Interested in weather for as long as I remember, I went to Valparaiso University (Indiana) to study meteorology as an undergraduate, then completed graduate school at the University of Oklahoma. I joined the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at UNL in fall 2011.
Severe weather is a theme underlying much of my research. I have focused on defining and understanding polarimetric radar signatures in Southern and High Plains supercells, with special emphasis on the near-tornado portion of the supercell lifecycle. This work has been complimented by storm-scale modeling to understand how hydrometeor distributions vary in supercell storms as a function of environmental variability. My other radar-related work has focused on tornadic debris signatures, rate of winter precipitation, signatures of biological scatter, and associations between radar variables and lightning distributions. Some of my other research projects include studies of eastern drylines, undergraduate perceptions of tornado risk, and how changing land use-landcover on the Southern Great Plains has affected precipitation patterns and the severe weather environment.
Selected Publications
Elbing, B. R., C. E. Petrin, and M. S. Van Den Broeke, 2019: Measurement and characterization of infrasound from a tornado producing storm. J. Acous. Soc. Amer., in press.
Van Den Broeke, M. S., 2019: Radar quantification, temporal analysis, and influence of atmospheric conditions on a roost of American Robins (Turdus migratorius) in Oklahoma. Remote Sens. Ecol. Conserv., 5(2), 193-204. doi.org/10.1002/rse2.99
Hu, Q., J. A. Torres-Alavez, and M. S. Van Den Broeke, 2018: Land-cover change and the “Dust Bowl” drought in the U.S. Great Plains. J. Clim., 31, 4657-4667. doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-17-0515.1
Van Den Broeke, M. S., 2017: Polarimetric radar metrics related to tornado life cycles and intensity in supercell storms. Mon. Wea. Rev., 145, 3671-3686. doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-16-0453.1
Van Den Broeke, M. S., 2017: Potential for tornado warning improvement through utilization of the TDS in the warning decision process. J. Operational Meteor., 5, 121-133. doi.org/10.15191/nwajom.2017.0510
Jauernic, S. T., and M. S. Van Den Broeke, 2017: Tornado warning response and perceptions among undergraduates in Nebraska. Wea. Clim. Soc., 9, 125-139. doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-16-0031.1
Van Den Broeke, M. S., 2016: Polarimetric variability of classic supercell storms as a function of environment. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 55, 1907-1925. doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-15-0346.1
Van Den Broeke, M. S., and H. Alsarraf, 2016: Polarimetric radar observations of dust storms at C- and S-band. J. Operational Meteor., 4, 123-131. dx.doi.org/10.15191/nwajom.2016.0409
Arthurs, L. A., and M. S. Van Den Broeke, 2016: Novice explanations of hurricane formation offer insights into scientific literacy and the development of expert-like conceptions. J. Astron. Earth Sci. Educ., 3, 1-26. dx.doi.org/10.19030/jaese.v3i1.9686