Ecole doctorale des Sciences fondamentales, Université Clermont

Ecole Doctorale des Sciences Fondamentales
Title of the thesis:
Estimation and nowcasting of rain over an urban basin
Supervisor:
Laboratory:
University:
Email and Phone:
Dr. Joël Van Baelen
Laboratoire de Météorologie Physique (LaMP)
University Blaise Pascal Clermont Ferrand
[email protected]
/
+33 – 4 – 73 40 54 26
Summary:
With the effect of climate change, it appears that our societies will have to face ever more
recurrent episodes of extreme and localized precipitation events which can cause extensive
damages to private and public properties but also loss of lives in case of flash floods and
inundations. Hence, it becomes necessary for urban entities at risk to be able to rely on
precise nowcasting of the rain evolution over its jurisdiction and adjacent catchment basins.
LaMP operates two X band high space and time resolution precipitation radars and, in
collaboration with Clermont Community, it has access to a dense network of real time rain
gages over the Clermont Ferrand urban basin. Furthermore, LaMP has a long standing
expertise in numerical simulations of precipitating systems.
Hence, building on the experience acquired in the laboratory over the last ten years during
extensive campaigns (Clermont Ferrand, COPS, HyMeX), the research work of this thesis
project will focus on three main axis:
•
Optimal estimates of precipitations with X band radars, in particular accounting for
attenuation by combining multiple radar observations and/or polarization when
available, as well as for the different rain regimes observed;
•
Merging of long range C band radar data with local high space and time resolution X
band radar data for large scale coverage, together with measurements from the local
rain gage network for small scale observations, in order to provide a precise rain
estimate through conditional merging techniques, adapted kriging methods, or
autocalibration approaches;
•
Nowcasting of rain through a combination of approaches based on radar data
extrapolation as well as high resolution short time scale numerical weather prediction.
Ecole Doctorale Sciences Fondamentales – 24, avenue des Landais – BP 80026 - 63171 AUBIERE CEDEX
CHIMIE – MATHEMATIQUES – PHYSIQUE – SCIENCES DE L’UNIVERS
site web : http://edsf.univ-bpclermont.fr
Directeur : Pr Patrice Malfreyt
tél. 04.73.40.72.04
E-mail : [email protected]
Secrétariat : Suzanne Hernandez
tél. 04.73.40.53.76
E-mail : [email protected]
Ecole Doctorale des Sciences Fondamentales
Therefore, the overarching goal of this thesis project is to provide a tool to follow in details
the evolution of rain over an urban basin by the best combined use of local data, and to
provide short term forecasts capable to feed adequately urban hydrological models and,
eventually, propose a help for decision making in case of crisis situations.
The ideal candidate will have demonstrated knowledge atmospheric physics and radar
measurement principles as well as a good background in analysis methods and
programming skills. Although autonomous to carry on his/her research work, he/she will also
be part of a small team to apprehend the different aspects of the thesis work, hence good
relational and communication skills are essentials.
Ecole Doctorale Sciences Fondamentales – 24, avenue des Landais – BP 80026 - 63171 AUBIERE CEDEX
CHIMIE – MATHEMATIQUES – PHYSIQUE – SCIENCES DE L’UNIVERS
site web : http://edsf.univ-bpclermont.fr
Directeur : Pr Patrice Malfreyt
tél. 04.73.40.72.04
E-mail : [email protected]
Secrétariat : Suzanne Hernandez
tél. 04.73.40.53.76
E-mail : [email protected]