Current research topics and overview
This research section was originally established as Division of Severe Storm Research at Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI) in May 1977. In 1996, the research divisions of DPRI were re-organized, and we were re-structured as Section of Severe Storm Research as a section in Division of Atmospheric Disasters. In April 2005, Division of Atmospheric Disasters was re-structured as Research Division of Atmospheric and Hydrospheric Disasters, and our laboratory were re-named as Research Section of Severe Storm and Atmospheric Environment.
This section conducts researches on hazardous meteorological phenomena and atmospheric environment that have spatial scales ranging in micro-, meso- and regional-scales. Focus is placed on extreme weather, such as heavy rainfall and severe wind due to tropical cyclones/typhoons, explosively developing extratropical cyclones, convective storms, tornadoes, and boundary-layer turbulence. Research interests are extended to severe weather phenomena in foreign countries of various climate regions in the world. The assessment of changes of severe storms under future global warming environment is one of our contemporary research issues. We also conduct research in the field of applied meteorology, such as airflows over urban and complex topography, atmospheric transport, desertification, and other environmental problems through collaborating with scientists and engineers in the related research disciplines.
(1) Typhoons dynamics and disasters
Understanding physics and mechanisms for the initiation and development of tropical cyclones/typhoons, and processes related to the transition to extratropical cyclone. Assessing the impacts of typhoons on meteorological disasters.
(2) Severe convective storms and mesoscale meteorology
Understanding the physics and mechanisms for thunderstorms and mesoscale convective weather that generate severe local storms such as heavy rainfall, tornadoes, and downbursts. Assessing the impacts of severe local storms on meteorological disasters.
(3) Boundary-layer processes and microscale meteorology
Basic studies on atmospheric boundary-layer processes and processes related to land-atmosphere interaction and air-sea interaction.
(4) Numerical modeling of mesoscale and microscale processes
Development of computational weather models for atmosphere, ocean/wave, land-surface, and urban district.
(5) Atmospheric environment
Studies on the variability of regional-scale environmental atmosphere for severe weather phenomena, Baiu season, and Asian Monsoon. Transport processes and dynamics of atmospheric pollutant in urban-to-regional scale for microscale airflow and air-quality prediction.
(6) Assessment of meteorological hazard under changing climate
Analysis and numerical modeling of severe weather phenomena under future changing climate.