The increasing Earth system satellite observational capacity provides today an unprecedented potential to observe, describe, predict precipitation and key processes governing the water cycle from local to large scales. In particular, the NASA/JAXA Global Precipitation Measurement Core Observatory (GPM-CO), covering latitudes from 65°S-65°N, equipped with the most advanced microwave radiometer (GPM Microwave Imager, GMI) and with the first spaceborne Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR), allows for the analysis of the 3-D structure of precipitation systems around the globe. Moreover, the international constellation of microwave (MW) radiometers of the GPM mission orbiting around the Earth provide 1-3 hourly global coverage of precipitation. Although more conventional ground-based rain measuring systems (i.e., raingauges and weather radars) have a smaller sampling time compared to polar satellite systems, they are often inadequate to fully provide the observational details needed to monitor severe events, especially during their offshore development. Panegrossi et al. (2016) have shown the potential of the use of the GPM constellation for monitoring heavy precipitation events over the Mediterranean region, while Marra et al. (2017) have demonstrated the key role of the GPM-CO in the analysis and characterization of an extremely severe hailstorm occurred off the coast of Naples on September 5, 2015. In this study, GMI and, DPR measurements and their products, are used to analyze and monitor the evolution of the Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone (or Medicane) named Numa (16-18 November 2017). Two GPM-CO overpasses captured the storm: one on November 16 at 13:49 UTC, during its development phase in the Ionian Sea, and one on November 18 at 03:59 UTC, during its mature phase, when the storm hit the southern coast of Puglia region for several hours, causing extensive floods. Although DPR measurements (and products) are available only for the first GPM overpass on November 16, they are extremely useful to analyze the 3-D structure and microphysical properties of the precipitation (e.g., Medicane rain band morphology, surface rainfall pattern and intensity, liquid and ice water content profiles, size distribution parameters) during its development offshore. It is worth noting that the storm was only partially covered by the Italian ground-based radar network in its current configuration, thus limiting its use in this study. GMI measurements available for the same overpass are used to analyze the MW radiometric response to the precipitation and to the microphysical structure of the storm, while the comparison between the GMI measurements at two different evolution phases of the Medicane, reveals the complex structure of the rain bands as the storm develops into its mature phase. Finally, high-resolution simulations are carried out with the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) to analyze in detail the key mechanisms leading to Medicane Numa formation and evolution. RAMS model output is compared with satellite-based products (such as surface rainfall rate, ASCAT surface wind, GPM microphysics profiles), and with the available raingauge measurements collected during the storm mature phase. References 1.Panegrossi G., D. Casella, S. Dietrich, A. C. Marra, M. Petracca, P. Sanò, A. Mugnai, L. Baldini, N. Roberto, E. Adirosi, R. Cremonini, R. Bechini, G. Vulpiani, and F. Porcù, 2016: Use of the GPM constellation for monitoring heavy precipitation events over the Mediterranean region. IEEE J. of Selected Topics in Appl. Earth Obs. and Rem. Sens. (J-STARS), 9, 2733 - 2753, DOI: 10.1109/JSTARS.2016.2520660. 2.Marra A. C., F. Porcu', L. Baldini, M. Petracca, D. Casella, S. Dietrich, A. Mugnai, P. Sanò, G. Vulpiani, G. Panegrossi, Observational analysis of an exceptionally intense hailstorm over the Mediterranean area: Role of the GPM Core Observatory, Atmos. Res., 182, 72-90, doi: 10.1016/j.atmosres.2017.03.019, 2017.
Role of the GPM in the characterization of Mediterranean tropical-like cyclones: the case of Medicane Numa
G Panegrossi;A C Marra;P Sanò;L P D'Adderio;S Dietrich;L Baldini;M Montopoli;S Federico
2018
Abstract
The increasing Earth system satellite observational capacity provides today an unprecedented potential to observe, describe, predict precipitation and key processes governing the water cycle from local to large scales. In particular, the NASA/JAXA Global Precipitation Measurement Core Observatory (GPM-CO), covering latitudes from 65°S-65°N, equipped with the most advanced microwave radiometer (GPM Microwave Imager, GMI) and with the first spaceborne Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR), allows for the analysis of the 3-D structure of precipitation systems around the globe. Moreover, the international constellation of microwave (MW) radiometers of the GPM mission orbiting around the Earth provide 1-3 hourly global coverage of precipitation. Although more conventional ground-based rain measuring systems (i.e., raingauges and weather radars) have a smaller sampling time compared to polar satellite systems, they are often inadequate to fully provide the observational details needed to monitor severe events, especially during their offshore development. Panegrossi et al. (2016) have shown the potential of the use of the GPM constellation for monitoring heavy precipitation events over the Mediterranean region, while Marra et al. (2017) have demonstrated the key role of the GPM-CO in the analysis and characterization of an extremely severe hailstorm occurred off the coast of Naples on September 5, 2015. In this study, GMI and, DPR measurements and their products, are used to analyze and monitor the evolution of the Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone (or Medicane) named Numa (16-18 November 2017). Two GPM-CO overpasses captured the storm: one on November 16 at 13:49 UTC, during its development phase in the Ionian Sea, and one on November 18 at 03:59 UTC, during its mature phase, when the storm hit the southern coast of Puglia region for several hours, causing extensive floods. Although DPR measurements (and products) are available only for the first GPM overpass on November 16, they are extremely useful to analyze the 3-D structure and microphysical properties of the precipitation (e.g., Medicane rain band morphology, surface rainfall pattern and intensity, liquid and ice water content profiles, size distribution parameters) during its development offshore. It is worth noting that the storm was only partially covered by the Italian ground-based radar network in its current configuration, thus limiting its use in this study. GMI measurements available for the same overpass are used to analyze the MW radiometric response to the precipitation and to the microphysical structure of the storm, while the comparison between the GMI measurements at two different evolution phases of the Medicane, reveals the complex structure of the rain bands as the storm develops into its mature phase. Finally, high-resolution simulations are carried out with the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) to analyze in detail the key mechanisms leading to Medicane Numa formation and evolution. RAMS model output is compared with satellite-based products (such as surface rainfall rate, ASCAT surface wind, GPM microphysics profiles), and with the available raingauge measurements collected during the storm mature phase. References 1.Panegrossi G., D. Casella, S. Dietrich, A. C. Marra, M. Petracca, P. Sanò, A. Mugnai, L. Baldini, N. Roberto, E. Adirosi, R. Cremonini, R. Bechini, G. Vulpiani, and F. Porcù, 2016: Use of the GPM constellation for monitoring heavy precipitation events over the Mediterranean region. IEEE J. of Selected Topics in Appl. Earth Obs. and Rem. Sens. (J-STARS), 9, 2733 - 2753, DOI: 10.1109/JSTARS.2016.2520660. 2.Marra A. C., F. Porcu', L. Baldini, M. Petracca, D. Casella, S. Dietrich, A. Mugnai, P. Sanò, G. Vulpiani, G. Panegrossi, Observational analysis of an exceptionally intense hailstorm over the Mediterranean area: Role of the GPM Core Observatory, Atmos. Res., 182, 72-90, doi: 10.1016/j.atmosres.2017.03.019, 2017.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
