CAPE - Convection and Precipitation / Electrification Experiment, 1991

The Convection and Precipitation/Electrification Experiment (CaPE) was conducted in the central Florida region during the period 8 July through 18 August, 1991. The CaPE was a cooperative multi-agency field project sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the United States Air Force (USAF).

The CaPE focused on five main objectives that have been the basis of extensive research activity in recent years: Identification of the relationships among the co-evolving wind, water, and electric fields within convective clouds; determination of the meteorological and electrical conditions in which natural and triggered lightning can (and cannot) occur, and understanding the initiation and propagation of lightning; development of mesoscale numerical forecasts (2-12 hour) of wind, clouds, and thunderstorms, employing data assimilation; improving techniques for performing short period forecasts (nowcasts under 2 hours) of convection initiation, downbursts, and tornadoes; and the characterization of precipitation particles and remote estimation of rainfall.