Mountain Wave Project
Encyclopedia
The Mountain Wave Project (MWP) pursues global scientific research of gravity wave
s and associated turbulence. MWP seeks to develop new scientific insights and knowledge through high altitude and record seeking glider flights with the goal of increasing overall flight safety and improving pilot training.
founded the MWP, a project for global classification, research, and analysis of orographically created wind structures (e.g. Chinook, Foehn, Mistral, Zonda). The MWP is an independent non-profit-project of the Scientific and Meteorological Section of the Organisation Scientifique et Technique du Vol à Voile
(OSTIV) and is supported by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
(FAI).
The MWP was originally focused on achieving better understanding. of the complex thermal
and dynamic air movements in the atmosphere
, and using that knowledge to achieve ever greater long distance soaring flights. As MWP gained greater awareness of the power inherent to mountain wave-like structures in the atmosphere, and their strong vertical airflows, it became obvious that they presented great dangers to civil aviation in multiple ways. Therefore, the focus of the MWP shifted to a more scientific approach to the airflow phenomena, with the goal of discovering new ways to increase overall aviation safety. Through the support of other scientists and cooperation partners the core group became more powerful and gained greater depth of knowledge. The integration of Joerg Hacker from the Airborne Research Australia (ARA) into the core group significantly enhanced the overall depth of knowledge of the group.
(DLR) and by astronaut Ulf Merbold
.
Thanks to the help of qualified scientists and state-of-the-art sensor technology, the MWP achieved its goal to gather and analyze wave structure data with impressive results at the operation in Mendoza in October 2006. Research flights and operations were completed in the region between the Tupungato
(5.700 m) and Aconcagua
(6.900m), which is very well known for its extremely treacherous turbulence.
further developed and expanded on the knowledge about wave systems gained in the Andes in 1999, and accumulated a wealth of experience. This educational process allowed him to win the OSTIV Kuettner Prize for the first 2000 km straight out wave flight, as well as completing the world's longest recorded soaring flight of 3,008 km. He was supported by his MWP teammates in Germany using internet communications to provide specific weather predictions using a new weather forecasting tool. In these flights, he provided crucial in-flight data, which in turn helped to improve subsequent weather predictions by the team in Germany.
Two MWP members participated in the 2006 field research campaign of the Terrain Induced Rotor Experiment (T-REX) which took place in the Sierra Nevada (U.S.A.). René Heise served as scientific reviewer for the National Science Foundation and contributed MWP wave forecasts to the data archive. Wolf-Dietrich Herold documented activities in Boulder/CO and Bishop/CA and produced a TV-report of the project for the German TV station RBB.
Gravity wave
In fluid dynamics, gravity waves are waves generated in a fluid medium or at the interface between two media which has the restoring force of gravity or buoyancy....
s and associated turbulence. MWP seeks to develop new scientific insights and knowledge through high altitude and record seeking glider flights with the goal of increasing overall flight safety and improving pilot training.
Motivation
Wind movement over terrain and ground obstacles can create wavelike wind formations which can reach up to the stratosphere. In 1998 the pilots René Heise and Klaus OhlmannKlaus Ohlmann
Klaus Ohlmann, born 1952 in Neustadt, Germany is a German glider pilot who has established 36 world records approved by FAI. Among these is the record for a free distance flight with up to 3 turn-points by flying 3,009 km from Chapelco Airport at San Martín de los Andes in a Schempp-Hirth Nimbus 4...
founded the MWP, a project for global classification, research, and analysis of orographically created wind structures (e.g. Chinook, Foehn, Mistral, Zonda). The MWP is an independent non-profit-project of the Scientific and Meteorological Section of the Organisation Scientifique et Technique du Vol à Voile
Organisation Scientifique et Technique du Vol à Voile
Organisation Scientifique et Technique du Vol à Voile is a body associated with the FAI Gliding Commission . The FAI IGC oversees the sport of gliding worldwide and is a department of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale ....
(OSTIV) and is supported by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles...
(FAI).
The MWP was originally focused on achieving better understanding. of the complex thermal
Thermal
A thermal column is a column of rising air in the lower altitudes of the Earth's atmosphere. Thermals are created by the uneven heating of the Earth's surface from solar radiation, and are an example of convection. The sun warms the ground, which in turn warms the air directly above it...
and dynamic air movements in the atmosphere
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
, and using that knowledge to achieve ever greater long distance soaring flights. As MWP gained greater awareness of the power inherent to mountain wave-like structures in the atmosphere, and their strong vertical airflows, it became obvious that they presented great dangers to civil aviation in multiple ways. Therefore, the focus of the MWP shifted to a more scientific approach to the airflow phenomena, with the goal of discovering new ways to increase overall aviation safety. Through the support of other scientists and cooperation partners the core group became more powerful and gained greater depth of knowledge. The integration of Joerg Hacker from the Airborne Research Australia (ARA) into the core group significantly enhanced the overall depth of knowledge of the group.
Airborne measurements
In order to learn more about the relevant physical process in the atmosphere, the MWP Team launched two expeditions in the Argentinean Andes in 1999 and 2006. For high altitude flights a modified Stemme S10 VT motorglider was used as a platform for airborne data acquisition and measurement. The pilots were assisted with life support equipment and physiological preparations by the renowned flight physicians of the German Aerospace CenterGerman Aerospace Center
The German Aerospace Center is the national centre for aerospace, energy and transportation research of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has multiple locations throughout Germany. Its headquarters are located in Cologne. It is engaged in a wide range of research and development projects in...
(DLR) and by astronaut Ulf Merbold
Ulf Merbold
Dr. Ulf Dietrich Merbold is the first West German citizen and second German native to have flown in space. He is also the first member of the European Space Agency Astronaut Corps to participate in a spaceflight mission. He holds the distinction of being the first non-US citizen to reach orbit in...
.
Thanks to the help of qualified scientists and state-of-the-art sensor technology, the MWP achieved its goal to gather and analyze wave structure data with impressive results at the operation in Mendoza in October 2006. Research flights and operations were completed in the region between the Tupungato
Tupungato
Tupungato, one of the highest mountains in South America, is a massive stratovolcano dating to Pleistocene times. It lies on the border between the Chilean Metropolitan Region and the , near a major international highway about 80 km east of Santiago, Chile. It is located about south of Monte...
(5.700 m) and Aconcagua
Aconcagua
Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Americas at . It is located in the Andes mountain range, in the Argentine province of Mendoza and it lies west by north of its capital, the city of Mendoza. The summit is also located about 5 kilometres from San Juan Province and 15 kilometres from the...
(6.900m), which is very well known for its extremely treacherous turbulence.
Record flights
Between 2000 and 2004 MWP team member Klaus OhlmannKlaus Ohlmann
Klaus Ohlmann, born 1952 in Neustadt, Germany is a German glider pilot who has established 36 world records approved by FAI. Among these is the record for a free distance flight with up to 3 turn-points by flying 3,009 km from Chapelco Airport at San Martín de los Andes in a Schempp-Hirth Nimbus 4...
further developed and expanded on the knowledge about wave systems gained in the Andes in 1999, and accumulated a wealth of experience. This educational process allowed him to win the OSTIV Kuettner Prize for the first 2000 km straight out wave flight, as well as completing the world's longest recorded soaring flight of 3,008 km. He was supported by his MWP teammates in Germany using internet communications to provide specific weather predictions using a new weather forecasting tool. In these flights, he provided crucial in-flight data, which in turn helped to improve subsequent weather predictions by the team in Germany.
Two MWP members participated in the 2006 field research campaign of the Terrain Induced Rotor Experiment (T-REX) which took place in the Sierra Nevada (U.S.A.). René Heise served as scientific reviewer for the National Science Foundation and contributed MWP wave forecasts to the data archive. Wolf-Dietrich Herold documented activities in Boulder/CO and Bishop/CA and produced a TV-report of the project for the German TV station RBB.
Programming objectives
- Detection and determination of physical processes in the atmosphere, and their associated synoptic characteristics, which play the primary role in the generation and development of mountain waves.
- Investigation of rotor bands: determination of their location, spatial extension and classification of associated turbulence
- High resolution measurement of relevant meteorological variables (e.g., potential temperature, turbulence parameters, vertical and horizontal wind, humidity, etc.)
- Visualisation of the rotors/regions of turbulence with a GeoInformationService (GIS).
- Statistical analysis of wave flights (IGC-files of GPS flight loggers) to develop an empirical GIS-based representation of wave and rotor locations
- Verification of mesoscale forecast models and fine tuning of the applied parameterisations
- Application of the acquired data, scientific results, and prediction tools to enhance the safety and effectiveness of air traffic route planning, and improve pilot training. Furthermore, assisting in the development and creation of focused training methodology, tools and simulator scenarios.
Expeditions
- Argentina’99: Base San Martín de los AndesSan Martín de los Andes-References:* - Official website.-External links:*...
(Argentina); some flights above 1,000 km, a record flight (1,550 km) of Klaus Ohlmann up to Fireland (Rio Grande), the southernmost glider flight in the World - SerresSerresSerres is a city in Greece, seat of the Serres prefecture.Serres may also refer to:Places:* Serres, Germany, a part of Wiernsheim in Baden-WürttembergIn France:* Serres, Aude in the Aude département...
(France) & JacaJacaJaca is a city of northeastern Spain near the border with France, in the midst of the Pyrenees in the province of Huesca...
(Spain) 2003: Measurement flights of southerly wave conditions in Provence, additionally wave flights under stormy weather conditions in the Lee of PyreneesPyreneesThe Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain... - Operation Mendoza 2006: Base Plumerillo (Argentina); Measurement Campaign at invitation of the Argentine Air ForceArgentine Air ForceThe Argentine Air Force is the national aviation branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic. , it had 14,606 military and 6,854 civilian staff.-History:...
, Flights with BATprobe up to 12,500 m height over the cordillera of the Tupungato-Aconcagua region. - Tibet 2010- site visit: Presentation of the MWP field campaign in LhasaLhasaLhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
Exploration of emergency landing strips along the route ShigatseShigatseShigatse is a county-level city and the second largest city in Tibet Autonomous Region , People's Republic of China, with a population of 92000, about southwest of Lhasa and northwest of Gyantse...
- TingriTingriTingri or Dingri or Dhingri is a town in southern Tibet. It is in Tingri County, Shigatse Prefecture with a population of around 523...
Project results
- Development of an operational lee wave forecast in co- operation with the Bundeswehr Geo Information Service and the German Weather ServiceGerman Weather ServiceThe Deutscher Wetterdienst, , commonly abbreviated as DWD, , residing in Offenbach am Main, Germany, is a scientific agency that monitors weather and meteorological conditions over Germany and offers weather services for the general public as well as specific services for e.g. nautical, aviational...
). - Global and Regional Assessment Tool for wave activities and the risk of turbulence. This experimental forecast tool is used especially with a combination of a relocatable mesoscale models for the regions of Antarctica, Hindukush/ Tian Shan, Kamchatka, Sierra Nevada and Tibet.
- First scientific measurement flights of turbulence over the Andes. Validation of airborne measurements of the parameters- wind, temperature, moisture and pressure in combination with soundations (TEMP) and vertical satellite measurements (Radio-Occultation, Remote Sensing with GPS)
- Cataloging of over 200 global positions of Rotor-Wave systems, and their visualiziation in a Geographical Informations System (GIS); Analyzing of accidents and incidents due to mountain wave turbulence in the commercial and general aviation
- Development of a mathematical and statistical algorithms to filter wave climbs in GNSS-flight recorder data, using for an optimization of record flights
- Aviation Highlights: record flight to Rio Grande in Tierra del Fuego (MWP-Argentina `99); World Record Flight (FAI Category Free Distance) 2.120 km (OSTIV Kuettner Prize)
- High altitude physiology preparations and recommendations for pilots (Human Factors)
GEO-TV features
- 2003 RBB - Rodeo in the Sky - Research for greater flight safety/Rodeo am Himmel - Forschung für mehr Flugsicherheit (45 min; German/English)
- 2007 ARTE 360° GEO- documentation The Waveriders of the Andes/Die Windreiter der Anden/Les Enragés du vol à voile (45min; German/French)
External links
- Mountain Wave Project- official website
- Website at MetPanel of OSTIV
- FAI World Records - Class D (Gliders)
- FAA-Seminar: Where Wild Winds Rule - Mountain Wave Flying Training
- Mountain Wave Project - Website of the MWP at MetPanel of OSTIV
- Scientific TV-feature about MWP site visit in Tibet 2010 at German Channel 3sat retrieved 2011-04-18
- Air Safety Week Vol.20, No.14, April 3, 2006
- Gliding & Motorgliding International Dec 12, 2000
- Frankfurter Zeitung vom 7. April 2010: Auf der perfekten Welle (On the perfect Wave)
- Tagesspiegel vom 14. Mai 2007 Tödliche Turbulenzen (Deadly Turbulence)
- Spiegel vom 16. Oktober 2006 Expressaufwind aus Sturmwinden (Express-Lift from Storm Winds)
- SpektrumDirekt - Wissenschaft online retrieved 2002-11-07
- The SMA Jeff Myers Young Investigators Award- Finalists; Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, Vol. 82, No. 8, August 2011 retrieved 2011-08-14