Print

Transport Meteorology

Head of department: Dr. Thomas Gerz

Weather and wake vortices derogate aviation. Noise bothers residents along traffic trails and wind turbines. Wind-energy earnings and wake-vortex behaviour depend on dynamical processes in the atmosphere. Reliable weather forecast requires the consistent description of gravity waves and turbulence and how they interact on small and medium scales. The Department is aiming at the understanding and prediction of dynamical processes in the atmospheric boundary layer and in the upper atmosphere on one hand. On the other hand, it is dedicated to develop analysis and prediction products tailored to the needs of and applicable by aviation stakeholders and wind energy industry. To this end, simulation and measurement technologies are pursued and improved and expert systems are assembled.

Current research highlights encompass

• Composition of expert systems for aviation to analyse and predict wake vortices, turbulence and thunderstorms,
• Highly accurate simulation of wake vortices and condensation trails behind aircraft,
• Interaction of gravity waves and turbulence in the entire atmosphere,
• Dynamics of the atmospheric boundary layer flow for wind energy purposes, and
• Propagation of sound from traffic and wind turbine sources.

The technologies employed for these purposes incorporate the development of

• Micro- und mesoscale numerical atmospheric simulation models, large-eddy simulation models and numerical weather prediction models,
• Measurement strategies for Doppler wind lidars, as well as
• Techniques to analyse and assess data from measurement and simulation.

Since January 2018 the Department hosts the Office of the core project SPARC (Stratosphere-troposphere Processes and their Role in Climate) of the United Nation’s World Climate Research Programme.