Fine-time synchronized observations of the initial stage of cumulonimbus clouds by phased array weather radar and Himawari8 AHI

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K04080
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 17030:Human geosciences-related
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: Higuchi Atsushi 千葉大学, 環境リモートセンシング研究センター, 准教授 (90324384)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 積乱雲 / ひまわり８・９号 / フェーズドアレイ気象レーダ / 雲の光学的特性 / 発達期

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Focusing on the early stage of development of rapidly developing cumulonimbus clouds, we will capture the short-term behavior of cumulonimbus clouds through high-frequency simultaneous observations by the Himawari-8 Japan Area Observation Mode (every 2 minutes 30 seconds) and the Phased Array Weather Radar (every 30 seconds). Precise observations can contribute to further understanding of cloud physics, particularly capturing "the life of a cumulonimbus cloud." The changes in optical properties of four cumulonimbus clouds over the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture were clearly captured by radar before and after the detection. In addition, the ground-based observations of cumulonimbus clouds along the Tokyo Bay coastline were also exact.

Free Research Field

衛星気候学，水文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

積乱雲の発達期は状態が急激に変化しゲリラ豪雨等の災害に直結するため，挙動の更なる解明は科学的にも社会貢献の観点からも意義が高い．本研究は事例研究ではあるが，「１つの積乱雲の一生」に対し，地上設置レーダと人工衛星による観測を効果的に組み合わせることにより精緻に発達過程を観察するアプローチを構築することができた．