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Biography:
Prof. Volker Wulfmeyer is a University Professor, Managing Director and Chair of Physics and Meteorology at the Institute of Physics and Meteorology of the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, and member of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
Prior to his current affiliation, Professor Wulfmeyer worked for the United States National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology of Hamburg. He currently participates in a working group of the World Climate Research Programme of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
In February 2018, Prof. Wulfmeyer was announced as the Chair of the UAEREP Awardee team. In this function, he has been coordinating the scientific exchange of all groups in order to combine the results achieved and the approaches pursued by the nine groups to a big picture for the utmost benefits of rain enhancement science in the UAE.
Project Brief:
“Optimizing cloud seeding by advanced remote sensing and land cover modification”
Professor Volker Wulfmeyer’s project aims to specifically study convergence zones and the modification of land surface for the amplification of clouds and precipitation.
For optimal cloud seeding deployment, these convergence zones need to be identified prior to the development of clouds. Professor Wulfmeyer’s work focused on the improved detection and forecasting of convergence zones, a key to precipitation enhancement and cloud seeding guidance. This has been conducted through new-generation active remote sensing, particularly Doppler lidar and cloud radar as well as advanced high-resolution modelling in combination with sophisticated data assimilation techniques.
Key Outcomes:
- Established a new mountain observatory with advanced instrumentation (Doppler wind lidar, Doppler cloud radar) to study aerosols, winds, and clouds in 3D. Collected unique data on evolution of winds and clouds from Dec 2017.
- Designed and operated a new WRF-based ensemble forecasting system for UAE with convection-permitting (2.8 km) and turbulence-permitting (300 m) resolutions. First system of its kind for the region.
- Developed a new concept called the Cloud and Precipitation Reactor (CPR) which involves large-scale modification of land surface properties to substantially enhance rainfall. Modeling studies estimate over 50 times larger rainfall impacts compared to cloud seeding.
For more information on the project please visit : https://ocal.uni-hohenheim.de/en
