Current programs in Africa update

Scientific Challenge:Aerosol – Cloud

Interactions: Implications for precipitation and weather modification

R. T Bruintjes

Africa meetingJuly 2006

Africa Programs

Burkina Faso infrastructure

Radar installation on top of control tower and King Air B-200 and hangar facilities at the airport in Ouagadougou

Weather radar and project locations

Radar locations

Burkina Faso and Mali radar locations.

Local weather services and universities

Radar, Aerosol and microphysical studies

TITAN installation on new EEC radar

Cloud droplet spectra near cloud base and b) approximately 1500m above cloud base

Reflectivity (dBz) from Ouagadougou radar at 0008 UTC, 2 July 2005 and Water vapor image from Meteosat Second Generation satellite (MSG)

Radar first echo heights

Southern AfricaSAFARI2000

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

0 0.5 1 1.5

Supersaturation (%)C

CN

con

cent

ratio

n (c

m-3

)

230 m asl (1)700 m asl (2)1 730 m asl (3)2 630 m asl (4)3 550 m asl (5)Power (230 m asl (1))Power (700 m asl (2))Power (3 550 m asl (5))Power (1 730 m asl (3))Power (2 630 m asl (4))

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Partially reactedNaCl

KSO4

Ammonium Sulfate

CCN SUPERSATURATION SPECTRA AND ASSOCIATEDPARTICLE TYPES FROM TEM/SEM IMAGES

IN SOUTHERN AFRICAAged Biomass smoke

Regional HazeMarine/Haze

KCL

Fresh smoke

CCN spectra at different altitudes in different layers

of aerosols

University of Witwatersrand and South African Weather Service

ADDRESSING SPECIFIC NEEDS

Accurate, well-calibrated continuous three-dimensional multi-variable data collection

End-to-end quality products (hardware, software and user customized products)

Easy to maintain, calibrate. Quality control methods and procedures that address the needs and limitations of the global market (e.g. Cell phone Technology and PC-based systems)

Robust and reliable archiving system for global applications

Summary

Problem• Water resource management• Inadvertent weather modification effects

Opportunities and research• New observing technologies and methods• Better models and computingChallenges• Infrastructure building• Low-tech approach• Education

Anthropogenic sources of aerosols are impacting cloud and precipitation development around the world.