A study of coastal convective clouds using meteorological radar data

The paper presents the results of study of convective cloud development over land and sea. The study was based on data from the Gdańsk-Rębiechowo radar and upper air sounding from the Łeba aerological station. Radar data from the classical channel were analyzed for the atmosphere scanned at 6 elevation angles of the antenna beam. Vertical profiles of the atmosphere along selected paths presenting radiolocation reflectivity in the detected cloud structures were produced using the recorded radiolocation reflectivity. Conclusions concerning the cloud structure, the physical state of water in the clouds and the thermodynamic state of the atmosphere were formulated as the results of comprehensive analysis of the radar and upper air sounding data. The obtained values of selected parameters and indices were used to quantitatively describe selected physical processes and to formulate forecasts concerning weather phenomena that might pose threats to land, air and sea transport as well as for some industrial and agricultural branches. The developed method of radar and aerological data processing will be applied to further studies of convective clouds in other regions. It will also enable to assess the impact of environmental conditions on the development of convective processes.