000004235 001__ 4235
000004235 005__ 20190618172823.0
000004235 037__ $$aCTALK-2019-0120
000004235 100__ $$aDelobbe, L.
000004235 245__ $$aHeavy rainfall estimates from underground gravity measurements
000004235 260__ $$c2019
000004235 269__ $$c2019-07-12
000004235 520__ $$aEstimation of rainfall amounts produced by convective storms is challenging due to the very high spatial variabilityof such type of precipitation. In this study we explore the use of underground gravity monitoring to estimate heavyrainfall at a spatial scale of a few hundred meters.Superconducting gravimeters produce gravity measurements with a precision of 1 nm/s2at 1-minute timestep. When performed underground, these measurements are directly affected by rainfall. Water mass increase atthe ground level due to precipitation tends to reduce underground gravity. Rainfall amounts can be derived fromthese gravity variations.The superconducting gravimeters used in this study are installed in Membach (Belgium) and Walferdange(Luxembourg), 48 m and 80 m underneath the surface, respectively. The gravimeters integrate soil water in aradius of several hundred meters. The two gravimeters are located at 85 and 54 km from a C-band weatherradar located in Wideumont (Belgium). Gravimeter data at 1-min time step and radar data at 5-min time step areavailable for the 15-year observation period 2003-2017.The comparison of radar reflectivity and gravity time series shows that short-duration intense rainfall eventsproduce a rapid decrease of the underground measured gravity. Precipitation amounts derived from gravitymeasurements and from radar observations are further compared for more than 500 events with very intenseprecipitation over short durations.We show that a superconducting gravimeter is a valuable source of in-situ observations for the verificationof rainfall estimates derived from weather radars. The two main benefits are the spatial scale at which precipitationis captured and the interesting property that gravity measurements are directly influenced by water mass at groundno matter the type of precipitation: hail or rain
000004235 594__ $$aNO
000004235 6531_ $$aWeather radar
000004235 6531_ $$aMembach
000004235 6531_ $$aWalferdange
000004235 6531_ $$aSuperconducting gravimeter
000004235 6531_ $$aPrecipitation
000004235 700__ $$aFrancis, O.
000004235 700__ $$aWatlet, A.
000004235 700__ $$aVan Camp, M.
000004235 773__ $$t EMS Annual Meeting 2019
000004235 8560_ $$fmichel.vancamp@observatoire.be
000004235 906__ $$aContributed
000004235 980__ $$aCTALKCONT