The Sahel zone is a climatological hotspot, as it represents the interface between the moist equatorial and dry sub-tropics and is particularly vulnerable to even small shifts in the Hadley circulation.  

The team is currently initiating a pilot field campaign in Dakar, Senegal, in collaboration with Senegalese partners at the University of Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar. The aim of the field study is to set up a high temporal and spatial resolution ground-based meteorological measurement network in Dakar and East of Dakar. The study seeks to obtain detailed measurements of mesoscale convective systems (MCS) as they approach Dakar (usually from the east) under prevailing winds. A particular focus is on the cold pool gust fronts associated with MCS for which 1-min temporal resolution is required, as well as soil moisture measurements at several depths below ground. The ambition is to obtain unprecedented information on the crosstalk between rainfall, cold pools, and soil moisture memory during at least one monsoonal season in the Sahel.