The bounded weak echo region, also known as a BWER or a vault, is a radar signature within a thunderstorm characterized by a local minimum in radar reflectivity at low levels which extends upward into, and is surrounded by higher reflectivities aloft, forming a kind of dome of weak echoes. This feature is associated with a strong updraft and is almost always found in the inflow region of a thunderstorm: it cannot be seen visually.[1] The BWER has been noted on radar imagery of severe thunderstorms since 1973 and has a lightning detection system equivalent known as a lightning hole.[2]
- ^ National Weather Service. "Bounded Weak Echo Region". Meteorological Glossary. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
- ^ Martin J. Murphy and Nicholas W. S. Demetriades. An Analysis of Lightning Holes in a DFW Supercell Storm Using Total Lightning and Radar Information. Retrieved on 2008-01-08.