Direct sun measurements with a CIMEL sunphotometer belonging to the AERONET network have been performed in the Huancayo Observatory, Peru, from March 2015 to August 2017, two and a half years, providing for the first time information about aerosols in the specific area. The prevalence of background conditions in the measurement site has been determined for the period of study. These conditions, which constitute more than 80% of cases, are occasionally altered, mainly by high aerosols loading, as a consequence of biomass-burning events. Biomass-burning periods cover every year from mid-July to mid-October. The identification of these periods has been possible through the classification of aerosols in 6 subtypes. The month with the maximum AOD monthly average is September, and in 2016, the absolute maximum value of 0.91 was registered. The mean AOD value for the study period is 0.10 ±0.07...

Direct sun measurements with a CIMEL sunphotometer belonging to the AERONET network have been performed in the Huancayo Observatory, Peru, from March 2015 to August 2017, two and a half years, providing for the first time information about aerosols in the specific area. The prevalence of background conditions in the measurement site has been determined for the period of study. These conditions, which constitute more than 80% of cases, are occasionally altered, mainly by high aerosols loading, as a consequence of biomass-burning events. Biomass-burning periods cover every year from mid-July to mid-October. The identification of these periods has been possible through the classification of aerosols in 6 subtypes. The month with the maximum AOD monthly average is September, and in 2016, the absolute maximum value of 0.91 was registered. The mean AOD value for the study period is 0.10 ± 0.0...

Los aerosoles en la atmósfera juegan un papel importante en la transferencia de radiación solar, ya que, dependiendo del tipo, pueden reflejar o dispersar dicha radiación. Cabe resaltar también que algunos aerosoles son nocivos para la salud humana. En el Observatorio de Huancayo se vienen realizando mediciones de aerosoles con un fotómetro solar perteneciente a la red AERONET (AErosol RObotic NETwork) de la NASA. En este estudio se analizaron los datos desde marzo de 2015 hasta agosto de 2017, con el objetivo de evaluar los tipos de aerosoles y las regiones fuentes de los mismos. Se determinó la prevalencia de condiciones de fondo durante el período analizado. Estas condiciones, que constituyen más del 80 % de los casos, se alteran ocasionalmente debido a altas concentraciones de aerosoles generadas por la quema de biomasa que tienen lugar, no sólo en el Perú, sino también, e...

Se determinaron las características del aerosol recuperado en la estación AERONET de Huancayo. El estudio se realizó durante los eventos de quema de biomasa del año 2019. Se procesaron los datos del sensor MODIS de los satélites Aqua y Terra, y del fotómetro CIMEL. Se han calculado los valores medios, mínimos y máximos del espesor óptico del aerosol (AOD) y el exponente de Angstrom (EA), asimismo se determinaron los tipos de aerosoles presentes en el Observatorio de Huancayo. Para la intercomparación de los resultados se utilizaron los datos del Fotómetro de la red internacional AERO- NET localizado en Huancayo. La media del AOD y el EA medido con AERONET respectivamente es 0.159±0.073 (adimensional) y 1.624±0.198 (adimensional). Los valores medios del AOD Aqua y Terra son respectivamente 0.088 ± 0.056 y 0.098 ± 0.087. El análisis de retrotrayecoria realizado mediante HYS...

Los aerosoles son partículas sólidas o líquidas suspendidas en la atmósfera. Su alta concentración, así como determinados tipos de aerosoles, pueden causar daños a la salud humana. El objetivo de este trabajo es relacionar el Espesor Óptico de Aerosoles (EOA) con las infecciones respiratorias agudas (IRAs). El EOA es una medida de la dispersión y absorción de luz visible por las partículas de aerosoles en la columna vertical de la atmósfera. Este indicador en conjunto con el Exponente de Ångström (EA o α ) nos permiten caracterizar los aerosoles atmosféricos, siendo herramientas útiles para el análisis de la calidad del aire. En tal sentido, se caracterizó la variación diurna, mensual, estacional y tipos de aerosoles con datos registrados por el fotómetro CIMEL 318T de la red AERONET, operado en la estación del IGP en Huancayo (nivel 2.0, λ = 440 nm), durante el pe...

The main objective of the research is to evaluate the response of the WRF model to the domains and resolutions that are used in complex orographic conditions like the central Andes of Peru for the forecast of short- and medium-term rainfall. To do this, the model was configured with four domains and the verifications were made using data from meteorological stations located within the study area and TRMM data. Experiments were conducted for nine 10-day periods of rainy days, five cases of extreme rainfall, and one event with hail fall on the region. In general, the model overestimates precipitation, but, in the five cases of extreme rainfall, and in the case of the hailstorm, underestimation was observed, so it is not accurate to assert in an absolute way that WRF overestimates precipitation in the study region. It was observed that the 3-km domain simulate effectively the accumulated ra...

The aerosol and precipitable water vapor (PW) distribution over the tropical Andes region is characterized using Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) observations at stations in Medellin (Colombia), Quito (Ecuador), Huancayo (Peru), and La Paz (Bolivia). AERONET aerosol optical depth (AOD) is interpreted using PM₂.₅ data when available. Columnar water vapor derived from ozone soundings at Quito is used to compare against AERONET PW. MERRA-2 data are used to complement analyses. Urban pollution and biomass burning smoke (BBS) dominate the regional aerosol composition. AOD and PM₂.₅ yearly cycles for coincident measurements correlate linearly at Medellin and Quito. The Andes cordillera’s orientation and elevation funnel or block BBS transport into valleys or highlands during the two fire seasons that systematically impact South America. The February–March season north of Colombia ...

The study evaluated the sensitivity of the precipitation forecast in the central Andes of Peru of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to change the planetary boundary layer (PBL) schemes. In that region is located the Mantaro basin, which is one of the most important in the region. Here, the rainfall is very important to the agriculture and to the reserves of drinking water. The simulations were carried out with ten PBL schemes for 19 days in January, February, and March, between 2009 and 2012. Based on the statistical analysis (model vs. observation), the more efficient schemes were determined and analyses of the vertical profiles of some variables are shown. As a result, the schemes that most helped the model in rainfall forecasting were MYNN3 (general and north sector of the basin), Bou-Lac (central sector) and Bretherton-Park (southern sector). The model generally overestima...

El Laboratorio de Microfísica Atmosférica y Radiación (LAMAR), implementado en el Observatorio Geofísico de Huancayo del Instituto Geofísico del Perú (IGP) y ubicado en los Andes centrales peruanos, es un recurso esencial para la investigación, monitoreo y generación de capacidades en temas relacionados con la atmósfera y su interacción con la superficie terrestre en los Andes peruanos. LAMAR, establecido con el propósito de generar información que permita comprender los procesos físicos asociados a los eventos meteorológicos extremos, cuenta con una variedad de instrumentos, desde los convencionales hasta los sofisticados, como los radares meteorológicos, los sensores de radiación, precipitación y aerosoles. Los datos generados por LAMAR han contribuido a mejorar el conocimiento sobre los procesos físicos de la atmósfera en los Andes, lo cual ayuda a mejorar los model...

The ability of the WRF-ARW (Weather Research and Forecasting-Advanced Research WRF) model to forecast extreme rainfall in the Central Andes of Peru is evaluated in this study, using observations from stations located in the Mantaro basin and GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) images. The evaluation analyzes the synoptic conditions averaged over 40 extreme event cases, and considers model simulations organized in 4 nested domains. We first establish that atypical events in the region are those with more than 27 mm of rainfall per day when averaging over all the stations. More than 50% of the selected cases occurred during January, February, and April, with the most extreme occurring during February. The average synoptic conditions show negative geopotential anomalies and positive humidity anomalies in 700 and 500 hPa. At 200 hPa, the subtropical upper ridge or “Bol...

A set of instruments to measure several physical, microphysical, and radiative properties of the atmosphere and clouds are essential to identify, understand and, subsequently, forecast and prevent the effects of extreme meteorological events, such as severe rainfall, hailstorms, frost events and high pollution events, that can occur with some regularity in the central Andes of Peru. However, like many other Latin American countries, Peru lacks an adequate network of meteorological stations to identify and analyze extreme meteorological events. To partially remedy this deficiency, the Geophysical Institute of Peru has installed a set of specialized sensors (LAMAR) on the Huancayo observatory (12.04º S, 75.32º W, 3350 m ASL), located in the Mantaro river basin, which is a part of the central Andes of Peru, especially in agricultural areas. LAMAR consists of a set of sensors that are used...