A storm safari in Subtropical South America: proyecto RELAMPAGO

November 19, 2020

Kristen Rasmussen and Russ Schumacher

Abstract

In 2018-19, a major field campaign named Remote sensing of Electrification, Lightning, And Mesoscale/microscale Processes with Adaptive Ground Observations, or RELAMPAGO (which means lightning flash in Spanish and Portuguese) took place in Argentina and Brazil. The project was a multinational collaboration aimed at answering scientific questions about some of the most intense convective storms on the planet. In this presentation, we will provide an overview of the project and the contributions of CSU researchers and students. In particular, we will focus on preliminary findings from data collected by CSU’s CHIVO C-band radar and from radiosonde observations from highly mobile platforms. RELAMPAGO also offered unique opportunities for international collaboration, cultural exchange, education, and outreach, and we will outline some of these activities, including an NSF-sponsored Advanced Study Institute for US graduate students.