Meteorological mega measurement campaign in the Alps International weather research: TU Braunschweig collects data using a research aircraft

Over the course of 30 flights, TU Braunschweig will use its research aircraft, the “D-ILAB”, to measure wind and turbulence in the Inntal (Austria) and the Etschtal (Germany). As part of an international intensive summer measurement campaign, the aircraft will fly at an altitude of approximately three kilometres, using a special laser-based measurement system to record wind parameters from below the aircraft up to the ground. These data will supplement the measurements taken at stationary stations on the ground to obtain a comprehensive picture of the weather situation for modelling purposes.

From 16 June to 25 July 2025, an international team led by the University of Innsbruck will conduct research into weather conditions in the Alps as part of the “TEAMx Observational Campaign (TOC)”. Scientists will collect comprehensive data from the air and on the ground, focusing particularly on the Inntal and Etschtal, the Sarntal Alps, and the German Alpine foothills. TU Braunschweig will participate in the one-year campaign with its research aircraft, a Cessna F406, from 23 June to 25 July 2025. “The TU Braunschweig team is contributing its many years of experience in meteorological research flight operations to the campaign in order to generate unique scientific data,” says Dr Thomas Feuerle, the campaign manager at TU Braunschweig.

Unpredictable weather in the mountains

Anyone who plans outdoor activities in the mountains in advance is familiar with the fact that the weather there often behaves quite differently from what was forecast. This unpredictability is due, in part, to the complex terrain, which strongly influences air exchange processes. Large-scale and planetary air currents also play a role. A detailed database is needed to better understand exactly how air exchange processes work in the mountains. This should cover events on a very small scale, such as turbulence, as well as regional phenomena, larger weather systems, and global jet streams.

In meteorology, this is referred to as a multi-scale research approach. The international research consortium TEAMx is pursuing this approach as part of a year-long large-scale observation campaign. The aim is to link measurement data from the Alps with large-scale meteorological events.

Better climate models and long-term forecasts

Over 25 institutions and more than 200 scientists are contributing to the successful implementation of the project. This includes scientific teams from various universities and several national and international weather services, who are making their data available.

In the long term, TEAMx aims to improve climate models and forecasts for mountain regions. “In May, reports circulated in the media predicting a hot summer for Europe with widespread record temperatures of 40 degrees. The accuracy of such forecasts for mountain regions in Austria depends on how well the underlying models represent these areas. The same applies to longer-term assessments of severe weather risks. Currently, there is still a lack of relevant data,” says programme coordinator Manuela Lehner, explaining the need for a sound information base. Thus, the issue goes far beyond just the weather forecast for the next hike.

Participating institutions:

Austro Control (Austria), Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol – Office for Meteorology and Avalanche Warning (Italy), BOKU University (Austria), British Antarctic Survey (United Kingdom), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto di metodologie per l’analisi ambientale (Italy), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto di Scienze dell’Atmosfera e del Clima (Italy), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto di Scienze Marine (Italy), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto di Scienze Polari (Italy), DLR – German Aerospace Centre (Germany), DWD – German Weather Service (Germany), Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen (Germany), Eurac Research (Italy), Fondazione Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici (Italy), GeoSphere Austria (Austria), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany), Province of Tyrol – Forest Protection Department (Austria), Leonardo Spa (Italy), Fondazione Links (Italy), Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Germany), Met Office (United Kingdom), MeteoSchweiz (Switzerland), Météo-France (France), National Centre for Atmospheric Science (United Kingdom), Politecnico di Torino (Italy), Scuola Universitaria Superiore Pavia (Italy), Technical University of Braunschweig (Germany), Federal Environment Agency (Germany), Schneefernerhaus Environmental Research Station (Germany), University of Basilicata (Italy), University of Milan (Italy), University of Trento (Italy), University of Bologna (Italy), University of Genoa (Italy), University of Padua (Italy), University of Basel (Switzerland), University of Innsbruck (Austria), University of Vienna (Austria), University of Cologne (Germany), Université Grenoble Alpes (France), University of Bergen (Norway), University of Bath (United Kingdom), University of East Anglia (United Kingdom), University of Leeds (United Kingdom), University of Reading (United Kingdom), University of Virginia (USA)