ABSTRACT
Observational, theoretical, and numerical-modeling work on atmospheric dry and precipitating convection provide several examples of the roles of shear and buoyancy in creating organized convective flows. In general, convective structures are more random when there is less vertical shear of the horizontal wind. Increased shear generally leads to more linear organization, although for precipiting convection, the most extreme shears lead to continuously-propagating, long-lived thunderstorms known as a 'supercells.' Atmospheric scientists have developed several forms of the Richardson number to describe regimes for dry and precipitating convection; two are introduced herein.
