The course is planned to form master students both from a theoretical and experimental perspective. In the first part, we plan to provide a theoretical background on dynamics and convection and an introduction to ICON model performance over orography. Then, they will be introduced to the theory behind the measuring principles of the ground-based remote sensing instruments used in the campaign: they will familiarize with how the instruments work and will monitor instrument data flow, also performing some preparatory data analysis. Then, during the planned 10 days excursion, they will be involved in the campaign activities and will perform observations themselves. They will choose to be part of a research project that will be prepared during the semester and carried out during the excursion, under the supervision of an advisor.

You will learn theory about the currently most used and modern remote sensing profilers, how to carry out measurements and analyse them in the framework of a measurement campaign. You will also get introduced to the theory of dry and moist processes over orography. Moreover, you will be learning to work in small groups to develop a research project and you will practice writing and summarizing scientific work in written form in English.

6 planned preparatory seminars (hybrid format) Mondays at 14:00 (see dates in the course program), 2 data analysis and group work sessions in which students can work on the observations from the campaign being collected in real time, 10 days excursion (1-10 August 2025) including: visit of measurement sites of the campaign, carry-out of observations, visit to research centers and meteorological agency, and mini-conference on the last day in which students will present their project.

Presentations will count as a module examination together with a poster presentation to be submitted by the end of August. A poster session (also hibrid) will be organized at the Institute for Geophysics and Meteorology in Cologne on Friday 5^th September.

if you are interested in taking this course, please register officially via KLIPS AND send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Then you will receive further information in due time.

Important dates are: 

• 20th March 2025: deadline for registration on KLIPS portal.
• 31st March 2025: deadline for registration if you are not interested in KLIPS and credit points
• Tuesday 15th April 2025: Kick-off meeting with mandatory participation. 
• Friday 8th August 2025: Student conference UIBK (presentations)
• Friday 5th September 2025: Poster session at UoC 

Course program (preliminary)

• Lecture 1 (2h) - 19^th May (Nikki Vercautern) Boundary layers over orography. Introduction to mountain boundary layer and idealised flow regimes: valley and slope wind circulations
• Lecture 2 (2h) - 26^th May (Annika Oertel) ICON (Introduction on ICON, modeling framework, operational NWP model of DWD, skillful operational NWP model, flexibility and powerfulness of modeling framework).
• Lecture 3 (2h) – 2^nd June (Federica Gucci)   Typical wind circulations in mountains and associated measurement and modelling challenges.
• Lecture 4 (3h) – 16^th June (Claudia Acquistapace) Introduction of TEAMx campaign (campaign plan, goals, instruments, observations) proposal of project topics of research (relation between local and synoptic circulation, cloud patterns and cloud types, water vapor and temperature variability in space and time, wind patterns and circulations).
• Lecture 5 (2h) – 23^rd June (Claudia Acquistapace) Ground-based remote sensing instrument overview (ABL profiling instrument introduction, radiosondes, passive and active sensors, microwave radiometer, Doppler wind lidars, cloud radars, micro rain radar, disdrometers, applications i.e. data assimilation, process understanding).
• Hands on (2h) - 30^th June (Daniele Corradini, Claudia Acquistapace, Paula Bigalke) Practical exercise on observations from the sites. Hands on session. Brainstorming on project ideas.
• Lecture 6 (2h) – 7^th July (Claudia Acquistapace) Overview of Geostationary satellite sensors MSG and MTG; which channels, radiances, what we can see, which data products we can use. Groups formation (3/4 groups), project and supervisor assignment.
• Hands on (2h) 14^th July – practical session (Claudia, Daniele, Paula): group work with supervisors, planning for excursion work.
• Excursion and final presentations 1-10^th August (Claudia Acquistapace, Paula Bigalke, Daniele Corradini)
• Report submission and final grading: deadline for report submission 31^st
• Poster session: (2h) 5^th September (tbd), Pohligstrasse 3.

IN PRESENCE: 

Room 4.001 from 14:00 to 17:00

ONLINE: Zoom link 

tps://uni-koeln.zoom.us/j/98685294806pwd=sBwwqoHLWzapCiQrDDmpuInzwygZzR.1

Meeting ID: 986 8529 4806

Observations and analysis planned:

• Radiosonde launching (tbd)
• MWR radiometer scans
• MRR observations setup
• High-resolution model evaluation
• Comparison with MTG satellite data
• Visit to different sites and research facilities

Excursion plan (daily plans might change based on weather conditions)

• Travel by car/train to the site (Friday 1^st August)
• Visit the sites on Ritternhorn: perform scanning with MWR, Radiosonde launching (tbd) (Saturday, Sunday 2-3 August)
• Visit the meteorological agency of Bolzano and EURAC (tbd 4^th August)
• Finalization of projects /work on sites depending on the weather (5-6^th August)
• Transfer to Innsbruck (Wednesday 6^th August late afternoon) (tbd)
• Visit of the Innsbruck university and observation sites in the Inn Valley (Thursday 7^th August) (tbd)
• Student conference (Friday 8^th August, UIBK, tbd)
• Trip back to Cologne (Saturday 9^th August)

Accommodation costs for the excursion are covered for the students taking part in it. We are trying to also cover the costs of travel. More detailed info will be provided in the kickoff mandatory meeting on the 5th May 2025.