Millan, Millan M. (CEAM: Center for Environmental Studies of the Mediterranean Sea)
Estrela, Maria J. (same affiliation)
Badenas, Conrado (same affiliation)
The floods, as a result of the torrential rains, are one of the natural risks that more importance have on the western mediterranean basin and specially in the spanish east coast. Although it is difficult to avoid these floods, a good knowledge of the processes that provoke these torrential rains can contribute to the prediction of this events. Besides this, it could prevent the catastrophic effects that these torrential precipitations and these floods have in relation to the numerous damages in the paisaje.
In order to contribute to improve the mechanism of torrential rains forecasting, the CEAM (Center for Environmental Studies of the Mediterranean Sea) is working in a project which is concerned about the meteorological risks forecasting. Its objective is the analysis of the conditions and processes that originate torrential precipitations.
These ones can be explained by the Back Door Front concept, frame of theory which differs from the traditional context in which the study and explanation of torrential rains are being explained. The Back Door Front concept is a mechanism which on its own permits:
a) the development of a potentially unstable mass over the Mediterranean sea and, b) to increase the vorticity as a result of the convective drag which is originated when a cold airmass passes over a very warm Mediterranean sea.
Finally, the trigger of these intense mediterranean cyclogenesis in the spanish east coast are the litoral mountain chains.
Among all different factors which are considered to intervene in this concept, the authors consider that the SST (Sea Surface Temperature) has an important role. The SST is analized by NOAA satellite images due to is the only tecnique that permits obtain a sinoptic vision of this parameter in real time.
In this work the authors present the results in relation to the role that SST has as a water vapor source in these intense Mediterranean cyclogenesis. These conclusions support the validity of the Back Door Front concept in the analysis and forecast of the torrential rains in the western mediterranean basin.