PNNL

Abstract

Within the frame of the international field campaign COPS (Convective and Orographically-induced Precipitation Study), a large suite of state-of-the-art meteorological instrumentation was operated, partially combined for the first time. The COPS field phase was performed from 01 June - 31 August 2007 in a low-mountain area in southwestern Germany/eastern France covering the Vosges Mountains, the Rhine valley and the Black Forest Mountains. The collected data set covers the entire evolution of convective precipitation events in complex terrain from their initiation, to their development and mature phase up to their decay. 18 Intensive Operation Periods (IOPs) with 34 operation days and 8 additional Special Observation Periods (SOPs) were performed providing a comprehensive data set covering different forcing conditions. In this paper an overview of the COPS scientific strategy, the field phase, and its first accomplishments is given. Some highlights of the campaign are illustrated with several measurement examples. It is demonstrated that COPS provided new insight in key processes leading to convection initiation and to the modification of precipitation by orography, in the improvement of QPF by the assimilation of new observations, and in the performance of ensembles of convection permitting models in complex terrain.