Collaborative Research: Using RELAMPAGO Observations to Understand the Thermodynamic, Kinematic, and Dynamic Processes Leading to Heavy Precipitation

RELAMPAGO（电气化、闪电和自适应地面观测的中尺度/微尺度过程遥感）将观测阿根廷中部安第斯山脉背风处的对流风暴。该地区的风暴在天气和气候模型中表现不佳，并在阿根廷主要城市科尔多瓦和门多萨附近的安第斯山脉背风处产生高影响的天气。RELAMPAGO将是一个为期45天的项目，从2018年11月1日到12月15日。RELAMPAGO研究了每颗卫星观测到的可能是“世界上最强烈的雷暴”，研究了产生强烈对流和伴随而来的恶劣天气的过程，包括强降水、强冰雹和大风以及龙卷风。RELAMPAGO项目利用新工具和新技术在与美国大平原地区既有相似之处又有关键差异的地区对风暴进行详细观测，旨在为改善包括美国在内的全球强对流风暴的预报做出贡献。此外，RELAMPAGO的国际协调被整合在一起，直接改善拉丁美洲的高影响天气预报。该项目涉及伊利诺伊大学和科罗拉多州立大学的研究人员之间的合作，研究该地区产生强烈对流和降水的过程。该项目包括一个研究质量的固定和移动雷达网络，大气探测和风暴过程测量与其他RELAMPAGO测量（包括来自DOE ARM移动设施-1）相一致，以表征产生暴雨的风暴的环境和内部结构。这些测量、增值产品、分析和建模活动的重点是了解风暴内外的前兆和过程，以解决阿根廷对流风暴在这一观测不足但脆弱的地区产生强降雨的相关假设。研究活动还包括发展预测模型，这对发展外地战役业务和预测规划至关重要。捐款包括RELAMPAGO教育和外展活动。位于阿根廷中西部的安第斯山脉背风区产生了地球上一些最强烈、最有组织的对流系统。这些风暴通常在附近形成，并与安第斯山脉和塞拉斯山脉Córdoba复杂的地形相互作用，产生频繁的强降雨，众所周知会导致破坏性的山洪暴发。RELAMPAGO（电气化、闪电和中尺度/微尺度过程遥感与自适应地面观测）野外活动将于2018年11月1日至12月15日进行，旨在通过固定和移动平台提供全面的剖面、地面和遥感数据集，这些数据集能够在精细的时间和空间尺度上表征对流风暴内部和附近的热力学、运动学和微物理测量的演变。在该项目中，NCAR S- polka双频双偏振、双波长S和ka波段雷达、多普勒轮式x波段雷达网络、频繁探测、地表热力学、运动学和微物理测量，以及NCAR水汽微分吸收激光雷达（WVDIAL）平台的连续水汽剖面，以及其他RELAMPAGO测量结果，被用于表征产生暴雨的风暴的环境和内部结构。这些测量、增值产品、分析和建模活动的重点是了解对流风暴内部和外部的前兆和过程，以解决与阿根廷对流风暴在这一观测不足但脆弱的地区产生强降雨有关的假设。领导研究活动和配置预测模型，这对开展实地活动和预测规划至关重要，并在活动期间为RELAMPAGO教育和外联活动作出贡献。

RELAMPAGO (Remote sensing of Electrification, Lightning, And Mesoscale/microscale Processes with Adaptive Ground Observations) will observe convective storms in the lee of the Andes Mountains in central Argentina. Storms in this region are poorly represented by weather and climate models and produce high impact weather in the lee of the Andes mountains in Argentina near the major cities of Cordoba and Mendoza. RELAMPAGO will be a 45-day project from 1 November - 15 December 2018. RELAMPAGO examines what are perhaps the "world's most intense thunderstorms" per satellite observations, studying the processes that generate intense convection and severe weather that accompanies them, including heavy precipitation, severe hail and winds, and tornadoes. By observing storms with new tools and techniques in detail in a region that has some similarities and key differences with the US Great Plains, RELAMPAGO is designed to make contributions to improve prediction of severe convective storms globally, including in the US. In addition, RELAMPAGO's international coordination is integrated to directly improve high impact weather prediction in Latin America. This project involves a collaboration between researchers at the University of Illinois and Colorado State University to study the processes that generate intense convection and precipitation in this region. The project includes a network of research-quality fixed and mobile radars, atmospheric soundings, and storm process measurements in concert with other RELAMPAGO measurements (including from the DOE ARM Mobile Facility-1) to characterize the environment and internal structure of heavy-rain-producing storms. These measurements, value-added products, analyses, and modeling activities are focused on understanding the precursors and processes within and external to the storms to address hypotheses on relevant to heavy rainfall production in Argentinean convective storms in this poorly observed, yet vulnerable region. Research activities also include developing forecast models that are crucial for developing the field campaign operations and forecast planning. Contributions include RELAMPAGO education and outreach activities.The region of the lee of the Andes mountains in west-central Argentina generates some of the most intense and organized convective systems on earth. These storms, initiated commonly near, and interacting with the complex terrain of the Andes and Sierras de Córdoba, produce frequent heavy rainfall that is known to lead to damaging flash floods. The RELAMPAGO (Remote sensing of Electrification, Lightning, And Mesoscale/microscale Processes with Adaptive Ground Observations) field campaign, from 1 November to 15 December 2018, is designed to provide a comprehensive array of profiling, surface, and remote sensing datasets with fixed and mobile platforms capable of characterizing the evolution of thermodynamic, kinematic, and microphysical measurements in and near convective storms on fine time and space scales. In this project, the NCAR S-PolKa dual-frequency dual-polarization, dual-wavelength S- and Ka-band radar, a network of Doppler on Wheels X-Band radars, frequent soundings, surface thermodynamic, kinematic, and microphysical measurements, and continuous water vapor profiling from the NCAR Water Vapor DIfferential Absorption Lidar (WVDIAL) platform, in concert with other RELAMPAGO measurements are used to characterize the environment and internal structure of heavy-rain-producing storms. These measurements, value-added products, analyses, and modeling activities focus on understanding the precursors and processes within and external to the convective storms to address hypotheses on relevant to heavy rainfall production in Argentinean convective storms in this poorly observed, yet vulnerable region. Leadership in research activities and configure forecast models that are crucial for developing the field campaign operations and forecast planning, as well as contributions to the RELAMPAGO education and outreach activities during the campaign are undertaken.