NetFAM news
Thank you!
NetFAM 2005-2009
NetFAM's final report for the extension period 2008-2009 was sent in a letter to NordForsk today. This concludes the five years of successfull networking within the Nordic Network on Fine-Scale Atmospheric Modelling. Thanks to NordForsk for funding us all these years, thanks to all participants for making the success possible! Our site with all the resources will remain here at least during the year 2010, perhaps later moving to the server of our successor MUSCATEN at http://muscaten.ut.ee.
29.3.2010
Seasons Greetings 2009-2010
Modis Terra satellite 17 Dec 2009
The last year of NetFAM is almost over, again with many successful activities behind us. We have used all the money NordForsk has provided us: for exchange visits, two workshops, two practical courses, communication and exchange of information. NetFAM web page has continued growing this year. It will stay frozen at least for the year 2010, hopefully providing a valuable archive of the materials and results gained during the project. Thanks to all partners for the hard work during all the five years, which allow us to report real achievents and look forward for continued cooperation in the framework of MUSCATEN and other projects and networks!
18.12.2009
MUSCATEN got a web site
A new web page of MUSCATEN is now available at Tartu university server: muscaten.ut.ee. Please find information about the coming MUSCATEN-NetIce workshop on modelling of atmosphere-snow-ice interactions 24-26 March, 2010 in Kuopio, Finland and other news there.
25.9.2009
MUSCATEN received NordForsk funding for 2010-2012
Rein Rõõm, the coordinator of an application with the project title
"Towards Multi-scale Modelling of the Atmospheric Environment
(MUSCATEN)", informed that this network project has been chosen to
receive a grant from Nordic Research Board for the next three
years. NetFAM's congratulations! Our partners have been active in
setting up MUSCATEN, which may use the results by NetFAM 2005-2009 as
a starting point for new activities and achievements.
2.7.2009
NetFAM status on Midsummer
Both main workshops of 2009 have been successfully held and the presentations found at the NetFAM workshop page. The first NetFAM workshop was held in January 2005 and concentrated on clouds and condensation. Now, almost five year ago, our final workshop covered the same topic. Comparison of the presentations and discussion notes given in these two events gives an impression of the progress made during these years, and the contribution NetFAM researchers have made to it. Perhaps the most important is that during these years, NetFAM has provided a forum for discussion on this and other aspects of the fine resolution atmospheric modelling, bringing together not only the members of the network but representatives of the wider European and North American atmospheric modelling community. The NetFAM web pages aim at archiving materials related to this collaboration and providing a resource for further developments, hopefully available even after NetFAM will complete its work in the end of 2009.
23.6.2009
Workshops 2009
A joint NetFAM COST-ES0207 Workshop on "Usage of local,
micrometeorological and remote-sensing observations for
data-assimilation and validation of mesoscale atmospheric models"
will take place in Oslo, 16-20 March 2009.
A workshop on "Moist processes
in future high resolution NWP models" will be arranged during June
15-17, 2009 in Norrköping, Sweden.
21.1.2008
Seasons Greetings
The year 2008 is approaching to an end, with a lot of successfull NetFAM activities behind. Thanks to all organisers, participants, supporters for your fruitful work that has made the success possible! And please find first information about the planned events for 2009 at the workshop page.
19.12.2008
NordForsk success stories and other autumn news 2008
NordForsk published a booklet Nordic
Research Gems. Also NetFAM is there (number 19), in a short
presentation by Katrine Ziesler (text) and Terje Heiestad
(photo).
NetFAM report for 2008 is being written. You can find
a draft here (pdf). Plans for 2009
include a workshop on observation usage in March in Oslo (information
to appear soon at http://netfam.fmi.fi/OBS09. A
summer workshop/course on clouds and convection will be arranged in
Norrköping in June. This will be the last larger event of NetFAM,
2005-2009. Information will appear at http://netfam.fmi.fi/CLOUD09
21.11.2008
Summer school and workshop 2008 programmes available
Please find the presentations of the summer school + workshop on chemical and numerical weather and the programme of the lake workshop (pdf). Nice summer vacations to all NetFAM participants!
16.7.2008
Summer school and workshops
The recent silence at NetFAM web pages hides quite a lot of intensive
work done for preparation of the upcoming summer school and workshop
on chemical and weather modelling and the workshop on lake
modelling. The first event has received a record amount of
registrations - about 60 persons. Thanks to the support of COST
actions, Tempus and local Russian funding, these participants were
accepted. Unfortunately, the organisers could not find financial
support for several applicants from India, Africa and South
America. The next version of the programme, participant list and other
material are under preparation and will appear soon at these pages. In
the second event, about 40 persons have registered, and also here we
expect soon new information at our pages.
9.5.2008
NetFAM extension 2008-2009 granted
Today we received information from NordForsk, that "NordForsk's
Director Liisa Hakamies-Blomqvist has decided to grant your extension
application (NordForsk Ref No 070432)". Thus, NetFAM extension for
2008-2009 has been accepted by NordForsk, and we can continue
according to our plans. Welcome also our new partners: Latvian
Environment, geology and meteorology agency (Latvian team) and
North-Western Filial of Russian hydrometeorological centre (in the
Russian team)!
31.1.2008
Happy New Year 2008
The year 2008 and preparation of NetFAM actions of the year have
started. We have not yet received confirmation about the extension
from NordForsk, but hope for the best. Meanwhile, first information
about the workshops and summer schools has been prepared:
Young scientist summer school and workshop on
"Integrated Modelling of Meteorological and Chemical Transport
Processes / Impact of Chemical Weather on Numerical Weather Prediction
and Climate Modelling", is to be arranged 7-15 July 2008 in the
surroundings of St.Petersburg, Russia. The co-organisers are NetFAM
with TEMPUS Joint European Project, JEP-26005-2005 "Development of
a competency-based two-level curricula in meteorology", COST Action ES0602 "Towards a
European Network on Chemical Weather Forecasting and Information
SystemsD" and
COST Action ES0603 (EUPOL) "Assessment of production, release,
distribution and health impact of allergenic pollen in Europe."
A workshop on "Parameterization of Lakes in Numerical Weather
Prediction and Climate Modelling" is to be held in the same place
18-20 September 2008, Zelenogorsk.Please find the first circular (pdf) of the workshop.
A long-standing project of arrangment of Sodankyl\"a observations in
convenient form for the modeller's use has advanced. Now, a lot of
interesting up-to date observations are regularly and freely available
at the FMI ARC data-base site, under
the intriguing title "SMS data" (this refers to the way how the data
is transferred at Finnish Meteorological Institute using the
Supervisor Monitor Scheduler software by the European Centre of Medium
Range Forecasting). The data are in daily files of ASCII format, with
minimal documentation included.
A new document concerning NetFAM visits and travelling will be
available at the document page, to assist planning
and monitoring mobility in the network during the year 2008.
A short report by Eija Vallinheimo about NetFAM was published
"Puhuri", in the internal journal of FMI. A scanned copy is here, for those
understanding Finnish.
29.1.2008
Extension application sent to NordForsk
The NetFAM extension application for 2008 - 2008 was sent to NordForsk
21 November. A scanned copy (pdf) of the application is
available among the NetFAM documents.
22.11.2007
NetFAM statistics
2005-2007
The NetFAM coordinating group is preparing an extension application
for 2008-2009, optionally granted for the network by NordForsk. For
this, we have collected data for a progress report and suggestions for
the plan 2008-2009. Preliminary statistics of the NetFAM activities
tells us that during 2005-2007
- A total of 83 participants at 9 workshops/courses arranged by
NetFAM et al. were supported. The total amount of participants in
these events is estimated to be 340 persons from more than 20
different countries.
- A total of 43 persons and ca. 73 weeks were covered by NetFAM
exchange visits.
- A total of 41 participations by NetFAM members in 14 external
events, about 35 weeks altogether, were supported by NetFAM.
- The ca. one hundred members of NetFAM from ten Nordic and adjacent
countries, have been coauthors of at least 133 refereed journal papers
during these years. Eigth NetFAM members defended their PhD thesis
related to fine-scale atmospheric modelling during the network period.
All this successfull activity has been made possible by the funding of
ca. one hundred thousand euros, granted by NordForsk to NetFAM for
2005-2007.
6.11.2007
NetFAM plans
2008-2009
NetFAM activities consist of workshops, summer schools and mobility
within the network, in addition participation of the member is
external workshops may be supported. Preliminary ideas for workshops
and courses in 2008-2009 include:
Workshop on "Lakes in numerical weather prediction models" will be
arranged in the surroundings of St.Petersburg, Russia in March
2008. The workshop will bring together, for the first time,
researchers studying and building parametrization methods for handling
the influence of lakes in atmospheric models. Such new step in
accommodating new phenomena in numerical weather prediction models has
emerged due to the increase in model resolution. Integrating lake
effects is especially relevant for Nordic countries. The announcement
of the workshop will appear at http://hirlam.fmi.fi/NetFAM in November
2007.
Summer school and workshop on "Interaction of meteorological and air
quality models at the mesoscale", to be arranged in June 2008 in
surroundings of St.Petersburg, Russia. The aim of the summer school is
to study the principles and methods of handling chemical and aerosol
processes in coupled and integrated atmospheric model systems. It is
still a matter of strong debate how much chemical and aerosol effects
have an impact on short-term weather forecasting results. Thus, the
answer to this question induces different modelling system frameworks:
online, offline, coupled, with the additional issue of at what
head-time the effect cannot be neglected anymore. In addition to
lectures, practical exercises and student presentations are
planned. The announcement of the summer school will appear at
http://hirlam.fmi.fi/NetFAM in January 2008.
A workshop/course on "Representing moist processes in mesoscale
models" will be arranged in Norrköping, Sweden in June 2009. The
workshop will continue the work started in the NetFAM workshops in
Tartu, 2005 and Toulouse, 2007, concentrating in handling of
convective processes in fine scale models.
In 2009, a course/workshop on "Usage of local, micrometeorological and
remote-sensing observations for data-assimilation and validation of
mesoscale atmospheric models" will be arranged in
(Norway/Iceland?). Theoretical and practical questions related to the
assimilation of near-surface and upper air observations in the NWP
systems gain increasing importance as the model resolutions improve in
the horizontal and vertical directions. The workshop will address the
new developments in this area, using the experience already gained in
the network.
6.11.2007
Boundary layer course
held in Helsinki 28 May - 1 June 2007
International course of lectures "Geophysical turbulence and boundary
layers: nature, theory and role in Earth's systems" led by
prof. Sergei Zilitinkevich, was arranged in University of Helsinki and
Finnish Meteorological Institute between 28 May and 1 June
2007. Please find course lecture files (and group photos of the happy
lecturers and students) at the NetFAM page of workshops.
12.6.2007
Preparation of the extension (2008-2009) application of NetFAM has started
During its two and a half years of existence, Nordic Network on
Fine-scale Atmospheric Modelling (NetFAM), funded by the Nordic
Research Board (NordForsk) has proven extremely useful and fruitful
framework of cooperation in research and learning. Regularly arranged
workshops and summer schools and the large programme of exchange
visits have brought together many tens of atmospheric researchers and
research students from all Nordic countries and adjacent areas. In
addition to the 18 partners from 9 countires, founders of NetFAM, one
more country (Latvia) and one more institute (North-Western filial of
the Russian Hydrometeorological Centre) are on the way of joining the
cooperation. NetFAM web site has served as a invaluable source of
resources for the participants and also for other interested
readers. Our experience of joining efforts and cooperation with
several COST actions (722, 728, 731) and some other EU-funded
projects, HIRLAM and ALADIN communities has created synergy in
realization of our common aims.
All this positive experience has led to the unanimous decision to
apply for the extension of the NetFAM for the optional last two years
of the five-year programme. Preparation of the preliminary report of
activities in 2005-2007 and plans for 2008-2009 is ongoing. Team
leaders in each country (see the page of contact information) will
welcome your suggestions to the documents, to be finalized in October
2007.
30.5.2007
Successfull workshop on Integration of meteorological and chemical transport models
The workshop was
arranged in Copenhagen 21-23 May together with COST action 728. 45
participants from 20 countries attended the workshop, actively
discussing the experience and further perspectives of coupling air
quality and meteorology in fine-scale models. All workshop material,
including a printable handout of abstracts and all presentations as
pdf files, can be found here at the NetFAM site. Follow-up documents
for the COST project and HIRLAM-ALADIN communities are being prepared
to summarise the suggestions of the workshop of further actions in
this area.
30.5.2007
January - March 2007
links and coming registration reminders
Material of the February course on Mesoscale observation usage is
available at the Helsinki Testbed site.
NetFAM - COST 722 workshop on Cloudy boundary layer gathered more than
forty participants. The presentation and working group report pdf
files are now available at the workshop site. During
this workshop, a NetFAM meeting was arranged to discuss the extension
of NetFAM to the coming two years. It was decided to apply for
extension, using the option granted by NordForsk when it approved the
original application of NetFAM. In the meeting, the deadlines for
preparation of the report and application were agreed: drafts before
summer holidays, final documents till the end of October. Suggestions
for workshop and summerschool topics as well as other suggestions for
the NetFAM plan 2008-2009! It was also agreed that Latvian
Environmental Agency and North-Western administration of Russian
Hydrometcentre should be invited to join NetFAM.
During the three first months of 2007, mobility between NetFAM
countries has started actively. The Estonian NetFAM team invited one
representative from RSHU and another from Latvian environmental
agency, to one-week training (18.-23.2.2007) on installation and
running of fine-scale HIRLAM system in cluster - workstation
environment. In addition to travels to the Testbed course (1 funded by
NetFAM), Toulouse workshop (5 participants + 3 invited speakers funded
by NetFAM) and Tartu training (2 participants), the following exchange
visits have taken place:
Evgeny Atlaskin, from RSHU to FMI, 15-28.1.2007, Sodankylä + stable
boundary layer
Jon Egill Kristjansson, from UO to UH, 25-26.1.2007, Opponent in Sami
Niemelä's PhD defence
Gennady Tarakanov, from RSHU to FMI, 24-27.1.2007, Nowcasting +
cooperation
Kirsti Salonen and Reima Eresmaa, from FMI to SMHI, 19-23 February
2007, 4D-Var training for observation experts.
Katerina Kurzeneva, from RSHU to FMI and Stefan Gollvik from SMHI to
FMI, 26.2-6.3.2007, working together with Lake model and surface
parametrizations
Evgeny Atlaskin, from RSHU to FMI, 5.3-11.3.2007, Sodankylä + stable
boundary layer studies
Hamza Kabelwa, from RSHU to FMI, 19.-30.3.2007, ECOCLIMAP in
HIRLAM
Marje Prank, from UT to FMI, 26-30.3.2007, SILAM
During the rest of the spring, three more occasions will be arranged
or supported by NetFAM: HIRLAM-ALADIN yearly
meeting in Oslo, Workshop on integration
of meteorological and air quality models in Copenhagen and International boundary
layer course in Helsinki. Please do not forget register in time!
26.3.2007
Cold and interesting January 2007 in Sodankylä
Last January at the Sodankylä observation site turned out to be
meteorologically interesting and demanding for the NWP
models. Observation data are available in the data base server of the
FMI Arctic Institute at litdb.fmi.fi
(site under construction). Some January plots were recently provided
by J.Atlaskin from RSHU. The FMI operational model comparison
page contains online daily figures, now showing how the models behave
when the spring is advancing.
26.3.2007
Past and coming events 2006-2007
A report about NetFAM
activities in 2006 was sent to NordForsk in the middle of
November. Details about the network budget of the past and the coming
year were also included into the requisition, as required by
NordForsk.
NetFAM supported several participants in the SURFEX
workshop, arranged at Meteo France 12-14 December 2006. In the
workshop, general presentations and excercises introduced the
participants to the surface data assimilation and modelling. Special
working sessions concentrated on discussion about the future plans in
this area. An earlier mini-workshop on HIRLAM
mesomodelling gathered to Helsinki 29.11-1.12.2006 ten
participants to plan and build the basic setup on the HARMONIE (HIRLAM
and ALADIN Research for Mesoscal Operational NWP in EUROPE)
system.
In February a course on Mesoscale
observation usage, related to the Helsinki Testbed, will be arranged by
University of Helsinki. NetFAM support will be available from
participants from the NetFAM teams, please ask the coordinator of your
local team for the details.
Please find information about the coming Toulouse workshop on Cloudy boundary layer and the planned
Copenhagen workshop on Bridges between fine-scale air quality and
meteorological models, 21-23 May, 2007 at the workshop page.
20.12.2006
Autumn news
Summer school on air-sea interactions gathered about fifty
participants. The school material will soon be available at school's
web site (SCASI). The St.Petersburg
summer school page has been updated with photos, see SSS06. To get your
copy of the course CD, containing all material and more photos, please
provide your postal address to the local organisers!
NetFAM education survey was completed by Sylvain Joffre, please find
the resulting analysis (pdf).
Planning of the workshop on "Cloud-covered atmospheric boundary layer"
is starting. The workshop will be arranged in Toulouse 12-14 March,
2007, a web page will be built at http://netfam.fmi.fi/CBL07/.
The list of completed NetFAM exchange visits 2006 has increased by
four items. Anastasia Senkova (RSHU) visited FMI/UH 4-8 September,
continuing her work with radiation parametrizations. She gave a
seminar presentation at University of Helsinki. Yevgeny Atlaskin
(RSHU) visited FMI 28 August - 11 October 2006, working with boundary
layer studies and use of Sodankylä data for model comparisons
plus participating the HIRLAM workshop, which was arranged in
connection with HIRLAM Management group visit at FMI. Paulius
Jalinskas and Martynas Kazlauskas (LHMS/UV) visited FMI 2-12 October,
updating the system of fine-scale HIRLAM regular runs at LHMS with the
support of FMI colleagues. The Lithuanian visitors also participated
the HIRLAM workshop at FMI.
Planned visits for the October-December 2006 include: Sami
Niemelä (FMI), to SMHI for AROME work; Andres Luhamaa (UT) to
Meteo France for microphysics studies; Laura Rontu (FMI), to RSHU for
fine-scale HIRLAM work 30 October - 2 November; Yevgeny Genihovich
(MGO/RSHU) to FMI, for air quality modelling 30 October - 2 November;
Hamza Kabelwa (RSHU) to FMI and Meteo France, for surface and
convection-related studies 4-22 December; Ekaterina Kourzeneva (RSHU),
Hamza Kabelwa (RSHU), Priit Tisler (FMI) and Laura Rontu (FMI) to
Meteo France, for SURFEX workshop 11-14 December. In addition,
participation of Paulius Jalinskas in HIRLAM system meeting in Madrid
23-25 October will be partly supported.
Summary of NetFAM activities in 2006 and request for funding in 2007
will be sent to NordForsk during November.
16.10.2006
Winter workshops and
summer schools 2006-2007
Vilnius workshop on
uncertainty in fine-scale meteorological and hydrological models was
successfully held. The presentations are at the site, also a CD of
workshop material may be requested from the organisers. Please contact
Paulius , meteo.lt.
SSS06, the St. Petersburg summer school, was successfully held, see the
school page for
report, material and information. Later, a CD will be prepared, see
details at the school page.
The registration time for the PBL-TRMES
summer school on air-sea interaction (SCASI) has been continued to
15 August. Local NetFAM team leaders should be contacted for support
to participation at this school.
There are preliminary plans for the 2007 workshop and summer
school. The theme of the workshop, to be arranged in March-April 2006
in Toulouse, is modelling of cloudy boundary layer, with aspects of
shallow convection and turbulence parametrization, predicting of fog
and stratus etc. The summer school/workshop is planned to be arranged
together with the COST action 728, building bridges between air
quality and meteorological models. The place of this event will most
probably be Pyhajarve in South-Eastern Estonia, time before Midsummer
(around 14-18.6).
6.7.2006
Exchange visits in autumn 2006
After the Vilnius and St. Petersburg events, NetFAM still has
resources to support several exchange visits according to the
plan. The plan presently includes visits from RSHU + UT to Toulouse
(microphysics and explicit convection; surface parametrizations), from
RSHU to FMI (PBL and use of Sodankylä data; radiation; lake
parametrizations in HIRLAM), from LHMS to FMI (local HIRLAM system
training/support).
6.7.2006
First three months of 2006
During the first months preparations to the Vilnius workshop and St.Petersburg summer
school have been ongoing. Early registration to both events has
been closed, but please contact the organisers if you still wish to
participate and contribute. Recently, information about the PBL-TRMES summer school on air-sea
interaction (SCASI) became available. The local NetFAM team
leaders may request NetFAM support for the SCASI participants from
their countries as NetFAM has joined to the organisers of the
school.
NetFAM thanks NordForsk for the first, and, unfortunately, the last
young researcher scholarships granted to Marko Kaasik (Tartu
University, studies with air-quality model SILAM and Nastya Senkova (RSHU, studies
of radiation parametrizations with HIRLAM). Reporting and publication
of the results achieved during these exchange visits is
ongoing. NordForsk has decided to discontinue this form of research
funding. Information of the presently existing funding possibilities
are available at NordForsk web
site.
Several short exchange visits have been done during the first months:
Yevgeni Atlaskin (RSHU), to FMI and SMHI - studies related to stable
boundary layer temperature forecast; Anna Kanukhina (RSHU) to FMI -
case studies of convection; Marko Kaasik and Marje Prank (Tartu
University) to FMI - studies related to SILAM; Aarne Männik
(Tartu University) and Katya Kourzeneva (RSHU) to FMI - planning of
the St.Petersburg summer school. There are possibilities to add
exchange visits to the NetFAM 2006 plan - please contact the coordinating group
members if you have suggestions.
At FMI, Hanna Manninen (hanna.manninen, fmi.fi) will take care of the
practical funding tasks of NetFAM from this year onward. Travellers -
please send your expense reports
to Hanna. NetFAM's thanks are due to Niia Fortelius for taking such a
good care of book-keeping and all funding arrangements during the
first year of the network!
31.3.2006
Welcome to participate NetFAM activities 2006
Preparations to the Vilnius workshop on Uncertainty in fine-scale meteorological and hydrological models, 26-28 April, and St.Petersburg summer school on Nonhydrostatic modelling and fine-scale data assimilation, 11-17 June, are advancing actively. Please find the announcements, preliminary programmes and registration forms in netfam.fmi.fi/SSS06
and www.meteo.lt/vilnius. The deadlines of registration to Vilnius is 13 March, to St.Petersburg 31 March. Your are welcome to registrate your participation and request NetFAM support from the coordinating committee.
6.3.2006
From 2005 to 2006
During December 2005, NetFAM supported participation of three persons
in the first AROME training course, arranged in Poiana Brasov,
Romania. The course material is available at a Meteo
France site. Two persons' travel to a HIRLAM-ALADIN Mini-workshop
on physics and diagnostics in Oslo was also supported.
Preparation of two main NetFAM events during 2006 has been started.
More information will soon appear at the NetFAM page of Workshops and training
courses. Both the workshop and the summer school will be free and
open for participants outside of NetFAM and COST 731 (but NetFAM will
support the payment of travel and accomodation expenses only for its
own participants).
The joint workshop with COST action 731 on "Uncertainty in
meteorological and hydrological models" will be arranged 26.-28. April
2006 in Vilnius, Lithuania. The workshop will cover problems of
fine-scale ensemble forecasts, uncertainty in observations and data
assimilation and applications, e.g. in flood prediction. The methods
of validation and verification, common to all these will be discussed.
SSS06 stands for the "St. Petersburg summer school 2006 on
nonhydrostatic modelling and fine-scale data assimilation". SSS06 will
be arranged 11.-17. June in Sestroretsk, 40 kilometers northwest from
St.Petersburg at the shore of Gulf of Finland. 2-3 days will be
devoted to the topics of model dynamics and about 2 days to the data
assimilation. Practical excercises and students' presentations are
planned in both topics, to get the feeling of using (simplified) model
tools and analysing the results for development of the fine-scale
models and data assimilation. Suggestions for the topics of lectures
and excercises as well as other ideas are welcome. The deadline for
registration to the course will be in the end of March.
13.1.2006
Travelling and reporting
A short report about NetFAM
activities in 2005 was written and attached to the requisition of
funds for 2006, sent to NordForsk in November.
A working meeting on Stable
boundary layer modelling was arranged at Finnish Meteorological
Institute in Helsinki, the 2nd of November. It can be considered
continuation of the January 2005 meeting on Nordic Temperature Problem
and discussions during the Sodankylä summer school. reported
earlier. The October-November exchange visits of Veniamin Perov (SMHI)
and Yevgeni Atlaskin (RSHU) to FMI are devoted to further development
of the stable boundary layer studies and finding solutions to the
Nordic Temperature Problem.
During summer and autumn research cooperation between Finnish
Meteorological Institute and Main Geophysical Observatory has been
developed within NetFAM visits of Yevgeny Genikhovich (MGO) to FMI and
Mikhail Sofiev (FMI) to MGO. During the visits, information was
exchanged concerning the recent developments of fine-scale dispersion
models in both institutes and common research topics discussed in
detail.
6th International SRNWP-Workshop on Non-Hydrostatic Modelling took
place from 31 October to 2 November 2005 in Bad Orb,
Germany. Approximately 70 scientists around the world came together
and discussed important aspects of the state of the art of
non-hydrostatic modelling and short-range numerical weather
prediction. Aarne Männik from Tartu University was supported by
NetFAM to attend the meeting with the presentation titled
"Nonhydrostatic HIRLAM with semi-Lagrangian semi-implicit dynamic core
in high resolution NWP environment".
For planning of the year 2006 workshop, common between NetFAM and COST 731
action, Paulius Jalinskas from Vilnius University and Lithuanian
hydrometeorological service attended the COST 731 management meeting
in Venice, 17-18. November.
6.12.2005
Reporting and planning
A report (doc) about the
Sodankylä summer school has been written by Sylvain Joffre. A
report (pdf) about the studies
of three master students of Vilnius university in RSHU in February-May
2005 has been written by Martynas Kazlauskas.
Till the end of summer, approximately 27 000 euros of the 36 000
available for NetFAM during 2005 have been used for the workshop,
summer school, meetings and visits. Coordinating group is planning to
use the rest for visits, participation of NetFAM students in the first
AROME training
course arranged in Romania and in a HIRLAM mesoscale physics
workshop in Oslo.
Planning of the 2006 activities has been started by the coordinating
group. As stated in the NetFAM plan, a workshop on uncertainty in
high-resolution models will be arranged. Most probably, it will be
done together with the COST 731
action during spring 2006. The NetFAM summer school 2006 (SSS06)
on non-hydrostatic dynamics and advanced data-assimilation methods for
fine scale models is planned to be arranged ca. 11-17 June, 2006 in
St.Petersburg. The host institute for the summer school will be
RSHU. More information will soon follow, and any suggestions are
welcome.
Meteo France, SMHI, and FMI from NetFAM are among the 13 European
meteorological services, who in September 2005 submitted an
application for STORMNET (some material
here), a meteorological research training network, to Marie Curie
Actions within EU FP6-2005 Mobility programme. In the application, FMI
took the responsibility for the contacts between NetFAM and the
planned STORMNET. If the application will be successfull, the work of
STORMNET would start in 2006 and offer e.g. extended possibilities for
postgraduate and postdoc exchange between the European meteorological
services and leading universities.
A second half-year-long post-doc mobility scholarship was granted by
NordForsk to NetFAM for researcher Anastasya Senkova from RSHU. Nastya
will start start her studies related to HIRLAM radiation
parametrizations at FMI in October. She defended her PhD dissertation
about the same topic at RSHU in February 2005.
6.10.2005
A review of NWP education within NetFAM
According to the NetFAM plan, one of the objectives is: "To promote
the exchange of information and best practices on curricula and
training on atmospheric simulation, fine-scale modelling and
surface-atmosphere exchange." To implement this goal, the plans for
2005 stated that we will perform a review of the present status of the
NWP education in NetFAM institutes, to form a basis for
recommendations for further development and coordination.
In this perspective, Sylvain Joffre (FMI) requested the leaders of the
national teams of NetFAM to send him by 15th October, a list of courses
on the topic of Numerical Modelling in the broad sense that are
delivered (or planned to be delivered) in Universities in their
country and in their institution. Info should include at least the
following aspects:
- name of the course,
- how many hours (total amount over how long a period),
- level of the course (1st, 2nd,& year of University and/or part of
Master, Lis/DEA, Doctoral studies)
- any other relevant info (e.g. if there is a short description in student guides).
Based on the information a review and further suggestions will be written by Sylvain.
1.7.2005
A research programme on mesoscale meteorology has been launched in
Helsinki, with participation of several industry and research
institutes. Testbed covers four seasons and is located in and around
Helsinki, Finland. The project runs for two years and a half, from
January 2005 until September 2007. The main financier of the project
is Technology Agency of Finland (Tekes). The observational and model
data produced during the programme will be available to all
researchers, including NetFAM partners. For more information please
see the web site
testbed.fmi.fi.
30.6.2005
Early summer activities
The first post-doc mobility scholarship was granted by NordForsk to
NetFAM for researcher Marko Kaasik from Tartu University. Marko has
started at FMI studies related to the fine scale pollution dispersion
using SILAM model.
NetFAM funded participation of one PhD student from RSHU to a PhD
course "Today's Research Training - Tomorrow's Scientific Quality"
arranged by NordForsk in Pärnu, Estonia. Two RSHU students
participated a short course on severe
storms arranged at FMI. Three students from Lithuania (LHMS and
University of Vilnius), supported by NetFAM, successfully finished
their spring courses on atmospheric dynamics and numerical modelling
at RSHU.
Sodankylä summer school (SSS 2005) was
favoured by a perfect summer weather and midnight sun. According to
the comments of participants, course fullfilled their expectations and
influenced their plans about future studies and investigations: "I
have been inspired by the enthustiastic scientists". In particular,
meeting of different communities of urban air quality and NWP
modellers was considered fruitful. Course arrangements also got good
marks from the participants: "I like the "semi-organised" approach."
Course material (in pdf format) will be soon available at the web
page. The ppt-presentations at CD are available upon request from the
organisers.
29.6.2005
From Tartu to Sodankylä
Tartu workshop report is now in press and also available as a pdf file.
Until today, 31 participants, including the lecturers, have registred in the Sodankylä summer school (SSS 2005).
Summer school programme is ready, practical arrangements are being made. The Arctic Research Centre of the Finnish Meteorological Institute is ready to meet the school participants.
9.5.2005
February 2005 news
4.3.2005
Active January 2005
In January 2005 two NetFAM meetings were successfully arranged: the Tartu workshop on convection and
clouds (together with the international HIRLAM and ALADIN
projects) and a working
meeting on nordic temperature problem . Short planning meetings
among the coordinating group members were arranged in connection with
the Tartu workshop (to confirm plans for 2005, see network documents) and in Helsinki (for
preparation of the Sodankylä summer
school). In addition, one representative of NetFAM coordinating
group took part in a very informative seminar for new networks
arranged by NordForsk in Oslo.
3.2.2005
PhD course catalogue and search engine by NordForsk
NordForsk has created a searchable course catalogue to help organisers
and participants of PhD courses to meet each other. This service is
available at www.phdcourse.net. NetFAM
institutions are encouraged to get acquainted with this new resource
and use it, according to instructions found at that page. Announcement
of the Sodankylä summer school will be placed there as soon as
the programme draft will be ready.
3.2.2005
A working meeting on Nordic Temperature Problem
A meeting of specialists will be arranged in Helsinki 31 January, to
discuss the two main problems of HIRLAM in predicting two-metre
temperature: to warm wintertime below-zero temperatures over
snow-covered surface and to cold daytime temperatures during
spring. A review of the ongoing work and in-depth discussions of the
suggested solutions as well as formulation of an action plan are
expected. Participants from Finland, St.Petersburg, Sweden will attend
the meeting, which is arranged at FMI.
13.1.2005
Post-doc mobility scholarships of NordForsk
According to the NordForsk's web
page, mobility scholarships can be applied for by the networks:
"To a young researcher (within five years of PhD) from the adjacent
areas (the Baltic States and north-western Russia) for a stay from 3
up to 12 months at a Nordic institution associated with a NordForsk
network. The network applies and administrates the scholarship. Please
note that it is not possible to apply for research students." NorForsk's
next deadline for receiving an application signed by NetFAM coordinator: 1
June. Application forms are available at the NordForsk web page.
13.12.2004, updated 6.10.2005