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TEAMx Newsletters

Latest News, publish 08th February 2025

Aircraft flights in the Inn Valley

21 February 2025

During two weeks (17 – 28 February 2025), the DLR research aircraft is taking high-frequncy measurements in the Inn Valley on several days. The aircraft is flying a pattern of along- and cross-valley flights between Innsbruck and Jenbach to sample the valley atmosphere at multiple heights up to the crest level.

airplane_pic

Photo credit: Alexander Gohm.

dlr_fligh_path

Photo credit: flightradar24.com.

Impressions from the wEOP

7 February 2025

photo_saunders_iop9

Photo credit: Beth Saunders.

A big thank you to all the people who are out in the field day or night to launch radiosondes, fly tethered balloons or UAS, clean and maintain instruments, and collect data. They may not get a lot of sleep, but sometimes they are rewarded by stunning views.

photo_fernandez_iop1

Photo credit: Theo Fernandez.

Sampling gravity waves

5 February 2025

photo_berthelemy_iop3

Photo credit: Peter Berthelemy.

One of the main research topics during the wEOP are gravity waves forming over the Alpine ridge. During such events, two radiosondes are launched simultaneously from Sterzing in the ACTA to get information about the spatial structure of these waves. Using wavelet analysis, the wavelength can be determined from the phase shift seen by the two sondes. Additional soundings from the IVTA provide information on the other side of the main Alpine crest.

photo_hindley_iop3

Photo credit: Neil Hindley.

wEOP IOP1

25 January 2025

The first IOP of the wEOP took place focusing on nighttime katabatic winds at the Hochhäuser slope in the IVTA and their interaction with shallow foehn at higher altitudes. The flow was sampled at regular intervals with tethered-balloon ascents and drone flights over the slope. Radiosoundings launched from the valley floor will provide information on the background structure of the valley atmosphere. At midnight, a decision was made to terminate the IOP since slope winds remained relatively weak.

photo_brun_iop1

Photo credit: Christophe Brun.

photo_gohm_iop1.

Photo credit: Alexander Gohm.

Start of the winter EOP (wEOP)

20 January 2025

Radiosonde launches The six-week long winter EOP (wEOP) has started. Activities during the EOP will include aircraft flights during the last two weeks of the EOP, frequent radiosonde launches at Kolsass (IVTA) and Sterzing (ACTA) during IOPs, and a slope-wind experiment in the IVTA. During the last few weeks, a turbulence station network and tethered-balloon system were set up on a steep slope site in the IVTA and a first radiosonde test launch performed at Kolsass. Current weather forecasts suggest that a first IOP may take place towards the end of the week.

Slope-wind experiment in the IVTA

4th TEAMx Workshop

19/20 November 2024

More than 100 TEAMx scientists got together in Innsbruck and online for a two-day workshop to discuss the organization and plans for the winter EOP and to present their TEAMx research projects.

Participants 4th TEAMx workshop

Novel Doppler lidar system resolves previously unattainable valley circulations during test flights in the Alps

14th September 2024

Karlsruhe Novel Doppler LidarThe Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has conducted the first flights deploying their novel airborne Doppler lidar system ‘AIRflows’ aboard the TU Braunschweig Cessna F406 research aircraft. AIRflows implements a novel fixed-beam design by combining five compact and lightweight Doppler lidars into one system. The new multi-lidar system provides one order of magnitude improved spatial resolution compared to previously existing systems, which is especially valuable in complex terrain. “Initial analysis demonstrates spatially resolved wind profiles at 100 m resolution, allowing to resolve fine-scale 3D winds in complex terrain for the first time”, says Dr. Philipp Gasch, the lead developer of the new system from KIT. First measurements across Alpine valleys provide previously unattainable insight into vertical wind as well as valley circulations. Using the first data, flight paths and measurement strategies for upcoming deployments of AIRflows can be planned and optimized. More details on the test flights can be found here.

KLOCX deployment at Kolsass

25th September 2024

Karlsruhe Low Cloud ExploratoryThe Karlsruhe Low Cloud Exploratory (KLOCX) Platform was set up at Kolsass in the Inn Valley Target Area for the TEAMx Observational Campaign. The remote sensing instruments will measure until spring 2025 and will provide valuable insight into the life-cycle phases of low-level stratiform clouds in the Inn Valley.

The TOC has started

16th September 2024

Lidar setup at InnsbruckThe TEAMx Observation Campaign has officially started, with the one-year long campaign running until mid-September 2025. The first instruments for the TOC were deployed over the summer and a number of smaller test campaigns are currently being conducted both in the Inn Valley Target Area and in the Adige Valley Target Area in preparation for the big summer EOP next year.

Nafingalm site panorama

Nafingalm site snowThe start of the TOC is accompanied by an extended period of precipitation and snowfall down to relatively low altitudes over Austria, necessitating the postponement of some of the test campaign activities, such as test flights with UAS and with the TU Braunschweig Cessna. As the saying goes, a bad dress rehearsal results in a good performance, so let’s hope that this is a good sign for our two upcoming EOPs.

We will be using this site to continuously publish information about new and ongoing TOC activities, including soon more detailed information about the ongoing test campaigns. So keep checking in.

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