Go to the University of Bologna homepage
Department of Physics and Astronomy “Augusto Righi” – DIFA

Microphysical Processes

Areas: Atmospheric physics

Study of the microphysical structure of solid precipitation over Antarctica, with the aim to improve estimation algorithms based on active microwave sensors’ data.

Ice crystals collected in Antarctica

Analysis and estimates of precipitation rate by measuring power attenuation between backhaul antennas of mobile phone networks, to achieve high spatiotemporal resolution maps in an opportunistic way.

Comparison between Commercial Microwave Links (CML) precipitation estimates (b, f) and reference fields (a, e) (Roversi et al., 2020)

Experimental study of the efficacy of solid and liquid hydrometeors in aerosol scavenging, by means ofdisdrometric data and aerosol optical particles counters. 

Parsivel2 disdrometer (right) and aerosol optical particles counters (OPC; on the left) on the DIFA rooftop

Research of cloud structures of the thunderclouds that produce Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGF) through multiplatform data analysis.

GCO-DPR Reflectivity vertical cross-section of a TGF producing thundercloud, with microwave brightness temperature profiles (Tiberia et al., 2021)

DIFA Members

Erika Brattich

Senior assistant professor (fixed-term)

Federico Porcù

Associate Professor

Scientific collaborations:

  • ARPA Emilia Romagna, Bologna, 
  • NASA-GSFC Greenbelt, USA 
  • University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MA, USA
  • ISAC-CNR, Bologna e Roma, 
  • Dipartimento della Protezione Civile

Funding:

  • EU-FP7,
  • PNRA,
  • UniBo,
  • EUMETSAT,
  • H2020