Multifrequency Radar Observations Collected in Southern France during HyMeX-SOP1

Abstract

An ambitious radar deployment to collect high-quality observations of heavy precipitation systems developing over and in the vicinity of a coastal mountain chain is discussed.

Drop Size Distribution Climatology in Cévennes-Vivarais Region, France

“…This network was initiated in 2004 (Alès station, [30]) and was densified during the HyMeX project, whose special observation period (SOP) took place in 2012 [33]. During this SOP, the network contained up to 25 stations, half of which were grouped on a dense network called "Hpiconet" [36] and was centred on the Auzon watershed [37]. For this study, covering the period 2012-2016, six stations were selected, according to two transects, going from the mountain to a hilly area, via a transition zone at the foot of the first mountains.…”

An overview of the lightning and atmospheric electricity observations collected in southern France during the HYdrological cycle in Mediterranean EXperiment (HyMeX), Special Observation Period 1

“…The instrumental and observational strategy of the SOP1 campaign was set up to document and improve the knowledge of atmospheric processes leading to heavy precipitation and flash flooding in that specific Mediterranean region. A large battery of atmospheric research instruments were operated during the SOP1 including, among others, mobile weather Doppler and polarimetric radar, airborne radar, in situ microphysics probes, lidar and rain gauges Bousquet et al, 2014). These measurement platforms were deployed at or near super sites where dedicated research instruments are gathered to document specific atmospheric processes .…”

“…Note that a battery of ground-based and airborne research radars in conjunction with the operational network of Météo-France provided a detailed description of the thunderclouds as detailed in Bousquet et al (2014). Other instruments were deployed as listed in Ducrocq et al (2014).…”

“…The different examples shown here are not related to any other HyMeX SOP1 observations as the main goal of the paper focuses on the actual PEACH observations and their consistency. Several studies are already underway to relate the lightning activity and the electrical properties to microphysical and dynamical properties of the parent thunderclouds using observations from operational and research radars (e.g., Bousquet et al, 2014), in situ airborne and ground-based probes and satellites, and numerical simulations. Figure 2 shows a comparison of the lightning activity as sensed by Météorage, the French component of the EUCLID network, over southeastern France for the period SeptemberOctober-November (SON) 2012 and for the period 1997-2012.…”

“…Focusing on the electrical cells located in the vicinity of the LMA network, the lightning activity was located east of strong updrafts retrieved from the radar data (see Fig. 8 in Bousquet et al, 2014), with the deepest electrified convective cell reaching up to 13 km height. Many different PEACH instruments documented the lightning activity of this storm as shown in Figs.…”