Tornadoes represent an extremely destructive form of convective weather, posing significant threats to human activities and the safety of life and property. Consequently, the identification and early warning of tornado-producing thunderstorms are essential. Hook echoes frequently appear in the radar reflectivity imagery of such storms. To improve the accuracy of hook echo identification, an algorithm based on radar reflectivity data was proposed. Firstly, the radar reflectivity images were binarized using a 45 dBZ threshold to isolate the intense echo regions, upon which edge detection is subsequently performed. Secondly, Bézier curves were employed to fit the echo edges and identify curvature inflection points. To further confirm the hook echo signature and exclude interference from other echo patterns, the reflectivity gradient feature and the hook echo width feature were extracted. Finally, interference from V-notches was eliminated. The algorithm was validated and analyzed using single-site radar data from Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China, on June 10, 2023, and NEXRAD data from station KUDX in the United States on June 29, 2018. The results indicate that the algorithm achieves a critical success index (CSI) of 0.7 and can reliably identify hook echoes. This method is considered to hold reference value for the early warning of supercell tornado disasters.
ZHAO Huan-yu, HUANG Xing-you, LIU Jun.
Algorithm for Recognizing Tornado Hooked Echoes Based on Radar Detection[J].
Science Technology and Engineering, 2026, 26(5): 1823-1834 DOI:10.12404/j.issn.1671-1815.2502267
钩状回波是指雷达反射率平面位置显示(plan position indicator,PPI)回波图上呈钩状的回波,通常在低层仰角回波图中出现,这种回波通常会伴随冰雹、龙卷等恶劣天气事件的发生。钩状回波的形成与低层上升入流有关,由于上升入流的存在,使得云中下部的倾斜上升气流区内缺少大粒子,因而形成弱回波区,是云体具有强上升气流达到成熟的一个标志[1]。在雷达反射率PPI回波图上钩状回波特征通常呈现出类似“S”的形状特征,同时其反射率强度一般大于40 dBZ,钩状区域常出现龙卷[2]。陈爱军等[3]对一次超级单体龙卷多普勒雷达特征研究中同样指出钩状回波处是最容易产生龙卷的位置。
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