3rd HyMeX workshop 1-4 June 2009 Heraklion (Gournes), Crete-Greece
Observational strategy for HyMeX WG3 and WG4: setting Crete island as an experimental area Kostas Lagouvardos (National Observatory of Athens); V. Kotroni
Strong local winds are often observed in the Mediterranean coastal areas, resulting from the interaction of large/meso scale circulations with local topographic features. The observational strategy has to be focused in limited areas, where extensive observations are needed. Following the contributions received so far in the frame of HYMEX WG3 and WG4, three experimental areas are defined at this stage:
Adriatic coasts,
Corsica,
Crete island.
This presentation focuses on the selection of Crete as a candidate experimental area. The island is already covered by 15 automatic weather stations operated by the National Observatory of Athens and it is expected that this number will increase to 20 within one year. With possible contributions from other European Institutes, this observing systems can be complemented with upper-air sensing devices. Moreover, the area is covered by NASA-TRMM satellite and by the ZEUS lightning detection system. The experimental strategy will be completed by high resolution modeling (grid increments of ~1-2 km), permitting to accurately describe local circulations. Measurements as well as model outputs can be used for both the scientific objectives of HYMEX WG3 and WG4.
