1. What is 0-3 KM SHEAR? 0-3 KM SHEAR is speed shear between the surface and 3 km above the surface. 2. How is 0-3 KM SHEAR determined? The formula is the change in wind speed (m/s) divided by the change in distance (m). This number is then multiplied by 1000 to simplify the number. The units come out to s^-1. These units result from m/s divided by m. Example: The surface wind speed is 7 m/s while the wind speed 3 km up is 25 m/s. This gives a change in wind speed of 25 - 7 = 18 m/s. The change in distance is 3 km = 3,000 m 18/3,000 = 0.006 s^-1 * 1000 = 6 units of shear 3. Operational significance of 0-3 KM SHEAR:
UPDRAFT: Speed shear tilts a storms updraft-- thus increasing its longevity. HELICITY: Strong speed shear is one factor than leads to high Helicity values. |