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

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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.