Papers by Claudia Calidonna
Testing the data assimilation technique for short-term wind forecast in the PBL: a case study
ABSTRACT In this contribution we show the results of using a data assimilation technique to impro... more ABSTRACT In this contribution we show the results of using a data assimilation technique to improve the short-term wind forecast at a site in northern Europe. The assimilation technique is a simple four-dimensional nudging and, for this purpose, we set-up a version of the Regional Atmospheric Modelling System. The nudging technique consists of adding an extra-tendency term, to the prognostic equations of the zonal and meridional wind components, which forces the variable toward the observations. dφm- (φobs -φm-) dt = τ f(r) (1) where φmis model variable (zonal or meridional wind component), φobs is the observation, τ is relaxation time scale (900 s), f(r) is a Gaussian function f(r) = e0-(r/r)Λ2 , and r0=50 km. The method was applied in Denmark where suitable observations were available at the Danish National Test Station for Large Wind Turbines, located at Høvsøre (Western Jutland, Denmark), and refer to the measurements of vertical wind profiles; the instrument is the WINDCUBE Doppler LIDAR. Data were available every 10 minutes at the following levels: 40 m, 60 m, 80 m, 100 m, 116 m, 130 m, 160 m, 200 m, 250 m and 300 m. The data represent the average of the measurement for the previous 10 minutes. Only data available at the 00 minutes of each hour were considered in this study. The RAMS model is set-up with four nested grids. The fourth grid has 1 km horizontal resolution and is centred over the site. Model levels do not coincide with the measurement levels, and, to assimilate and to verify the forecast, the observations were linearly interpolated to the model levels. The physical configuration of the model is the one adopted for operational forecast over the Calabria Region in South Italy. In order to show the potential impact of the nudging technique, we run the model in two different configurations: (a) a simple forecast and (b) an analysis-forecast run. The runs duration is twenty-four hours for both configurations. For each configuration, simulations were performed for a one-month period from 21 April 2010 to 20 May 2010 (one simulation per day, starting at 12 UTC). In the simple forecast, RAMS uses the ECMWF (European Centre For Medium Weather Range Forecast) gridded analysis and forecast data as initial and dynamic boundary conditions available every 6 hours at 0.25 degrees horizontal resolution. In the analysis-forecast run, in addition to the ECMWF initial and boundary conditions, measurements at three-hour time interval are nudged into the model for the first 12 h of simulation. For the second half of the period, the model is driven only by the ECMWF forecast, as for the simple forecast run. To compare the simple forecast and the analysis-forecast runs, we computed the Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and the Root Means Square Error (RMSE) for one, three, and six hours following the end of the nudging time, i.e. after the first 12 h of simulation. The method was verified we used hourly values at the 00 minutes. So, for each day, one, three, and six model-observation pairs are available for the one, three, and six hours forecast verification. In this work, we show the results of those statistics. There are days in which the forecast is improved by the nudging technique and days in which the nudging technique does not improve or even worsen the forecast. Work is in progress to characterise each day in terms of synoptical versus local situation in order to associate errors at each run at all heights. Further, we aim to repeat the analyses for very-short term forecasts (up to 1 h).
In order to establish strategies for the influence of anthropic activities, continuously monitori... more In order to establish strategies for the influence of anthropic activities, continuously monitoring of particulate and greenhouse gases are required. Atmospheric aerosol particles together with greenhouse gases, according to the IPCC( 2013), are playing a major role in climate change affecting the Earth's radiative balance: directly by absorbing and scattering of solar radiation and indirectly by supporting for cloud condensation. In the GAW Regional Coastal Observatory I-AMICA in Lamezia Terme (38.88 LAT 16.24 LON, 6m agl) in Calabrian Region, greenhouse gas and particulate are daily monitored in order to collect and investigate natural and anthropic sources affecting climate. The equipment allow us to detect local events of different nature that influence short lived gases and aerosol presence in our area. In particular here we present some evidence of forest fire smoke detection due to biomass burning caused from agriculture activities. Hourly and daily variation of several ...
The importance to integrate forecasts and observation for anthropic and natural sources impact. Study cases
Recently the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the harmful effects on human health of fin... more Recently the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the harmful effects on human health of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), to which the urban population is particularly exposed. In some cases, the high presence of particulate is not due exclusively to the local anthropic impact but it can be caused by the medium and long-distance transport of pollutants. In this respect, it becomes significant to integrate in situ measurements, satellite observations and modeling tools. All this allows the determination of atmospheric circulation and therefore the circulation of pollutants. The present work deals with some cases occurred at the Environmental Climatic Observatory of the ISAC-CNR of Lamezia Terme in conjunction with some natural and non-natural events. In such a cases it was significant to identify the sources using both in situ measurements, also from remote sensing (wind-lidar, satellite, ...), as well as modeling tools.
In order to establish strategies for the influence of anthropic activities, continuously monitori... more In order to establish strategies for the influence of anthropic activities, continuously monitoring of particulate and greenhouse gases are required. Atmospheric aerosol particles together with greenhouse gases, according to the IPCC( 2013), are playing a major role in climate change affecting the Earth’s radiative balance: directly by absorbing and scattering of solar radiation and indirectly by supporting for cloud condensation. In the GAW Regional Coastal Observatory I-AMICA in Lamezia Terme (38.88 LAT 16.24 LON, 6m agl) in Calabrian Region, greenhouse gas and particulate are daily monitored in order to collect and investigate natural and anthropic sources affecting climate. The equipment allow us to detect local events of different nature that influence short lived gases and aerosol presence in our area. In particular here we present some evidence of forest fire smoke detection due to biomass burning caused from agriculture activities. Hourly and daily variation of several param...
Continuous observations of CO 2 and CH 4 in Italy by permanent observatories
Atmosphere, 2017
A field campaign was performed simultaneously at five measurement sites, having different charact... more A field campaign was performed simultaneously at five measurement sites, having different characteristics, to characterize the spatial distribution of the carbonaceous content in atmospheric aerosol in Southern Italy during the winter season. Organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) were measured at urban (Naples), suburban (Lecce), coastal/marine (Lamezia Terme and Capo Granitola), and remote (Monte Curcio) locations. OC and EC mass concentrations were quantified by the thermal-optical transmission (TOT) method, in 24-h PM 10 and PM 2.5 samples collected on quartz fiber filters, from 25 November 2015 to 1 January 2016. The different sites showed marked differences in the average concentrations of both carbonaceous species. Typically, OC average levels (±standard deviation) were higher at the sites of Naples (12.8 ± 5.1 and 11.8 ± 4.6 µg/m 3) and Lecce (10.7 ± 5.8 and 9.0 ± 4.7 µg/m 3), followed by Lamezia Terme (4.3 ± 2.0 and 4.0 ± 1.9 µg/m 3), Capo Granitola (2.3 ± 1.2 and 1.7 ± 1.1 µg/m 3), and Monte Curcio (0.9 ± 0.3 and 0.9 ± 0.3 µg/m 3) in PM 10 and PM 2.5 , respectively. Similarly, EC average levels (±standard deviation) were higher at the urban sites of Naples (2.3 ± 1.1 and 1.8 ± 0.5 µg/m 3) and Lecce (1.5 ± 0.8 and 1.4 ± 0.7 µg/m 3), followed by Lamezia Terme (0.6 ± 0.3 and 0.6 ± 0.3 µg/m 3), Capo Granitola (0.3 ± 0.3 and 0.3 ± 0.2 µg/m 3), and Monte Curcio (0.06 ± 0.04 and 0.05 ± 0.03 µg/m 3) in PM 10 and PM 2.5 , respectively. An opposite trend was observed for the OC/EC ratios ranging from 6.4 to 15.9 in PM 10 and from 6.4 to 15.5 in PM 2.5 with lower values in urban sites compared to remote sites. Different OC-EC correlations, 0.36 < R 2 < 0.90, were found in four observation sites. This behavior suggests the contributions of similar sources and common atmospheric processes in both fractions. No correlations were observed between OC and EC at the site of Naples. The average secondary organic carbon (SOC) concentrations, quantified using the minimum OC/EC ratio method, ranged from 0.4 to 7.6 µg/m 3 in PM 10 and from 0.4 to 7.2 µg/m 3 in PM 2.5 , accounting from 37 to 59% of total OC in PM 10 and from 40 to 57% in PM 2.5 with higher percentages in the urban and suburban sites of Naples and Lecce.
Meteorology and air pollution experiment at the Black Sea coastal site Ahtopol - 2017
AIP Conference Proceedings, 2019
Atmospheric Research, 2017
on shortwave (SW) and long-wave (LW) irradiance measurements, meteorological variables, and near ... more on shortwave (SW) and long-wave (LW) irradiance measurements, meteorological variables, and near surface particle properties have been investigated. Measurements were performed at three southern Italy observatories of the Global Atmospheric Watch-World Meteorological Organization (GAW-WMO
Energy Procedia, 2017
Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose... more Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.
Atmospheric Research, 2017
The sensitivity of boundary layer variables to five (two non-local and three local) planetary bou... more The sensitivity of boundary layer variables to five (two non-local and three local) planetary boundary-layer (PBL) parameterization schemes, available in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale meteorological model, is evaluated in an experimental site in Calabria region (southern Italy), in an area characterized by a complex orography near the sea. Results of 1 km × 1 km grid spacing simulations are compared with the data collected during a measurement campaign in summer 2009, considering hourly model outputs. Measurements from several instruments are taken into account for the performance evaluation: near surface variables (2 m temperature and relative humidity, downward shortwave radiation, 10 m wind speed and direction) from a surface station and a meteorological mast; vertical wind profiles from Lidar and Sodar; also, the aerosol backscattering from a ceilometer to estimate the PBL height. Results covering the whole measurement campaign show a cold and moist bias near the surface, mostly during daytime, for all schemes, as well as an overestimation of the downward shortwave radiation and wind speed. Wind speed and direction are also verified at vertical levels above the surface, where the model uncertainties are, usually, smaller than at the surface. A general anticlockwise rotation of the simulated flow with height is found at all levels. The mixing height is overestimated by all schemes and a possible role of the simulated sensible heat fluxes for this mismatching is investigated. On a single-case basis, significantly better results are obtained when the atmospheric conditions near the measurement site are dominated by synoptic forcing rather than by local circulations. From this study, it follows that the two first order non-local schemes, ACM2 and YSU, are the schemes with the best performance in representing parameters near the surface and in the boundary layer during the analyzed campaign.
Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, 2017
We present a characterization of reactive gases (RG: O3, NO, NO2,SO2, CO) and methane (CH4) varia... more We present a characterization of reactive gases (RG: O3, NO, NO2,SO2, CO) and methane (CH4) variability in the central Mediterranean basin,analyzing in situ measurements at three new permanent WMO/GAW Observatories in Southern Italy: Capo Granitola – CGR (Sicily), Lamezia Terme – LMT (Calabria) and Lecce – ECO (Apulia). At all the measurement sites, a combination of the breeze wind system (especially at CGR and LMT),PBL dynamics, anthropogenic/natural emissions, and photochemistry lead the appearance of well-defined diurnal cycles for the observed RG. According to O3/NOx variability, local emissions appeared to influence CGR and LMT (no NOx data were available for ECO during the period of study) in 4% and 20% of the hourly data, nearby sources in 39% and 40%, remote sources in 31% and 14%, while background O3/NOx were observed in 26% of cases for both the stations. Most of the background O3/NOx were observed during daytime, when offshore air masses usually affected the measurement s...
Energy Procedia, 2016
Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose... more Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.
A CA model for beach morphodynamics
CAs coastal dynamics is a very complex system, computer simulation is a valid approach to plan re... more CAs coastal dynamics is a very complex system, computer simulation is a valid approach to plan real action. During SIGIEC Project a new Macroscopic Cellular Automata was designed i.e. RUSICA for morphodynamics studies of the beaches. MCA methodology, used for investigating natural macroscopic systems, is an alternative approach to PDE. Through local interactions of their constituent parts MCA operating on different specification levels to be compared to experimental data. Simulation allowed to study the dynamics and modified orography with artificial solutions for erosion contrast as at Porto Cesareo (Apulia Italy). Results of simulations of different scenarios of stormy sea in that area here are given together with evidence of effect of artificial barrier built in order to contrast the coastal erosion progress.
I-AMICA: infrastructure of high technology for environmental and climate monitoring in Southern Italy
Advances in Science and Research, 2016
The improvement of the Solar and Wind short-term forecasting represents a critical goal for the w... more The improvement of the Solar and Wind short-term forecasting represents a critical goal for the weather prediction community and is of great importance for a better estimation of power production from solar and wind farms. <br><br> In this work we analyze the performance of two deterministic models operational at ISAC-CNR for the prediction of short-wave irradiance and wind speed, at two experimental sites in southern Italy. <br><br> A post-processing technique, i.e the multi-model, is adopted to improve the performance of the two mesoscale models. <br><br> The results show that the multi-model approach produces a significant error reduction with respect to the forecast of each model. The error is reduced up to 20 % of the model errors, depending on the parameter and forecasting time.
Energy Procedia, 2015
The solar radiation is a critical input parameter when working with solar energy and radiation de... more The solar radiation is a critical input parameter when working with solar energy and radiation dependent surface processes. In this study, we present preliminary results from an inter-comparison between hourly values from a pyranometer, MSG-SEVIRI sensor and two meso-scale models, WRF and RAMS, in clear and cloudy sky conditions. Cloudy sky condition is the most important because the attenuation of solar radiation in the atmosphere is strongly dependent on the cloud variability. Bias and RMSE errors are evaluated at a coastal site in the Mediterranean area. These statistics show the tendency of both models to overestimate shortwave radiation.
Energy Procedia, 2015
To exploit wind energy both onshore and offshore in coastal area the effect of the coastal discon... more To exploit wind energy both onshore and offshore in coastal area the effect of the coastal discontinuity is important. The shape of the vertical wind profiles and the related c parameter of the Weibull distribution are impacted by the atmospheric internal boundary layers developing from the coast along the wind direction. Here, we present first results: one year of vertical wind speed and direction profiles, monitoring programme at a South Mediterranean coastal site with a wind Lidar ZephIr (ltd). Daily variation of wind speed and direction vertical profiles, vertical Weibull wind distribution c parameter and wind rose are here showed.
Atmospheric and Climate Sciences, 2011
A four-dimensional data assimilation (FDDA) scheme based on a Newtonian relaxation (or "nudging")... more A four-dimensional data assimilation (FDDA) scheme based on a Newtonian relaxation (or "nudging") was tested using observational asynoptic data collected at a coastal site in the Central Mediterranean peninsula of Calabria, southern Italy. The study is referred to an experimental campaign carried out in summer 2008. For this period a wind profiler, a sodar and two surface meteorological stations were considered. The collected measurements were used for the FDDA scheme, and the technique was incorporated into a tailored version of the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS). All instruments are installed and operated routinely at the experimental field of the CRATI-ISAC/CNR located at 600 m from the Tyrrhenian coastline. Several simulations were performed, and the results show that the assimilation of wind and/or temperature data, both throughout the simulation time (continuous FDDA) and for a 12 h time window (forecasting configuration), produces improvements of the model performance. Considering a whole single day, improvements are substantial in the case of continuous FDDA while they are smaller in the case of forecasting configuration. Enhancements, during the first six hours of each run, are generally higher. The resulting meteorological fields are finalised as input into air quality and agro-meteorological models, for short-term predictions of renewable energy production forecast, and for atmospheric model initialization.
Continuous measurements of PM 10 and PM 2.5 , aerosol size distribution (for Dp ranging from 280 ... more Continuous measurements of PM 10 and PM 2.5 , aerosol size distribution (for Dp ranging from 280 nm to 10 µm) and meteorological parameters are continuously performed since 1 st August 2013 at the CNR-ISAC Climatic Observatory of Lamezia Terme (40°3N, 18°1E, 50 m a.s.l.), in the framework of the PON/ERDF I-AMICA Project. In this work, we present and discuss a special event which occurred on 19 th November 2013, when a significant increase of PM 10 (up to 75 µg m-3) was observed. During the night between 16 th and 17 th November, an explosive eruption occurred at Mt. Etna. The analysis of HYSPLIT, i.e. three-dimensional back-trajectories, ending in Lamezia together with MOLOCH (MOdelloLOCale in H coordinates) meteorological simulations suggested that the volcanic plume from Mt. Etna affected Lamezia Terme on 19 th November. Moreover, for this case study, SEM-EDX analyses on PM 10 filters revealed the presence of large abundances of sulphur minerals, further corroborating the possibil...
Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose... more Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.
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Papers by Claudia Calidonna