CLIVAR Overview
CLIVAR is the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) project that addresses Climate Variability and Predictability, with a particular focus on the role of ocean-atmosphere interactions in climate. It works closely with its companion WCRP projects on issues such as the role of the land surface, snow and ice and the role of stratospheric processes in climate.
The challenges for CLIVAR are to develop our understanding of climate variability, to apply this to provide useful prediction of climate variability and change through the use of improved climate models, and to monitor and detect changes in our climate system.
As CLIVAR science advances, it becomes increasingly important and possible to address all aspects of the climate system, including the role of biogeochemical cycles, and to build the application of CLIVAR science to societal applications and impacts. To enable the necessary scientific interactions, CLIVAR looks to partnership with other international programmes, especially the International Biosphere-Geosphere Programme (IGBP), the International Human Dimensions Programme (IHDP) and the International Programme of Biodiversity Science (DIVERSITAS).
CLIVAR Exchanges no. 54
The issue 54 of CLIVAR Exchanges is in production and should become available on our website on the week beginning 16th August.
Highlights
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17 Aug 2010 ICPO Director apointed
Dr. Robert 'Bob' Molinari has been appointed as the new ICPO Director to replace Dr. Howard Cattle. Bob was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He attended the City College of New York and received a Bachelor of Science in 1965. He received a Masters of Science degree in 1968 and Doctor of Philosophy in 1970 from Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. In 1972 he applied for a position to work in sunny Miami at the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). During the 34-year period at AOML Bob performed
both management and research activities. He served as
a Supervisory Oceanographer, Director of AOML's Physical
Oceanography Division and AOML's Global Ocean Observing
System (GOOS) Center. However, his main interest was
observational oceanography. He served as Chief Scientist
on more than 35 cruises to the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific
Oceans. Throughout his career he served on the national and
international research (e.g., WOCE) and sustained observation
(e.g., GOOS) committees that provided the coordination for
major programs. Bob was also on the first CLIVAR
Scientific Working Group (1993-1995), which established the original foundation for CLIVAR. Bob starts as the new ICPO Director on 1st of September.
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16 Aug 2010 13th Session of the Working Group on Seasonal to Interannual Prediction
The 13th Session of the Working Group on Seasonal to Interannual Prediction was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 29-31 July, with a joint session with VAMOS on the final day. The presentations and action items are available here: http://www.clivar.org/organization/wgsip/wgsip13/wgsip13.php. The main topics for discussion were the Climate-system Historical Forecast Project (CHFP) and the coordination of decadal prediction experiments as part of CMIP5, in collaboration with WGCM. THe CHFP data set is being hosted by CIMA, Argentina and will be available by early 2011. Links to WWRP TIGGE were discussed in relation to the development of 1-90 day prediction capabilities. The use and need for seasonal to interannual data by seasonal applications, RCOFs and climate services were also discussed. The joint WGSIP-VAMOS meeting focused on the implementation of the VAMOS Modeling Plan and on initiating VAMOS-WGSIP collaboration in the analysis of the CHFP over the Americas.
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16 Aug 2010 13th Session of the VAMOS panel (VPM13)
The 13th Session of the CLIVAR VAMOS Panel (VPM13) was held on 29-31 July 2010, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a one day joint session with WGSIP. The meeting was hosted by the Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE), the Servicio Meteorologico Nacional (SMN), and the Instituto Tecnologico Buenos Aires (ITBA). Presentations are available at http://www.clivar.org/organization/vamos/Meetings/VPM13_meet.php. The meeting focused on the progress and plans of the VAMOS projects, particularly NAME, MESA, La Plata Basin, VOCALS and IASCLIP. The panel also discussed contributions to WCRP cross-cutting themes as well as the implementation of VAMOS modeling plan. Discussions were held on future VAMOS priorities and how they will fit in the new structure of WCRP with particular emphasis on the linkage between regionally oriented activities in VAMOS and the more global approach that WCRP is emphasizing.
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13 Aug 2010 10th Session of the CLIVAR's Asian-Australian Monsoon Panel (AMMP10)
The 10th Session of the CLIVAR's Asian-Australian Monsoon Panel (AMMP10) was held at the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Climate Center, Busan, Republic of Korea from 15-19 June 2010. AAMP10 was held jointly with the First meeting of the YOTC Task Force on the Madden Julian Oscillation and the AAMP/MJOTF Workshop on Modelling Monsoon Intraseasonal Variability. The CLIVAR AAMP and the YOTC MJO Task Force have held the Modelling Workshop with a focus on modelling and predicting monsoon intraseasonal variability (ISV) and the MJO. This cross-cutting activity provided a framework for assessing predictability of the MJO and other monsoon ISV from hindcast experiments, assessing skill of real-time forecasts for monsoon ISV, and reported on recent advancements and highlighted ongoing shortcomings in the simulation of monsoon ISV and the MJO, including results from simple models, global climate models and high resolution global models.
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