New strategy for monitoring of tropical cyclones and thunderstorms with micro-satellites and ground-based lightning network

We are promoting new project for development of extreme weather, including tropical cyclones and individual thunderstorms, monitoring and alert system in the Philippines in 2017-2021 under international cooperation between Japan, Philippines and other SE-Asian countries supported by JST, JICA and other funds. It has been reported that lightning activity could be a enhanced prior to the typhoon intensity by one or two days. In this project, we make use of two new technologies, that is, the lightning activity estimated by the ground-based lightning networks with 12 sites for VLF radio wave measurement in nation-wide of Philippines and with 50 sites for electrostatic field measurement in Metro Manila together with infrasound sensor and automated weather station, and the 3 dimensional capturing of thunderstorms by the on-demand operation of 50-kg micro-satellites, including the first Philippine-developed satellite, DIWATA-1. We plan to establish a new methodology to obtain very detail semi-real time information of tropical cyclone and thunderstorm activities that cannot be achieved only with conventional observational equipment. Based on these new observations together with advanced radar measurements and drop/radio sondes campaigns, we will try to construct the cutting-edge observation system to monitor the development of tropical cyclones and thunderstorms, which may greatly contribute to the prediction of disasters and the public alerting system.

By the end of March 2017 we started the test observation for lightning at Quezon city, Philippines, Palau and Guam, forming the network for tropical cyclones. We also succeeded in making 3-D cloud structure with telescope and wide angle spectral camera onboard DIWATA-1, achieving high resolution of ten to several meters. Next step is to establish the real-time target pointing operation with micro-satellite based on the last-minute lightning data measured by ground network. Adding to DIWATA-1, three more our satellites, namely, RISESAT, MicroDragon and DIWATA-2 with advanced cameras will be developed and launched in 2018-2019 by our group. In summer typhoon season, drop sonde campaign using airplane in the east side of Philippines will be carried out under collaboration with Nagoya University team. Here we introduce the results of 3-D cloud modeling using images taken by satellite and on the ground together with preliminary lightning analysis, adding to the outline of the whole project.