I was born in Ferrara, Italy in 1975. Doctor in Physics
at the University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy, March 1999 (full-honours).
Dissertation: "Estimate of precipitation intensity by active
and passive sensors".
ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICS GROUP - DEPT. OF PHYSICS - UNIVERSITY OF FERRARA
ISAC-CNR (
Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate of the Italian
National Research Council)
Clouds and Precipitation Group
I was born in Ferrara, Italy in 1975. Doctor in Physics
at the University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy, March 1999 (full-honours).
Dissertation: "Estimate of precipitation intensity by active
and passive sensors".
Doctor of Phylosophy (Ph.D.) at the University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy, February 2004. Thesis (in english): "Reconsideration of the analysis methods and measuring instruments for the raindrops size distributions investigations", 265 pp.
Research activity field: satellite and radar-meteorology, disdrometry.
Computer Skills: Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows, UNIX, Linux. Programming Languages: FORTRAN 77, IDL 5.4, Matlab 7.0.
Language knowledge: English (written, spoken and scientific)
If you want to contact me you can write or phone
to:
Dr. Clelia Caracciolo
e-mail:
caracciolo@fe.infn.it, clelia.caracciolo@libero.it
telephone number : + 39 0532 974 361
fax number :
+ 39 0532 974 210
Dept. of Physics - Univ. of Ferrara - Via Saragat,
1. I-44100 (Italy)
Building C - Room 417 (4th floor)
Current employment
I'm working since 1998 in the Clouds and Precipitation Group directed by Prof. Franco Prodi of the Institute ISAC-C.N.R. in Bologna, where I developed my thesis, and in the Group of Atmospheric Physics at the Department of Physics of the University of Ferrara.
Current research activity
In the degree thesis I worked mainly with the optimisation of precipitation
retrieval techniques, applied at the study of cloudy systems,
with nowcasting approach. For this study we made use
of data from multispectral satellite sensors (VISSR sensor of
the geostationary satellite METEOSAT and microwave sensor, SSM/I,
of the polar satellites) and data from ground meteorological radar.
This multisensor approach has been applied
to precipitation events occurred in Europe. An heavy precipitation
event observed on 14/07/97 by the radar of DLR Oberpfaffenhofen
(near Münich) has been deeply analysed. The combined analysis
has shown the utility and potentiality of two IR techniques for
the precipitation's retrieval (NAW – Negri, Adler Wetzel and CST
– Convective Stratiform Technique), putting the bases for more operative
uses of the same ones at mid latitudes. Moreover it has been shown
that radars combined with SSM/I allows to rebuild the vertical structure
of clouds with more accuracy than the one provided by a single
microwave sensor. The combined use of METEOSAT and SSM/I data for
the detection of the cloud system areas has shown remarkable potentialities
with prevailing applications in areas not covered by radar (ocean,
desert…). Studies about the application and validation of microwave
techniques, for the precipitation's retrieval and studies about
a possible interaction between radar - CST and CST - microwave in
order to improve the techniques of precipitation's retrieval, with
nowcasting approach, are of particular interest.
Cyclone episodes in the Atlantic Ocean and in the Mediterranean were also studied, with special emphasis on those related to convective development and severe thunderstorms leading to severe flood events in Europe, by combining synoptic and satellite data. A systematic climatology was realised, examining five years of events (1992-1996). In this study the potential of the PV (potential vorticity) as a precursor of cyclogenesis in the Mediterranean region was also analyzed, comparing the maximum anomalies of PV at 300 hPa with the geopotential height at low levels (850 hPa).
I also focused my attention on the meteorological phenomena leading to risks for the air navigation, in particular: aircraft icing, wind shear, microburst, gust fronts, thunderstorms, lightning and hail. One of the aim of this work was to analyse the remote sensing techniques for the forecasting of these phenomena in the most advanced countries.
The Ph.D. thesis deals with raindrop size distributions (DSD).
Accurate DSD measurements are of great importance for
a broad spectrum of applications. The DSD and
its moments define the most important integral parameters useful
for the understanding of the microphysical mechanisms responsible
for the precipitation formation. Several studies on the DSD, over
different climatic regions and in different parts of the world, have
been encouraged in the past, from the early work of Marshall and
Palmer (1948) by the different applications of the DSD and variety
of instruments related to the DSD applications.
In the Ph.D. thesis work, the significance
of many of the classical approaches to the DSD analyses was
tested and a reconsideration and an improvement of the existent
DSD models and parameterizations in the different meteorological
conditions in Ferrara (northern Italy in the Po Valley, about 60
Km inland from the Adriatic Sea) were performed, using a Joss
and Waldvogel disdrometer and the Pludix disdrometer installed
at the Dept. of Physics, University of Ferrara. Several different
meteorological events were analyzed. Before focusing on the DSD parameterizations,
case studies of the time variability of the raindrop size distributions
and rainfall integral parameters were analysed for the microphysical
characterization of the Ferrara events, given the total lack of
studies in this area. This aspect also allowed a comparison of the
results of our analyses with many results appeared in literature.
The different DSD measuring instruments are
far from perfect. Moreover, the often contrasting results
obtained between the different instruments diverge the understanding
of the physical processes involved in the DSD and in the rain
formation. Therefore, a detailed intercomparison among the different
instruments and methods utilised for the DSD retrieval are needed.
Another aim of the Ph.D. research was to present an intercomparison
among different disdrometers and therefore to quantify the different
errors that can be identified in their measurements. In particular
the performances of the new dual beam optical spectro-pluviometer
(DBS) and of the optical disdrometer Parsivel , operated
during the DEVEX (Disdrometer Evaluation Experiment) in the months
April-July 2002 in Iowa City (Iowa-U.S.), together with other two
disdrometers (Joss-Waldvogel - JW and a two-dimensional video disdrometer
- 2DVD) were evaluated. This
part of the work was realized in the frame of a collaboration started
with the French research institute CETP, near Paris, at which the
author worked for three months, and the University of Iowa (U.S.).
Most important research projects participation
* E.U. Project "Satellite and combined Radar-Satellite techniques for the Meteorological Forecasting of Flood Events (MEFFE)".Degree Thesis
Caracciolo C., 1998: "Stima dell’intensità di precipitazione con uso di dati da sensori attivi e passivi". Tutors: Prof. F. Prodi and Dott. F. Porcù. University of Ferrara, 100 pp.
Ph.D. Thesis (in english)
Caracciolo C., 2004: "Reconsideration of the analysis methods and measuring instruments for the raindrops size distributions investigation". Tutor: Prof. F. Prodi. University of Ferrara, 265 pp.
Pubblications
Conference Proceedings
1.]
Prodi F., D. Capacci, C. Caracciolo, S.
Natali, F.Porcù
, 1999. Poster Presentation:
ISAO-CNR Contribution to the MEFFE Project
. 4th
ECAM Conference, Sept. 13-17, 1999, Norrköping
,
2.]
Prodi F., F. Porcú
, S. Natali, C. Caracciolo, D.
Capacci, S. Dietrich, A. Mugnai, G. Panegrossi
, F. Marzano, E. Kubista
, W. L. Randeu, P. Simpson, J. Goddard, L.
Schanz , P. Bauer, S. Hacker, S.
Bakan , D. Taurat, C.
Klepp , C. Wunram, J.P.V.
Poiares Baptista, 2000. MEFFE, satellite
and combined satellite-radar techniques in meteorological forecasting for
flood events; research activities and results
. Proceedings of the 13th International
Conference on Clouds and Precipitation, August 14-18, 2000,
3.]
Porcú F., F. Prodi, S. Natali,
D. Capacci, C. Caracciolo, 2000.
Multisensor
analysis of convection in Mediterranean cyclones
.
Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Clouds and Precipitation,
August 14-18, 2000,
4.]
F. Porcù,
F. Prodi, C. Caracciolo, 2001. Multiparametric
radar/ microwaveprecipitation
retrieval.
8th Assembly of the IAMAS (International Association of Meteorology and
Atmospheric Sciences) Conference,
5.]
F. Prodi, F.Porcu'
, S. Natali, C. Caracciolo and D.
Capacci, 2001.
Analysis of two MCS in the
6.]
Caracciolo C., S.
Natali, F. Prodi, A.
Tagliavini, 2002.Comparison of two disdrometers based
on different principles. 27th EGS Conference, Nice (
7.] Caracciolo C.,
Folegani M., Natali S., Prodi F., 2002. Caratterizzazione
stagionale delle precipitazioni in una stazione della Pianura Padana utilizzando
due diversi pluviometri-disdrometri. LXXXVIII SIF (
Societa' Italiana di Fisica) Conference
. Alghero, Sept
. 26-Oct. 1, 2002 .
Pag. 70.
8.]
Golè P., C. Caracciolo, L.Barthes
, J .-Y.Delahaye, J.-P.
Vinson, W.F.
Krajewski, A. Kruger,
W.E.Eichinger,
B.J. Miriovsky,
B.R. Nelson, F.L.
Ogden, J.D.Creutin , J. M.
Lapetite, K.S. Gage
, C. R. Williams, 2003.
Preliminary comparison results of four different types of disdrometer in
the DEVEX experiment
. 28th General Assembly of the EGS (European Geophysical
Society). April 7-11, 2003. Nice,
9.]
Levizzani V. and EURAINSAT participants, 2003.
EURAINSAT: European Satellite Rainfall Analysis and Monitoring at the Geostationary
Scale 1st ACTIF (Achieving Technological Innovation in Flood Forecasting)
Workshop. Novem
. 24-25, 2003. ISAC-CNR, Bologna – Italy.
10.] Caracciolo C.,
F. Prodi, R. Uijlenhoet,
and S. Natali, 2004.
Analysis of Pludix disdrometer performance during the BBC-2 campaign.
Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Clouds and Precipitation.
July 18-23, 2004. ISAC-CNR,
Bologna - Italy. Vol.
2, p. 1052-1055
11.]
Caracciolo C., F. Prodi, A. Battaglia, 2004.
Relationship between the hydrometeor size distribution and cloud microphysical
properties using disdrometric data.
Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Clouds and Precipitation.
July 18-23, 2004. ISAC-CNR,
Bologna - Italy. Vol.
1, p. 499-502
12.]
Casazza M., F.
Prodi, C. Caracciolo, 2005. Migliore definizione
dell’indice di erosività
delle precipitazioni. LXXXXI Congresso Nazionale della Società
Italiana di Fisica (SIF). Sept. 26-Oct. 30,
2005. Catania, Italy.
13.] Caracciolo C., F. Prodi,
M. Casazza 2006.
Atmospheric precipitation analysis using both disdrometric and satellite
data for desertificaton studies.
Proceedings of the European Conference on Radar Meteorology (ERAD) 2006.
14.] Porcù F., D.
Capacci, C. Caracciolo, M. Celano e F.
Prodi, 2006. La stima della precipitazione
. Atti della giornata di studio su “modellistica
e telerilevamento per applicazioni
agrometeorologiche alla difesa delle malattie”, Firenze, 1
6 marzo 2006. Accademia dei Georgofili.
Anno 2006, Serie VIII, Vol. 3, Tomo II,
127-145
15.] Porcu’ F., D.
Capacci , C. Caracciolo, M. Celano, F.
Prodi, S. Dietrich, F.
Di Paola and A. Mugnai, 2006.
Recent perspectives in measuring precipitation: ground and space points
of view. 6th General
Conference of the Society of the
16.]
Orlandini
S., C. Zanchi, A. Dalla
Marta, F.Porcù
, C. Caracciolo, S. Dietrich, E.
Santorelli, C. Cassardo, R.
Bechini, R. Cremonini, M.
Acutis, P. Gallina, 2006. Definizione e
mappatura dell’impatto
idrometeorico per lo studio degli effetti sul suolo
. Convegno AIAM 2006 (9° Convegno Nazionale
di Agrometeorologia e gestione delle
colture agrarie), Torino, Italy ,
June 6-8, 2006.
17.]
Caracciolo C., F. Porcu', F.
Prodi , 2007.Precipitation classification
at mid-latitudes in terms of drop size distribution parameters.
European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2007,
18.]
F. Prodi, F.
Porcù, C. Caracciolo, D. Capacci
, M. Celano, 2007.
Recent perspectives in measuring and estimating precipitation: ground and
space points of view.
IUGG 2007, Perugia (Italy
), July 2-13, 2007.
19.] Caracciolo C.,
F.Porcù
, F. Prodi, M. Napoli, S.
Orlandini, C. Zanchi, S.
Dietrich, 2008.
Precipitation analysis using disdrometric data to evaluate runoff and erosive
processes.
European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2008,
20.]
Caracciolo C., F. Prodi, L. P.
D’Adderio,
21.] G.
Zini , B. Morsiani
, M. Merli, C. Caracciolo, M. Biancardi, 2008
. The
roots of future: first public exhibition of
22.] Caracciolo C., F
. Porcù, L.P.
D’ Adderio, F.
Prodi, 2009.
Analysis of the spatial variability of rain drop size distributions during
rain events .
European geosciences Union General Assembly 2009,
23.] Caracciolo C., F
. Porcù
, L.P. D’Adderio
, F. Prodi, L.
Baldini, E. Gorgucci, 2009.
Radar-disdrometer comparison during rain events over the urban area of
Pubblications on Scientific Journals
1.]
Prodi F., F.
Porcù, S. Natali, C. Caracciolo
and D. Capacci, 2000.
Deep convection in Mediterranean cyclones.
Mediterranean Storms.EGS
2thPlinius Conference on
Mediterranean Storms, October 16-18, 2000,
2.]
Porcú F., C. Caracciolo and
F. Prodi, 2003.
Cloud systems leading to flood events in
3.]
Levizzani V. and EURAINSAT participants,
2004.Precipitation Estimation: from the RAO to
Eurainsat and beyond
. Proceedings of the 2nd MSG-RAO
Meeting,
4.] Krajewski, W.F.
A. Kruger, C. Caracciolo, P. Golé, L.
Barthes, J.-D.
Creutin , J.-Y.
Delahaye , E.I. Nikolopoulos
, F. Ogden, J.-P. Vinson, 2006.DEVEX-Disdrometer
Evaluation Experiment: Basic results and implications for hydrologic studies,
Advances in Water Resources, 29, 311-325.
5.] Caracciolo
C., F. Prodi, A. Battaglia
, F. Porcù, 2006.
Analysis of the moments and parameters of a gamma DSD to infer precipitation
properties; a convective stratiform discrimination algorithm.
Atmospheric Research
,
80 (2-3), 165-186.
6.] Caracciolo
C., F. Prodi and R. Uijlenhoet
, 2006. Comparison between Pludix and impact/optical
disdrometers during rainfall measurement campaigns.
Atmospheric
Research, 82 (1-4), 137-163.
7.] Orlandini S., C.
Zanchi, A. Dalla Marta
, F.Porcù
, C. Caracciolo, S. Dietrich, E.
Santorelli, C. Cassardo, R.
Bechini, R. Cremonini, M.
Acutis, P. Gallina, 2006. Definizione e
mappatura dell’impatto
idrometeorico per lo studio degli effetti sul suolo.
Rivista Italiana di Agrometeorologia
, suppl. n. 1, 116-117.
8.] C. Caracciolo and G. Zini
, 2007. Strumenti meteorologici storici dell'Universita
' di Ferrara. Annali dell'Università degli Studi
di Ferrara, Museologia
Scientifica e Naturalistica.
ISSN 1824-2707, volume 3 (2007), 19 pp
, available on-line at:
http://eprints.unife.it/annali/museologia/vol3.htm
9.]
Caracciolo C., F. Porcù, F.
Prodi, 2008.
Precipitation classification at mid-latitudes in terms of drop size distribution
parameters.
Advances in
Geosciences .
Vol. 16, 11-17
.
10.]
Casazza M.,
F. Prodi, F. Torricella
, C. Caracciolo, E. Santi and A. Piano, 2008.
Contemporary
ground-basedand satellite
precipitating system. characterization
fordesertification
studies in Southern
Italy. Annales
Geophysicae, 26, 1851–1864
11.] C. Caracciolo
and G. Zini, 2009. La meteorologia
in Ferrara dal XVIII al XX secolo.
Annali dell'Università degli Studi di
Ferrara, Museologia Scientifica e Naturalistica.
ISSN 1824-2707, volume 5 (2009), 23 pp
, available on-line at:
http://annali.unife.it/museologia/vol5.htm
12.] C. Caracciolo,
F. Porcù,
F. Prodi, M. Napoli, S.
Orlandini, C. Zanchi, S.
Dietrich , 2009.
Precipitation analysis using disdrometric data to evaluate runoff and erosive
processes.
Submitted to Land Degradation and Development
13.]
C. Caracciolo, F. Prodi,
L. P. D’ Adderio, M.
Gnuffi and E. Lanzinger, 2009
.
Precipitation type and rainfall intensity from the Pludix disdrometer during
the Wasserkuppe campaign
. Submitted
to Atmospheric Research
Book's chapters
1.] Prodi F., Lo Vecchio G., C. Caracciolo, 2001. Storia di Ferrara. Volume I: Territorio e Preistoria. Il clima del territorio ferrarese .Corbo Editore. Pag. 210-226.
Scientific Projects Reports
1.]
Prodi F., F.Porcú
, S. Natali, C. Caracciolo, D. Capacci, S.
Dietrich, A. Mugnai, G.
Panegrossi, F.Marzano
, E. Kubista , W.
L. Randeu, P. Simpson
, J. Goddard
, L. Schanz, P.
Bauer, S. Hacker
, S. Bakan, D.
Taurat, C. Klepp, C.
Wunram, J.P.V.Poiares
Baptista, 2000.
Final report dell’EU Environment and Climate
Programme: MEFFE, satellite and combined satellite-radar techniques in meteorological
forecasting for flood events.
1996-1999.
2.]
Porcù F., F. Prodi, C. Caracciolo,
R. Ferretti, 2001. WP1000 Final
Report del progetto ASI (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana) - IRMA (
InstrumentforRain
Monitoring and Alarm).
Modelli concettuali dei sistemi di precipitazione per l’area europea e
mediterranea . 1999-2001
3.]
Caracciolo C., F. Prodi, A. Battaglia,
F.Porcu’, 2004. EURAINSAT
TechnicalReport No. 12.
Reconsideration of the analysis methods and measuring instruments for the
raindrops size distributions investigation.
2000-2003
4.]
Levizzani
V. and EURAINSAT participants, 2004.Final report of the Project:
EURAINSAT: European Satellite Rainfall Analysis and Monitoring at the Geostationary
Scale.2000-2003
5.]
L. Rossi, G. Pace, S. Natali, S. Mantovani,
M. Folegani, M. Casazza
, C. Caracciolo, 2006. Technical
Report of the RIADE Project. Tecnologie innovative per l’analisi
di variabili climatiche: attività di ricerca per lo sviluppo di metodologie
di analisi di dati pluvio-disdrometrici ed elaborazione
di immagini telerilevate da satelliti meteorologici
e di uso generale per analizzare e modellizzare
le dinamiche climatologiche ed ambientali
di medio e vasto raggio. Pubblicazioni ENEA (Ente
per le Nuove tecnologie, l’Energia e l’Ambiente), ISBN 88-8286-154-6.