Use of remote sensing via satellite in the identification of tornado damage paths in a severe weather event in Rio Grande do Sul

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5902/2179460X55309

Keywords:

Tornadoes, Damage tracks, Remote sensing

Abstract

The number of tornado reports in Brazil has increased in recent years; nevertheless, it is likely that many occurrences over uninhabited areas and/or during night time hours remain unconfirmed, especially in a country devoid of official surveys of damage caused by intense winds. This work follows previous initiatives addressing the employment of remote sensing via satellite to identify damage paths associated with tornadoes. The nocturnal event analyzed in this study took place in north-northeast Rio Grande do Sul state from the night hours of 7 June 2017 into early morning hours of the following day, and represents an example of the characterization of significant damage caused by tornadoes despite the lack of visual confirmation of the phenomenon. Images produced by low-orbit environmental satellites of the Landsat and Sentinel series are analyzed, as well as imagery made available by the commercial-purpose environmental satellites that comprise the data base of Google Earth software. To aid in the identification of damage inflicted to dense vegetation, the web tools Global Florest Change and Global Florest Watch, which employ objective methods to detect abrupt modifications in the vegetation cover, are also utilized. Based on these products, it was possible to identify seven tornado damage tracks for the nocturnal event of June 2017, ratifying the value added by remote sensing products in the confirmation of tornadic episodes.

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Author Biographies

Murilo Machado Lopes, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS

Bacharel em Meteorologia pela Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (2017) e Mestre em Meteorologia através do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Meteorologia da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (2020). Atualmente é doutorando em Meteorologia no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Meteorologia da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria.

Ernani de Lima Nascimento, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS

Professor Associado dos Programas de Graduação e Pós-Graduação em Meteorologia da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM). É graduado em Meteorologia pela Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), com Especialização em Previsão do Tempo e Clima também pela UFRJ, Mestrado em Meteorologia pela Universidade de São Paulo, e Doutorado em Meteorologia pela University of Oklahoma (EUA). Desenvolveu atividades de Pós-Doutorado junto à Divisão de Previsão de Tempo Imediata do Météo-France (Toulouse/França) entre abril de 2007 e setembro de 2008, e junto ao Centro di Eccellenza di Telerilevamento e Modellistica Numerica per la Previsione di Eventi Severi (L´Aquila-Roma/Itália) entre abril 2013 e março 2014. Sua área de atuação acadêmico-científica é em Ciências Atmosféricas, com ênfase em Meteorologia de Mesoescala, abordando principalmente os tópicos: (i) dinâmica da convecção; (ii) tempestades convectivas locais, vendavais e tornados; (iii) sistemas de observação meteorológica em mesoescala; (iv) sistemas sinóticos subtropicais; (v) circulações atmosféricas locais. É orientador de Mestrado e Doutorado, já tendo concluído a orientação de sete Mestres e de dois Doutores em Meteorologia.

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Published

2020-09-25

How to Cite

Lopes, M. M., & Nascimento, E. de L. (2020). Use of remote sensing via satellite in the identification of tornado damage paths in a severe weather event in Rio Grande do Sul. Ciência E Natura, 42, e8. https://doi.org/10.5902/2179460X55309

Issue

Vol. 42 (2020): Special : II ENCONTRO DE METEOROLOGIA DO ESTADO DE SC

Section

Short and Very Short Term Forecast

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