Desde el 19 de marzo de 2015, se instaló un esfotómetro CIMEL CE-318T en el Observatorio Huancayo, perteneciente al Instituto Geofísico del Perú. Profundidad óptica del aerosol a 440 nm (τ 440) y el Ångström Exponent (α) derivado de la medición del fotómetro solar en aerosol en forma de columna, basado en productos de Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET), se ha utilizado para la clasificación de aerosoles. El conjunto de datos AERONET utilizado corresponde al nivel de calidad 2.0. Una identificación confiable de los eventos de polvo del desierto ha sido posible basada en los parámetros mencionados anteriormente. Se han identificado un total de 5 días y 10 horas como eventos de polvo desértico basados ​​en el conjunto de datos de AERONET y las backtrajectories de masas de aire que emplean el Modelo de Trayectoria Integrada Lagrangiana de Partícula Única Híbrida (HYSPLI...

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...

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, 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. Simulation results show that the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model underestimates rainfall totals in approximately 50–60% of cases. The analysis of two case studies shows that the underestimation by the model is probably due to three reasons: inability to generate convection in the upstream Amazon during early morning hours, limitations on describing mesoscale processes that lead to vertical movements capable of producing extreme rainfall, a...

The work carried out a characterization of tropospheric vertical profiles in rainy and dry seasons by behavior of thermodynamic indices obtained with the WRF model for the period January 2018–March 2019 on the central Andes of Peru and its relationship with rainfall in the region. A case study was also analyzed using sounding observation data. The precipitation observed were taken from 8 meteorological stations located in the Mantaro basin belonging to the National Meteorological Service of Peru. As a results, it was found that the behavior of the thermodynamic parameters responds to the general characteristics of each period. The level of condensation was always higher in the dry period, in which the lower troposphere was also more stable. The KI, TT, Sweat and CAPE indices were always higher in the rainy season, as was water vapor mixing ratio. The vertical shear was mostly higher in...

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 (12.04◦ S, 75.32◦ 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 us...

Sustained and coordinated efforts of lidar teams in Latin America at the beginning of the twenty-first century have built the Latin American Lidar Network (LALINET), the only observational network in Latin America created by the agreement and commitment of Latin American scientists. They worked with limited funding but an abundance of enthusiasm and commitment toward their joint goal. Before LALINET, there were a few pioneering lidar stations operating in Latin America, described briefly here. Biannual Latin American lidar workshops, held from 2001 to the present, supported both the development of the regional lidar community and LALINET. At those meetings, lidar researchers from Latin America met to conduct regular scientific and technical exchanges among themselves and with experts from the rest of the world. Regional and international scientific cooperation has played an important rol...