RELAMPAGO Remote sensing of Electrification, Lightning, And Meso-­‐scale/micro-­‐scale Processes with Adaptive Ground Observations (translates to lightning in Spanish and Portuguese) What? RELAMPAGO is proposed to be an international multi-­‐agency field program to study the multi-­‐scale aspects of convective storms that have extreme characteristics and impacts, produce an extreme precipitation climate, and have extreme impacts on the earth system. This project is seeking endorsement by the WWRP-­‐Nowcasting panel and the GEWEX-­‐Hydroclimatology panel, as well as the WCRP. Why? In a changing climate, it is plausible that continental drying and increased moisture flows from the tropics will provide globally for atmospheric and land surface conditions more conducive for extreme convection. Remote sensing data have shown that the convective systems in subtropical South America are extreme in the present climate: the convective elements within them are the tallest and broadest in the tropics and sub-­‐tropics, satellite proxies for hail are maximized, the systems contain some of the highest lightning flash rates in the world, and large systems dominate the contribution to the hydrologic cycle. This extreme convection likely has significant impacts on global upper-­‐troposphere/lower atmosphere interaction, moisture, aerosol, and chemical budgets and transport, Rossby wave generation, and the global electric circuit. Convection in this region is closely tied to the topography, governed by both aspects of both the large scale influence of the Andes as well as mesoscale topography. Other influences on the convection include poleward moisture and aerosol flows, mid-­‐
latitude and tropical synoptic systems, seasonal and intraseasonal land, atmosphere and ocean variability (ENSO, MJO), and land-­‐surface atmosphere coupling on convective timescales. The extreme nature of the convection itself and the extreme nature of the convective ensemble makes for extreme hydrologic impacts. The convection in this region produces severe societal and economic impacts on this densely populated and key agricultural region. Reports of hail, strong straight line and tornadic winds, flooding, and dangerous lightning are common, but not as common as would be expected based on satellite proxies of convection and precipitation. Is this a reporting issue, or do these extreme systems have unique characteristics that defy our understanding of convection? In this data sparse, but modernizing region, we do not know much about aspects of these systems including what governs their structure, initiation and life cycle, extreme behavior, hydrometeorological impacts, connections with the earth system, as well as similarities and differences with severe weather-­‐producing systems observed in the US and elsewhere. Models exert poor representation and predictability of these systems on nowcasting, synoptic-­‐scale weather to climate timescales. The impacts of these storms on the global electric circuit, aerosol, IN, and CCN budgets, the water cycle, regional and global atmospheric composition and chemistry, and climate variability can be better constrained by detailed observations of the processes occurring in these extreme storms. Where? The region of Central and Northern Argentina is a hotspot for convection in this region. Satellite proxies indicate a tight region for convective life cycle from an initiation hot spot near the northern end of the Sierras de Cordoba (foothills of the Andes) to the east and north. The initiation of these systems is thought to be tied to synoptic systems in the region. A preliminary climatology indicates that this region experiences on average 10 MCSs in a 2 month period in Austral Spring. How? The goals of the observation field campaign would be to characterize the synoptic scale, mesoscale, and convective scale flows in the region, surface fluxes and hydrometeorlogical measurements, measure network scale divergence and latent heating, remotely sense the convective scale kinematic and microphysical characteristics of convection from the ground and aircraft, measure the lightning and charging characteristics of the convection, estimate precipitation and particle size distributions at the ground. Figure 1. Notional field campaign deployment resources and design. RELAMPAGO OBSERVING NETWORK When November-­‐December 2017, during the springtime rainy season in northern Argentina. Based on climatology, we can expect 10 large convective systems in a 2 month period. Who? We have a Science Steering Group that includes representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the US, France, and Italy, and growing. How? We will propose to NSF, NOAA, DOE, and NASA for this project in the US. NOAA and European agencies see this as an opportunity to validate geostationary and low-­‐earth orbiting lightning sensors. We have also received interest to support ground-­‐based precipitation sensors from NASA GPM. NASA ACE may be interested in supporting the ER-­‐2 with radar, infrared, and lightning instruments. We will request SPOL/ISS/DOW(s)/DIAL Lidar from the NSF deployment pool, NCAR may provide other non-­‐deployment pool resources (e.g. RAL). Argentina has already funded a project (ALERT.AR) which will provide ~$3 million of support, including infrastructure (disdrometers, mobile sounding system, gauges). France (LERMA) will propose to ANR to fund ground and aircraft (FALCON) platforms. This may host a high frequency radiometer, in situ microphysical probes, and aerosol probes. We have proposed to DOE SAME-­‐PACE (South American Multiscale Extreme Precipitation Aerosol Cloud Experiment) as sister project to RELAMPAGO, which will involve a 6-­‐month observation period by the ARM Mobile Facility-­‐2 and the ARM Aerosol Facility Gulfstream-­‐I aircraft, with detailed cloud microphysics, aerosol, and aerosol/cloud remote sensing. How to get involved? We have a telecon the last Monday of every month. We also have a mailing list. Contact Steve Nesbitt ([email protected]) if you would like to participate in either of these.