Dust, Convection, Winds, and Waves: The 2022 NASA CPEX-CV Campaign

Abstract The NASA Convective Processes Experiment-Cabo Verde (CPEX-CV) field campaign took place in September 2022 out of Sal Island, Cabo Verde. A unique payload aboard the NASA DC-8 aircraft equipped with advanced remote sensing and in situ instrumentation, in conjunction with radiosonde launches and satellite observations, allowed CPEX-CV to target the coupling between atmospheric dynamics, marine boundary layer properties, convection, and the dust-laden Saharan air layer in the data-sparse tropical East Atlantic region. CPEX-CV provided measurements of African easterly wave environments, diurnal cycle impacts on convective life cycle, and several Saharan dust outbreaks, including the highest dust optical depth observed by the DC-8 interacting with what would become Tropical Storm Hermine. Preliminary results from CPEX-CV underscore the positive impact of dedicated tropical East Atlantic observations on downstream forecast skill, including sampling environmental forcings impacting the development of several nondeveloping and developing convective systems such as Hurricanes Fiona and Ian. Combined airborne radar, lidar, and radiometer measurements uniquely provide near-storm environments associated with convection on various spatiotemporal scales and, with in situ observations, insights into controls on Saharan dust properties with transport. The DC-8 also collaborated with the European Space Agency to perform coordinated validation flights under the Aeolus spaceborne wind lidar and over the Mindelo ground site, highlighting the enhanced sampling potential through partnership opportunities. CPEX-CV engaged in professional development through dedicated team-building exercises that equipped the team with a cohesive approach for targeting CPEX-CV science objectives and promoted active participation of scientists across all career stages. Significance Statement Sparse data over the tropical East Atlantic Ocean challenge forecasting of downstream impacts, including hurricane formation and Saharan dust transport. The NASA Convective Processes Experiment-Cabo Verde measured vertical profiles of winds, dust, and moisture near and within clouds and precipitating storms in this region during September 2022 using aircraft outfitted with a unique set of instrumentation. With 13 research flights covering 90 h, analysis of these data shows the positive impact of these observations on forecast skill, highlights the detrimental impacts of dry air on early hurricane development, challenges previous thinking on how dust is vertically distributed in the atmosphere, and connects winds with storm structure and intensity. This dataset is publicly available for further research on these relationships.

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Publication Details

Journal
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
Published
2024-09-05
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1175/bams-d-23-0201.1
Citations
7
Primary Topic
Spacecraft Design and Technology
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
9.09
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article

Dust, Convection, Winds, and Waves: The 2022 NASA CPEX-CV Campaign

Edoardo Mazza, Manikandan Rajagopal, Gail Skofronick‐Jackson, Bjorn Lambrigtsen et al.
7 citations
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
Spacecraft Design and Technology
9.09
article

Dust, Convection, Winds, and Waves: The 2022 NASA CPEX-CV Campaign

Edoardo Mazza, Manikandan Rajagopal, Gail Skofronick‐Jackson, Bjorn Lambrigtsen, Griša Močnik, Claire Robinson, Kristopher M. Bedka, Holger Vömel, Naoko Sakaeda, Svetla M. Hristova‐Veleva, Peter R. Colarco, Aaron Piña, Quinton A. Lawton, K. L. Thornhill, D. P. Van Gilst, Alan Brammer, James A. Doyle, Rosimar Rios‐Berrios, Thorsten Fehr, Michael A. Shook, Sun Wong, Ewan Crosbie, Peter G. Veals, Kelly M. Núñez Ocasio, Will McCarty, John W. Cooney, Leigh Sinclair, Elinor R. Martin, Megan E. Buzanowicz, J. Ryan Bennett, Raquel Rodriguez Monje, Benjamin Rodenkirch, E. P. Nowottnick, Rory A. Barton‐Grimley, Angela K. Rowe, Ryan D. Torn, Jeffrey S. Reid, Jonathan Zawislak, Amin R. Nehrir, Luke D. Ziemba, Shun-Nan Wu, Shu‐Hua Chen, Shuyi S. Chen, Zhaoxia Pu, Eleni Marinou, Allan Lee, V. Salazar, R. A. Ferrare, Chen Gao, Steven Harrah, E. J. Zipser
article en
7 citations

Abstract

Abstract The NASA Convective Processes Experiment-Cabo Verde (CPEX-CV) field campaign took place in September 2022 out of Sal Island, Cabo Verde. A unique payload aboard the NASA DC-8 aircraft equipped with advanced remote sensing and in situ instrumentation, in conjunction with radiosonde launches and satellite observations, allowed CPEX-CV to target the coupling between atmospheric dynamics, marine boundary layer properties, convection, and the dust-laden Saharan air layer in the data-sparse tropical East Atlantic region. CPEX-CV provided measurements of African easterly wave environments, diurnal cycle impacts on convective life cycle, and several Saharan dust outbreaks, including the highest dust optical depth observed by the DC-8 interacting with what would become Tropical Storm Hermine. Preliminary results from CPEX-CV underscore the positive impact of dedicated tropical East Atlantic observations on downstream forecast skill, including sampling environmental forcings impacting the development of several nondeveloping and developing convective systems such as Hurricanes Fiona and Ian. Combined airborne radar, lidar, and radiometer measurements uniquely provide near-storm environments associated with convection on various spatiotemporal scales and, with in situ observations, insights into controls on Saharan dust properties with transport. The DC-8 also collaborated with the European Space Agency to perform coordinated validation flights under the Aeolus spaceborne wind lidar and over the Mindelo ground site, highlighting the enhanced sampling potential through partnership opportunities. CPEX-CV engaged in professional development through dedicated team-building exercises that equipped the team with a cohesive approach for targeting CPEX-CV science objectives and promoted active participation of scientists across all career stages. Significance Statement Sparse data over the tropical East Atlantic Ocean challenge forecasting of downstream impacts, including hurricane formation and Saharan dust transport. The NASA Convective Processes Experiment-Cabo Verde measured vertical profiles of winds, dust, and moisture near and within clouds and precipitating storms in this region during September 2022 using aircraft outfitted with a unique set of instrumentation. With 13 research flights covering 90 h, analysis of these data shows the positive impact of these observations on forecast skill, highlights the detrimental impacts of dry air on early hurricane development, challenges previous thinking on how dust is vertically distributed in the atmosphere, and connects winds with storm structure and intensity. This dataset is publicly available for further research on these relationships.

Bulletin of the American Meteorological SocietyVol. 105(11)
NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (US), Albany State University (US), Ames Research Center (US), United States Naval Research Laboratory (US), Civil Aviation Administration of China (CN), Goddard Space Flight Center (US), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US), U.S. National Science Foundation (US), US Forest Service (US), Langley Research Center (US), National Association of Social Workers (US), Jet Propulsion Laboratory (US), University of Wisconsin–Madison (US), University of Miami (US), Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (US), University of Nova Gorica (SI), University of Washington (US), University of Utah (US), NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (US), University at Albany, State University of New York (US), Analytical Mechanics Associates (United States) (US), Bay Area Environmental Research Institute (US), National Observatory of Athens (GR), B2 (Slovenia) (SI), Adnet Systems (United States) (US), European Space Research and Technology Centre (NL), University of Alabama in Huntsville (US), University of California, Davis (US), University of Oklahoma (US), Texas A&M University (US), Colorado State University (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Spacecraft Design and Technology
9.09
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