meteorology and Oceanography: Report of the third prospectus development team of the U. S. Weather Research Program to NOAA and NSF. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 77, 1578-1585.
Emanuel, K. A., Speer, K., Rotunno, R., Srivastava, R., Molina, M., 1995: Hypercanes: A possible link in global extinction scenarios. Journal of Geophysical Research, 100, 13775-13765.
Emanuel, K., Raymond, D., Betts, A., Bosart, L., Bretherton, C., Droegemeir, K., Farrell, B., Fritsch, J. M., Houze, R., Lemone, M., Lilly, D., Rotunno, R., Shapiro, M., Smith, R., Thorpe, A., 1995: Report of the first prospectus development team of the USWRP to The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Science Foundation. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 76, 1194-1208.
Rotunno, R., Smolarkiewicz, P. K., 1995: Vorticity generation in the shallow-water equations as applied to hydraulic jumps. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 52, 320-330.
Rotunno, R., Skamarock, W. C., Snyder, C., 1994: An analysis of frontogenesis in numerical simulations of baroclinic waves. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 51, 3373-3398.
Rotunno, R., 1994: Chapter2: A Synopsis of Coastal Meteorology: A Review of the State of the Science. Environmental Science in the Coastal Zone: Issues for Future Research, 14-19.
Herring, J. R., Kerr, R. M., Rotunno, R., 1994: Ertel's Potential Vorticity in Unstratified Turbulence. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 51, 35-47.
Klemp, J. B., Rotunno, R., Skamarock, W. C., 1994: On the dynamics of gravity currents in a channel. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 269, 169-198.
Szoke, E. J., Rotunno, R., 1993: A comparison of surface observations and visual tornado characteristics for the 15 June 1988 Denver tornado outbreak. The Tornado: Its Structure, Dynamics, Prediction, and Hazards, Geophysical Monograph, 353-366.
Snyder, C., Skamarock, W. C., Rotunno, R., 1993: Frontal dynamics near and following frontal collapse. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 50, 3194-3212.
Rotunno, R., 1993: Supercell Thunderstorm Modelling and Theory. The Tornado: Its Structure, Dynamics, Prediction, and Hazards, Geophysical Monograph, 57-73.
Rotunno, R., Curry, J. A., Fairall, C. W., Friehe, C. A., Lyons, W. A., Overland, J. E., Pielke, R. A., Rogers, D. P., Stage, S. A., 1992: Coastal Meteorology, A review of the state of the science. Coastal Meteorology, A review of the state of the science, 99pp.
Snyder, C., Skamarock, W. C., Rotunno, R., 1991: A comparison of primitive-equation and semigeostropic simulations of baroclinic waves. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 48, 2179-2194.
Rotunno, R., Smolarkiewicz, P. K., 1991: Further results on lee vortices in low Froude number flow. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 48, 2204-2211.
Rotunno, R., Klemp, J. B., Weisman, M. L., 1990: Comments on "A numerical investigation of the organization and interaction of the convective and stratiform regions of tropical squall lines". Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 47, 1031-1033.
Smolarkiewicz, P. K., Rotunno, R., 1990: Low Froude number flow past three-dimensional obstacles. Part II: Upwind flow reversal zone. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 47, 1498-1511.
Keyser, D., Rotunno, R., 1990: On the formation of potential-vorticity anomalies in upper-level jet-front systems. Monthly Weather Review, 118, 1914-1921.
Moeng, C., Rotunno, R., 1990: Vertical-velocity skewness in the buoyancy-driven boundary layer. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 47, 1149-1162.
Smolarkiewicz, P. K., Rotunno, R., 1989: Low Froude number flow past three-dimensional obstacles. Part I: Baroclinically generated lee vortices. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 46, 1154-1164.
Thorpe, A. J., Rotunno, R., 1989: Nonlinear aspects of symmetric instability. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 46, 1285-1299.
Rotunno, R., Fantini, M., 1989: Pettersen's "Type B" cyclogenesis in terms of discrete, neutral Eady modes. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 46, 3599-3604.
Emanuel, K. A., Rotunno, R., 1989: Polar lows as arctic hurricanes. Tellus, 1-17.
Smolarkiewicz, P. K., Rotunno, R., 1989: Reply. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 46, 3614-3617.
Raymond, D. J., Rotunno, R., 1989: Response of a stably stratified flow to cooling. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 46, 2830-2837.
Howells, P. A. C., Rotunno, R., Smith, R. K., 1988: A comparative study of atmospheric and laboratory-analogue numerical tornado vortex models. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 114, 801-822.
Rotunno, R., Klemp, J. B., Weisman, M. L., 1988: A theory for strong, long-lived squall lines. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 45, 463-485.
Weisman, M. L., Klemp, J. B., Rotunno, R., 1988: The structure and evolution of numerically simulated squall lines. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 45, 1990-2013.
Rotunno, R., Emanuel, K. A., 1987: An air-sea interaction theory for tropical cyclones. Part II: Evolutionary study using a nonhydrostatic axisymmetric numerical model. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 44, 542-561.
Fiedler, B. H., Rotunno, R., 1986: A theory for the maximum windspeeds in tornado-like vortices. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 43, 2328-2340.
Wilson, T., Rotunno, R., 1986: Numerical simulation of a laminar end-wall vortex and boundary layer. Physics of Fluids, 29, 3993-4005.
Rotunno, R., 1986: Tornadoes and tornadogenesis. Mesoscale Meteorology and Forecasting, 414-436.
Rotunno, R., 1984: An investigation of a three-dimensional asymmetric vortex. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 41, 283-298.
Rotunno, R., Klemp, J. B., 1984: On the rotation and propagation of simulated supercell thunderstorms. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 42, 271-292.
Klemp, J. B., Rotunno, R., 1983: A study of the tornadic region within a supercell thunderstorm. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 40, 359-377.
Rotunno, R., 1983: On the linear theory of the land- and sea-breeze. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 41, 1999-2009.
Rotunno, R., 1982: On the relation between the thunderstorm updraft and tornado formation. Vortex Motion, 122-141.
Rotunno, R., Klemp, J. B., 1982: The influence of the shear-induced pressure gradient on thunderstorm motion. Monthly Weather Review, 110, 136-151.
Rotunno, R., 1981: On the evolution of thunderstorm rotation. Monthly Weather Review, 109, 577-586.
Rotunno, R., 1980: Vorticity dynamics of a convective swirling boundary layer. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 87, 623-640.
Rotunno, R., 1979: A study in tornado-like vortex dynamics. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 36, 140-155.
Rotunno, R., 1978: A note on the stability of a cylindrical vortex sheet. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 87, 761-771.
Rotunno, R., 1977: Internal gravity waves in a time-varying stratification. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 82, 609-619.
Rotunno, R., 1977: Numerical simulation of a laboratory vortex. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 34, 1942-1956.
Rotunno, R., 1976: Trapeze instability modified by a mean shear flow. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 33, 1663-1667.
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