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Richard Reed is a professor emeritus in the Department of Atmospheric
Sciences of the University of Washington (UW). He is a member of the
National Academy of Sciences and a fellow of the American Meteorological
Society (AMS), American Association for the Advancement of Science, and
American Geophysical Union. Reed has received numerous awards and
honors, including the AMS's Rossby Research Medal.
(Photo courtesy Mary Levin, University of Washington)
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During 1985–86, I was on sabbatical at the European Centre for
Medium-Range Weather Forecasts in Reading, England. I worked with ECMWF
scientists, particularly Tony Hollingsworth, to evaluate their
operational model's performance in identifying and predicting African
easterly waves and the occasional hurricanes they spawn. I also made a
personal evaluation of how well the model predicted extratropical
weather systems. My conclusion was that on most occasions the model did
a highly realistic job, just as it did for the tropical systems we were
investigating. I became convinced that such models could provide a rich
source of data for studies of midlatitude synoptic systems, particularly
rapid cyclogenesis. However, I had no immediate way of introducing model
data into my NSF-sponsored research.
Earlier, on a visit to UW, Rick Anthes had suggested that I extend a
research project by teaming up with NCAR's Bill Kuo to apply the
Pennsylvania State University/NCAR Mesoscale Model. (Bill had led much
of the model's development after its creation at Penn State.) After my
ECMWF sabbatical, it was natural to proceed with Rick's suggestion. Let
me highlight some of the benefits that have flowed from this ongoing
collaboration—some of them straightforward and anticipated, others
unforeseen.
Joint research. Ten coauthored papers have been published on a
variety of topics related to marine cyclogenesis. NCAR scientists have
provided valuable assistance; Simon Low-Nam, a coauthor on some of the
papers, especially deserves credit. Two visiting scientists from China,
Yubao Liu and Kun Gao, also participated in the research and coauthored
papers.
Ph.D. training. Warren Blier, Mark Stoelinga, and Jordan
Powers became NCAR graduate research assistants. Not only did this
provide them with ready access to vital facilities, it afforded the
opportunity for interaction with NCAR scientists having a wide range of
expertise.
Postdoctoral appointments. Georg Grell and Jim Bresch took
part in the collaborative research, with financial support from the
Office of Naval Research and NSF, respectively. With Jimy Dudhia of
NCAR, Grell made important contributions to the development and
documentation of version 5 of the Penn State/NCAR model (MM5). Bresch
conducted fruitful research on polar lows and other subjects in
collaboration with scientists and forecasters at UW, NCAR, and the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Meteorological practice. The arrival at UW of the MM4 and MM5
excited the interest of my colleague Cliff Mass and his students. Jim
Steenburgh and Brian Colle adapted the MM5 for local use as part of
their Ph.D. research, aided by NCAR's Wei Wang. The adaptation has
continued under UW staff members David Ovens, Mark Albright, and
others.
The MM5 now provides high-resolution forecasts twice daily for the
Pacific Northwest. It has also become the centerpiece of an
environmental modeling system, through a consortium organized and
directed by Cliff. MM5 forecasts drive a distributed hydrological model
that predicts streamflow for eight watersheds in western Washington.
State and local agencies use MM5 output to model air quality.
The spread of the MM5 to an ever-widening circle has been a remarkable
phenomenon. With only a small, dedicated staff and an annual workshop
and tutorial, NCAR has catalyzed interactions that have had a huge
impact on mesoscale modeling. In doing so, it has provided a striking
example of the mutual benefits that can derive from cooperative
efforts.
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