Collaborative Research: An Integrated Understanding of the Initiation and Subsequent Dynamical and Microphysical Characteristics of Deep Convective Storms during RELAMPAGO

RELAMPAGO（基于自适应地面观测的电气化、闪电和中尺度/微尺度过程遥感）是一项关于极端雷暴的研究。它包括将于2018年11月1日至12月15日在阿根廷中西部进行的实地计划，该计划可能被认为是世界上最重要的。美国是研究雷暴的最佳天然实验室。来自移动多普勒雷达和其他仪器的尖端观测数据将被收集和分析，以回答一个非常基本的问题，即为什么这个地区的雷暴是世界上最强烈的。RELAMPAGO将确定触发这些雷暴的机制，并有助于它们的暴力。RELAMPAGO还将确定为什么这些极端风暴会产生如此多的冰雹，但似乎不会产生很多龙卷风。了解雷暴的起源和演变，以及它们如何在阿根廷产生恶劣天气，将使科学家能够创造更好、更通用的关于美国雷暴的理论。这将有助于更好地预测美国雷暴及其严重影响，包括冰雹和龙卷风，并减少美国的生命和财产损失。RELAMPAGO是伊利诺斯大学（University of Illinois）参与的一个合作项目。宾夕法尼亚州立大学、科罗拉多大学和恶劣天气研究中心。学生的参与将帮助塑造未来一代科学家、工程师和预报员的职业生涯，为他们提供最前沿的技能和知识。RELAMPAGO是一项关于极端雷暴的研究。其中包括将于2018年11月1日至12月15日在阿根廷中西部开展的实地项目。RELAMPAGO的动机是卫星观测显示，该地区的雷暴可以说是世界上最深和最强烈的。由于地面观测资料的缺乏，这些雷暴为何如此强烈的问题一直悬而未决。因此，一套新型的目标集成地面仪器，包括移动多普勒雷达、无线电探空系统和可部署的气象传感器，将用于调查这些风暴发起和组织的当地环境，以及产生恶劣天气的内部风暴过程。具体来说，广泛的RELAMPAGO观测和互补的数值模拟将用于确定这种环境下的对流触发机制，以及导致这些风暴极端性质的区域地形和环流特性。地形改变的环境将与超级细胞对流的频率及其向中尺度对流系统的转变有关。对环境变化如何增强冰雹产生的新认识也将获得，同时也将了解环境如何（以及何时）支持强风产生，但通过更强的冷池生成和低层垂直风切变的减少减少龙卷风形成的可能性。这项对美国以外地区极端雷暴的研究将利用美国过去项目的结果，使人们对这种风暴有一个更普遍的、不受地理限制的理解。这将有助于概念和预测模型的发展，可供美国和世界各地的预报员使用，减轻未来的生命和财产损失。

RELAMPAGO (Remote sensing of Electrification, Lightning, And Mesoscale/microscale Processes with Adaptive Ground Observations) is a study of extreme thunderstorms. It includes a field program to be conducted from 1 Nov to 15 Dec 2018 in west central Argentina, which is regarded as perhaps the world?s best natural laboratory for thunderstorm research. Cutting edge observations from mobile Doppler radar and other instruments will be collected and then analyzed to answer the very basic question of why the thunderstorms in this region are among the most intense in the world. RELAMPAGO will identify the mechanisms that trigger these thunderstorms and contribute to their violence. RELAMPAGO will also determine why these extreme storms are such prolific hail producers, but do not appear to generate many tornadoes. Understanding the initiation and evolution of thunderstorms and how they generate severe weather in Argentina will enable scientists to create better, and more general, theories about thunderstorms in the U.S. This will lead to better forecasts of U.S. thunderstorms and their severe impacts, including hail and tornadoes, and reduce losses of life and property in the U.S. RELAMPAGO is a collaborative project with critical involvement from the University of Illinois, the Pennsylvania State University, University of Colorado, and the Center for Severe Weather Research. Student participation will help shape the careers of the future generation of scientists, engineers and forecasters by equipping them with cutting edge skills and knowledge. RELAMPAGO is a study of extreme thunderstorms. It includes a field program to be conducted from 1 Nov to 15 Dec 2018 in west central Argentina. RELAMPAGO is motivated by satellite observations showing that the thunderstorms in this region are arguably the deepest and most intense in the world. The scarcity of available ground-based observations has kept open the question of why these thunderstorms are so intense. Thus, a novel set of targeted, integrated ground-based instrumentation, including mobile Doppler radars, radiosonde systems, and deployable meteorological sensors will be used to investigate the local environment in which these storms initiate and organize, and the internal storm processes that generate severe weather. Specifically, the extensive suite of RELAMPAGO observations and complementary numerical simulations will be used to determine the convective triggering mechanisms in this environment, and the properties of the regional orography and circulations that contribute to the extreme nature of these storms. Orographically modified environments will be related to the frequency of supercellular convection and its transition to mesoscale convective systems. A new understanding of how such environmental modifications enhance hail production will also be gained, as will an understanding of how (and when) the environments support severe-wind production but reduce the likelihood of tornadogenesis through stronger cold pool generation and reduction of low-level vertical wind shear. This research on extreme thunderstorms outside the U.S. will leverage the results from past U.S. projects, permitting a more general, and geographically unconstrained, understanding of such storms. This will aid the development of conceptual and predictive models that can be used by forecasters in the U.S. and worldwide, mitigating future loss of life and property.