Scientific Campaign in Belém Investigates Squall Lines

Hello reader!

It follows one communicates published in english on the day (23/05) in the website of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) noting that a “Scientific Campaign” in Belém investigates Squall Lines.

Duda Falcão

Scientific Campaign in Belém

Investigates Squall Lines

May, 23, 2011

One month after the closure of the Fortaleza scientific campaign, starts in June the second Rain Project experiment. The program will cover six cities by the end of 2012, but this time, Belém (PA) will host the campaign, which will have the same format that had in Fortaleza. Besides the data collection work, involving many institutions and equipment, the Severe Weather Observation System will be implemented, as in Fortaleza. The System intends to issue weather alerts and warnings. Also will be taught the course "Clouds Physical Processes", aimed at graduated and post graduate students, to be held at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA).

The Rain Project is under the overall coordination of the Weather Forecasting and Climate Studies Center (CPTEC) in the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) and receives funding from São Paulo Support Foundation for research (FAPESP). The campaign hub will be built on SIPAM facilities, where will be discussed daily weather and rain forecasts.

Squall Lines formed in continent coastal region will be studied, resulting in massive clusters of cumulus nimbus clouds. At this time of year, these clusters penetrate the Amazon interior, causing heavy rains.

According to Luiz Augusto Machado, CPTEC / INPE researcher and Rain Project coordinator, these rains are crucial to Amazon rainforest climate. On the other hand, they also cause flooding and damage to cities and metropolitan areas.

To accompany the convective systems, the CPTEC / INPE researcher, Frederick Angelis - one of the project scientific coordinators - account that one of the most advanced weather radar in the world will be used during the campaign. The radar can discriminate different kinds of precipitation and particles inside the clouds. "The result is similar to a computed tomography, but a cloud computed tomography" he pointed out.

The data and information obtained may help to understand the squall lines structure. So Machado explains that it can improve the weather forecast in Brazilian tropical area. The data may also be applied in climate change research areas and be used to analyze the aerosols (particles suspended in the atmosphere) effects in the rain clouds formation.

The clouds electrification process will also be studied in this campaign. Carlos Augusto Morales, USP researcher, coordinates activities in this area and data collection.

Another outcome expected is the data that will enable the new meteorological satellites generation to estimate rainfall in the region. These measurements will be useful in the sensors specification inside a Brazilian satellite, which will be part of the Global Precipitation Measurement Program (GPM), under the leadership of the U.S. space agency (NASA) and Japan (JAXA).

Improving Forecasts

The researcher Luiz Augusto Machado said that the physical processes associated with the storm clouds that evolve in scale of several miles, are still not completely known and there is little precision in its description by the weather and climate numerical models.

With the increase on the spatial resolution of current models, due to TUPÃ computational power spread (INPE's new supercomputer), the processes that involve ice and rain particles in clouds will be described in more detail.

The researcher Saul Davis, also from CPTEC / INPE, will run a high resolution model during the campaign in order to test and validate the immediate forecast for the region. On another campaign front, Julia Cohen - UFPA researcher and local coordinator of the experiment - and David Fitzjarrald - University of New York researcher - will be testing a balloon equipped with sensors and equipment that will follow the squall line until the Amazon.

Besides the UFPA and SIPAM also participate in the project the Control Air Space Detachment (DTCEA), the Environment Department and INMET. Besides the project main coordination, CPTEC / INPE also leads two areas in this research, which also includes the leadership of researchers from USP and Aeronautics and Space Institute (IAE / DCTA). The Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) and the Science and Technology Ministry also support the Rain Project.

More information about the project and campaigns can be accessed on the Rain Project website:

http://chuvaproject.cptec.inpe.br/portal/br/.

Source: WebSite of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE)