The Analysis Group on Climate Change, Meteorological Hazards and Inputs to the Mediterranean Hydrological System (CLIMAMET) carries out two types of activities: research and scientific-technical assistance to the public administration.
Within the research activity, CLIMAMET works on three scientific lines:
- Climate change analysis.
- The study of meteorological hazards.
- The examination of new inputs to the hydrological system.
The first of these focuses on the analysis of the spatio-temporal variability of air temperature and precipitation, as well as other climatic elements, with emphasis on the Valencian territory and the Mediterranean area. The research carried out by members of the group on the changes observed in air temperature in the Valencian Community by means of statistical downscaling techniques, or the climatic trends in precipitation according to its typology, stand out for their pioneering nature.
The group has extensive experience in the monitoring of temperature and precipitation variables, using surface and satellite data, and their short- and medium-term forecasting, as well as the analysis and forecasting of extreme events, with cross-comparisons between statistical and mesoscale models, and observed and satellite data of great importance in meteorological hazard studies. This is done using advanced techniques in reconstruction-homogenisation of observed data, remote sensing, modelling and prediction.
The second line of research focuses on the analysis of the causes and dynamic processes that control meteorological hazard situations in the western Mediterranean basin, with the aim of helping to improve the prediction of three of them: torrential rainfall, extreme temperatures and forest fires. The group counts on tools (change mapping, impact indices and forecasts) to improve the management of the effects of climate change in the IMB and of extreme event warning systems, for the activation of social and environmental intervention protocols.
And the third scientific line is about analysing new inputs to the hydrological system, specifically the contribution of fog water and potential environmental uses.
These lines of research find support in the scientific infrastructure available to CLIMAMET, specifically in the presence of a series of meteorological sensors supported, in part, by the Network of meteorological towers of the Centre for Environmental Studies of the Mediterranean Foundation (CEAM), and in the spatial data management tools available in the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Laboratory of the Department of Geography. The generation of meteorological databases is essential for climate studies, as well as for feeding the RAMS (Regional Atmospheric Modelling System) meteorological model, adapted to Mediterranean conditions by the group's researchers and used to support weather hazard forecasting.
CLIMAMET has extensive experience in providing scientific and technical assistance to the public administration. In fact, before the creation of the CLIMAMET group, its members, led by María José Estrela (Director of this group), made up the research team of the Joint Unit Climatology Laboratory CEAM_UV, which actively participated in assisting the public administration. Of particular note is the design and management since 2006 of the "Operational prediction of hazard levels due to heat waves in the Valencian Community" programme for the Regional Ministry of Health, as well as, since 2007, the "Data validation service of the ultraviolet B radiation measurement network and optimisation of UVI level prediction processes in the Valencian Community" for the Conselleria de Territori y Habitatge of the Valencian Government. Subsequently, as the CLIMAMET Research Group (GIUV2014-209), it has continued to provide assistance to the administration, specifically to the Conselleria de Medi Ambient, agua, Urbanisme i Habitatge with a "Study to obtain fog water for the provision of watering places for native fauna in the Muela de Cortes hunting reserve". In turn, the Group's director Dr. Estrela is a member of the Committee of Experts on Climate Change of the Valencian Government.
CLIMAMET is a multidisciplinary Research Group with the participation of researchers from different fields such as Physical Geography, Climatology, Atmospheric Physics, and Hydrology, with objectives around common lines of research. Participating as members of CLIMAMET are Dr. María José Estrela (Director), Dr. Javier Miró, Dr. Alejandro Pérez Cueva and Dr. Ana Camarasa, all of them from the Department of Geography of the UV; Dr. Vicente Caselles and Dr. Raquel Niclós from the Department of Earth Physics and Thermodynamics of the UV. The collaborating researchers are Dr. Igor Gómez Assistant Professor at the University of Alicante, Dr. José Antonio Valiente and Dr. Francisco Pastor Senior Researchers at the CEAM Foundation.
- Spatio-temporal variability of temperature, precipitation and other climatic elements in the Mediterranean.
- Climate change (trends in temperature and precipitation on the Mediterranean side of the Iberian Peninsula).
- Generation of real-time temperature maps using MSG imagery and development of remote sensing and remote sensing techniques to improve the observational capacity of the climate system.
- Factors and dynamic processes controlling meteorological hazard situations in the western Mediterranean basin.
- Forecasting and monitoring of the most important meteorological hazards affecting the Valencian Community (torrential rainfall, heat waves, forest fires).
- Sea water temperature and its relation to Mediterranean cyclogenesis (torrential rainfall)
- Inputs from the hydrological system (quantification of fog water).
- Climate change
This line of research aims to study the spatio-temporal variability of temperature and precipitation, as well as other climatic elements, in the context of the theory of climate change in a vulnerable area such as the Mediterranean, with special emphasis on the Valencian territory.
- Meteorological hazards
This line covers the analysis, using numerical modelling, remote sensing and climate data, of the dynamic factors and processes that trigger meteorological hazards (torrential rains, forest fires and extreme temperatures) in the Mediterranean, in order to improve their prediction.
- Remote sensing techniques for validation and evaluation of LST algorithms and products
Improvement and adaptation of LST algorithms for various satellites, mainly MSG-SEVIRI, EOS-MODIS, and ENVISAT-AATSR. Design and development of angular field radiometry systems.
- Inputs to the hydrological system
In a scenario of reduced precipitation in the Mediterranean expected for the 21st century, this pioneering line of research studies other water inputs to the hydrological system. The group is working on the analysis of hidden precipitation from fog water and its potential applications.
- Remote sensing and remote sensing techniques
Development of remote sensing and remote sensing techniques to improve the observational capacity of the climate system.
- ESTRELA NAVARRO, MARIA JOSE
- PDI-Catedratic/a d'Universitat
- CASELLES MIRALLES, VICENTE
- PDI-Catedratic/a d'Universitat
- PEREZ CUEVA, ALEJANDRO
- PDI-Catedratic/a d'Universitat
- CAMARASA BELMONTE, ANA
- PDI-Catedratic/a d'Universitat
- Director/a de Departament
Contributors
- Francisco Pastor Guzmán - Mediterranean Centre for Environmental Studies (Valencia)
- José Antonio Valiente Pardo - Mediterranean Centre for Environmental Studies (Valencia)
Blasco Ibáñez Campus
Av. Blasco Ibáñez, 28
46010 València (Valencia)
- ESTRELA NAVARRO, MARIA JOSE
- PDI-Catedratic/a d'Universitat
