Mobile doppler radar observations of a tornado in a supercell near Bassett, Nebraska, on 5 June 1999. Part II: Tornado-vortex structure

If the magnitude of the asymmetric part of the radial wind component were indeed much less than that of the azimuthal wind component (a necessary requirement for application of the GBVTD technique), then the azimuthal wind field was dominated by quasi-stationary wavenumber-2 disturbances for most of the lifetime of the tornado. The radius of maximum wind (RMW) contracted as the tornado intensified and increased as the tornado dissipated.

Shorter-timescale oscillations in azimuthal wind speed and RMW were found that could be manifestations of inertial oscillations. Evidence was also found that the tornado vortex was two-celled when it was most intense. During the "shrinking stage," the vortex remained relatively wide and intense, even though the condensation funnel had narrowed substantially.