Case Studies

Understanding Medicanes Through Case Studies

To comprehensively understand what medicanes are and how they behave, scientists turn to the analysis of single studies. These detailed examinations of individual medicanes help us understand their unique characteristics and how they form and evolve. By analyzing various cases, researchers can identify patterns and differences that are crucial for improving our knowledge and forecasting abilities.

Why Case Studies Matter

Diverse Influences: Medicanes are influenced by different processes, such as diabatic (related to latent heat released by vapour condensation) and baroclinic (related to the interaction between upper-level disturbances and low-level temperature gradients) mechanisms. Each medicane can show different traits depending on these influences.

Warm Core Development: All medicanes develop a warm core, similar to tropical cyclones. However, the mechanisms responsible for the warm core generation can be different (diabatic processes vs warm seclusions developing in the mature stage of extratropical cyclones). Case studies help us discriminate the nature of the different cyclones.

Nuanced Evolution: By examining individual cases, scientists can note subtle differences in how medicanes evolve, both in terms of low-level (air-sea interaction) and upper-level (e.g., presence of a nearby jet streak) features. This can include changes in their structure, intensity, and impact.

Creating a Comprehensive Overview

To provide a detailed picture, MEDICANES project compiles information on medicanes from 2003 to 2024. This includes:

  • Name of the Cyclone
  • Region of Formation and Development
  • Dates of Cyclogenesis (formation) and Dissipation (ending)
  • Scientific References
  • Specific Features (Characteristics that show tropical-like features)

    • Data Sources

    Researchers use a variety of data sources to gather this information, including:

  • Reanalysis Data: Historical weather gridded data analyzed to create a comprehensive picture of past weather events.
  • Satellite Observations: Visible and infrared satellite channels provide images and data on cloud structure and cyclone symmetry.
  • SAR and Scatterometers: Tools for measuring wind speeds and patterns.
  • Additional Observations: Surface observations, ocean data, radar data, proximity radiosoundings, and trajectory data enhance the overall understanding of each cyclone.

    • A first draft table based on Mediterranean storms of interest (but not necessarily medicanes) co-located with Sentinel-1 acquisitions is provided below.

    By systematically studying these cases, we can better understand medicanes, improve their predictability by using numerical models, and ultimately help mitigate the impact of these potentially destructive storms

    Finally, data relevant for social studies, such as the number of fatalities, injured people, damage cost, will be included, if available, and will provide a relevant piece of information for impact studies.