Tracking and nowcasting of convective cells using remote sensing data from radar and satellite

Kober, Kirstin; Tafferner, Arnold

doi:10.1127/0941-2948/2009/359

Cited by 54 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Hazardous rates of rockfall deposition that endanger human lives and structures correspond with the spatial and temporal occurrence of high short-term rainfall intensities evident on precipitation radar images. Due to the modern achievements of radar technology and software developments such as RADVOR-OP (Radar Supported Near RealTime Precipitation Forecast for Operation Use) of the German Weather Service (DWD) or similar products in other countries, spatial movements and intensity changes of storm cells can be forecast over short spans of time (Hering et al, 2004;Kober and Tafferner, 2009). A combination of the logistic rockfall response functions and thresholds presented in this paper with radar supported precipitation forecast systems could be used to predict intensity, spatial and temporal occurrence of hazardous rockfall events early enough to activate a warning system.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A nonlinear model coupling rockfall and rainfall intensity based on a four year measurement in a high Alpine rock wall (Reintal, German Alps)

Krautblatter

Möser

2009

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract.A total of more than 140 000 kg of smallmagnitude rockfall deposits was measured in eight rockfall collectors of altogether 940 m 2 in size between 1999-2003 below a 400-600 m high rock face in the Reintal, German Alps. Measurements were conducted with a temporal resolution up to single days to attribute rockfall intensity to observed triggering events. Precipitation was assessed by a rain gauge and high-resolution precipitation radar. Intense rainstorms triggered previously unreported rockfall intensities of up to 300 000 g/(m 2 h) that we term "secondary rockfall event." In comparison to dry periods without frost (10 −2 g/(m 2 h)), rockfall deposition increased by 2-218 times during wet freeze-thaw cycles and by 56-thousand to 40-million times during secondary rockfall events. We obtained three nonlinear logistic growth models that relate rockfall intensity [g/(m 2 h)] to rainfall intensity [mm/h]. The models account for different rock wall intermediate storage volumes, triggering thresholds and storage depletion. They apply to all rockfall collector positions with correlations from R 2 =0.89 to 0.99. Thus, the timing of more than 90% of the encountered rockfall is explained by the triggering factor rainfall intensity. A combination of rockfall response models with radar-supported storm cell forecast could be used to anticipate hazardous rockfall events, and help to reduce the exposure of individuals and mobile structures (e.g. cable cars) to the hazard. According to meteorological recordings, the frequency of these intense rockfall events is likely to increase in response to global warming.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A nonlinear model coupling rockfall and rainfall intensity based on a four year measurement in a high Alpine rock wall (Reintal, German Alps)

Krautblatter

Möser

2009

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.

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“…In the following, the procedural steps are outlined and special adjustments and differences are explained. More information can be found in Kober andZinner et al (2008).…”

Section: Procedural Stepsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The cell tracking algorithms described in this paper are based on a method that has been introduced with the satellite data-based cloud tracker Cb-TRAM by Zinner et al (2008) and further applied to radar data (Kober and Tafferner, 2009). The tracking method identifies continuous regions of a specific character (e.g.…”

Section: K Meyer Et Al: Automated Thunderstorm Trackingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They independently identify, track, and monitor intense ground precipitation regions and electrically active areas. Based on the radar-cell tracking algorithm rad-TRAM (tracking and monitoring of radar cells) as described in Kober and Tafferner (2009), intense ground precipitation fields are identified by analysing low-level radar scans. The lightning-cell tracking algorithm li-TRAM (tracking and monitoring of lightning cells) is used to identify electrically active storm regions by analysing lightning data.…”

Section: Concept Ec-trammentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The rad-TRAM algorithm (Kober and Tafferner, 2009) was originally developed to operate on the 7-intensity-level DWD (German Weather Service) radar composite data, which is provided every 15 min on a 2 km × 2 km grid. For the present study the algorithm has been adapted to the finer resolved low-level precipitation scans of the DWD C-band Doppler radar in Fürholzen near Munich.…”

Section: Databasementioning

confidence: 99%

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Automated thunderstorm tracking: utilization of three-dimensional lightning and radar data

2013

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This paper presents a new hybrid method for automated thunderstorm observation by tracking and monitoring of electrically charged cells (ec-TRAM). The developed algorithm combines information about intense ground precipitation derived from low-level radar-reflectivity scans with three-dimensionally resolved lightning data, which are provided by the European VLF/LF lightning detection network LINET. Based on the already existing automated radar tracker rad-TRAM (Kober and Tafferner, 2009), the new method li-TRAM identifies and tracks electrically active regions in thunderclouds using lightning data only. The algorithm ec-TRAM uses the output of the two autonomously operating routines rad-TRAM and li-TRAM in order to assess, track, and monitor a more comprehensive picture of thunderstorms. The main motivation of this work is to assess the benefit of three-dimensionally resolved total lightning (TL) information for thunderstorm tracking and monitoring. The focus is laid on the temporal development whereby TL is characterized by an effective in-cloud (IC) and cloud-to-ground (CG) event discrimination. It is found that the algorithms li-TRAM and ec-TRAM are both feasible methods for thunderstorm monitoring with potential for nowcasting. The tracking performance of li-TRAM turns out to be comparable to that of rad-TRAM, a result that strongly encourages utilization of lightning data as independent data source for thunderstorm tracking. It is found that lightning data allow an accurate and close monitoring of storm regions with intense internal dynamics as soon as convection induces electrical activity. A case study shows that the current short-term storm dynamics are clearly reflected in the amount of strokes, change of stroke rates and IC/CG ratio. The hybrid method ec-TRAM outperforms rad-TRAM and li-TRAM regarding reliability and continuous assessment of storm tracks especially in more complexly developing storms, where the use of discharge information contributes to more detailed information about storm stage and storm evolution

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Climatology of thermodynamic indices and background synoptic conditions responsible for severe convection during pre‐ to post‐monsoon seasons over Indian region

Madhulatha,

Mohapatra,

Devi

et al. 2024

Intl Journal of Climatology

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To investigate the mechanisms responsible for severe convection linked with a variety of mesoscale, synoptic systems over the Indian region, a preliminary analysis is conducted. Using IMD RSRW/Reanalysis (ERA5)/Lightning (TRMM LIS) products both local‐scale thermodynamics and large‐scale background conditions responsible for the major lightning hot spots in different seasons are investigated. In the pre‐monsoon season, high lightning activity over NE Indian region is due to moisture intrusion by south‐westerly at lower levels (warm air advection), along with mid‐level north westerlies (cold air advection) which favour the low‐level convergence and upper‐level divergence. SCS over south India are mainly attributed to wind discontinuity over the region. During monsoon season major lightning activity in NW India is due to the presence of heat low and the rest of the country less intense SCS activity is evident due to high wind shear conditions in connection with low‐level (westerly) and upper‐level (easterly jet stream). In the post‐monsoon season, major lightning in south India are due to the prevailing north‐easterlies and in north India, the activity is attributed to the passage of western disturbance (WD). Station plot analysis suggests the varied distribution of thermodynamic indices season/region‐wise due to the diverse background forcing. Correlation analysis between the lightning and thermodynamic indices suggests that more skillful indices are KI (~0.7 to 0.8), precipitable water (PPW) (~0.8) (pre‐monsoon, monsoon) and (PPW) (~0.8), convective available potential energy (CAPE) (~0.6) in post monsoon over respective lightning hot‐spot regions. Independent verification using Wyoming data/reanalysis for different case studies suggests that monitoring the monthly thresholds of highly correlated indices provides a helpful proxy to operationally forecast the severe convective systems (season/region). Mean Equivalent potential temperature, and mixing ratio in mixed layer has shown reasonable association with the lightning occurrence over all lightning hot spot regions which are implemented in the IMD GFS and IMD WRF models.

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Tracking and nowcasting of convective cells using remote sensing data from radar and satellite

Cited by 54 publications

References 9 publications

A nonlinear model coupling rockfall and rainfall intensity based on a four year measurement in a high Alpine rock wall (Reintal, German Alps)

A nonlinear model coupling rockfall and rainfall intensity based on a four year measurement in a high Alpine rock wall (Reintal, German Alps)

Automated thunderstorm tracking: utilization of three-dimensional lightning and radar data

Climatology of thermodynamic indices and background synoptic conditions responsible for severe convection during pre‐ to post‐monsoon seasons over Indian region

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