The variability of water vapour and pre-convective conditions over the mountainous island of Corsica

Comprehensive measurements were carried out on the mountainous island of Corsica during the Hydrological cycle in the Mediterranean Experiment (HyMeX) field campaign in 2012. Using data from an operational GPS network, radiosondes and microwave radiometers, we studied the spatio-temporal variability of integrated water vapour (IWV) and convection-related parameters in the pre-convective environment over the island. The following spatial differences in the IWV evolution occurred frequently. In the interior of the island the IWV strongly increased around noon, while on the upstream coast only small variations were observed. We showed that a transport of water vapour with thermally driven circulations and the formation of elevated humidity layers due to advective venting caused the diurnal IWV variation over and downstream of the mountains. Spatial inhomogeneities in the pre-convective atmospheric conditions evolved and the knowledge of these turned out to be crucial to understanding the timing and location of isolated deep convection over the island.