EUREC⁴A takes place in the trades, a region that is named after its strong near-surface winds. The trade-winds are important because they define the inflow branches of the large-scale Hadley circulation. They also modulate ocean currents and upwelling, turbulent fluxes at the ocean surface and sea surface temperatures, which are all crucial for atmospheric processes including clouds and convection.

The trade-winds in turn can be modulated by clouds and convection, via momentum transport, or via cloudiness and the surface energy fluxes, which regulate turbulence near the surface. These processes may act to slow down large-scale winds - the theme of another EU-funded project (CloudBrake). Because the trade-winds are not only strong, but also relatively steady (compared to mid-latitude winds) the trades are the ideal location for renewable energy. Yet renewable energy development on Caribbean islands such as Barbados is behind its potential.

EUREC⁴A-Wind brings together investigators from different institutes to promote a better understanding of the coupling of winds, convection and clouds and their importance for weather and climate prediction. Additionally, EUREC⁴A-Wind tackles the lack of wind profile and wind flux measurements over open ocean by designing strategies for ground-based and airborne wind lidar measurements, which will also be used to validate the upcoming Aeolus mission by ESA (the first wind lidar from space). Finally, EUREC⁴A-Wind hopes to foster collocated wind, cloud and solar radiation measurements to address offshore renewable energy potential.

Conjointly with the EUREC⁴A community on (high-resolution) modeling, a workshop on these topics will be organized taking place early 2019 (one year preceding EUREC⁴A). More details will follow. If you are interested, and would like to be kept up to date with our activities, please contact one of the below investigators.

PIs/Contact:

• Louise Nuijens - Delft University of Technology, email: louise.nuijens@we dont want spamtudelft.nl
• Oliver Reitebuch - German Aerospace Center
• Irina Sandu - European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
• Cyrille Flamant and Julien Delanoë - Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales
• Dave Winker - NASA
• Dave Emmit - Simpson Weather Associate Inc