Monday, 21 January 2008
High-resolution upper air measurement from Cape Verde during NAMMA, the NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses Project
Exhibit Hall B (Ernest N. Morial Convention Center)
The NASA African Monsoon Multi-disciplinary Analyses (NAMMA) mission took place from Cape Verde, approximately 600 km west of Dakar, Senegal. Aircraft and ground-based measurements were staged from the island of Sal while a large number of radiosondes were released from Praia, on the island of Sao Tiago 150 km south of Sal. NAMMA is part of the multi-national mission to study, among many other parameters, West African-originating easterly waves that may develop into damaging hurricanes as they move westward over the southern Atlantic Ocean. The field mission took place between August 15 and September 14, 2006. High-resolution GPS equipped radiosondes provided measurements of temperature, relative humidity, and wind at a vertical resolution of 4-6 meters every 4 hours from Cape Verde Islands. The high vertical- and temporal- resolution of the measurements effectively captured significant features of convection and easterly wave processes. Time series of geopotential, water vapor, and wind data available during the 28-day mission are discussed. Five waves were observed passing Praia; differences in their development were observed. Examples are provided that discuss methods used to detect wave passage, the effect of the Saharan Air Layer, and daily energy distribution. Data were distributed to all NAMMA participants and are available at http://msfc.nasa.gov.
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