UCAR Update

August 2006

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In brief
• Washington Update joins UCAR Update
• Nominations sought this month for ASP postgraduate planning workshop
• VSP postdoctoral opportunity in sea ice forecasting
• FORMASAT-3/COSMIC workshop in November
• New COMET modules: barrier jets, shallow-water waves, landfalling fronts
• Reminders from last issue

Washington Update joins UCAR Update
Starting with this issue, UCAR Update will incorporate a summary of each month's Washington Update, issued by the UCAR Office of Government Affairs. This will replace the separate e-mail sent to UCAR member representatives and board members.

The August installment of Washington Update includes the following items. The full report can be found in PDF form at the URL below.

Contact: Laura Curtis, UCAR/OGA, 303-497-2106
Washington Update

Nominations sought this month for ASP postgraduate planning workshop
The NCAR Advanced Study Program (ASP) and the University of Colorado Diversity Initiative will host a postgraduate planning workshop designed to help graduate students prepare for rewarding and productive postdoctoral opportunities in a broad spectrum of science and engineering fields.

Nominations from project directors in the Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) program, or from faculty advisors for graduate students nearing completion of their doctorates, will be accepted until 28 August. Graduate students who will receive their Ph.D.s in atmospheric or related sciences prior to June 2009 are eligible to participate, particularly those from populations that are underrepresented in these disciplines.

VSP postdoctoral opportunity in sea ice forecasting
Through the UCAR Visiting Scientist Programs, the U.S. National/Naval Ice Center (NIC) seeks to fill a postdoctoral fellowship position to assist in the development and implementation of new sea ice forecasting techniques. The NIC is a primary source of ice charts for U.S. agencies in support of ice-breaking ships, submarines, commercial shipping, and scientific research vessels.

This project involves collaborative research between the NIC and the Polar Science Center, University of Washington. The position is located just outside Washington, D.C., in Suitland, Maryland. Applicants should have a recent Ph.D. in meteorology, oceanography, or a related discipline. A strong working knowledge of statistical analysis, remote sensing, ice physics, and ice modeling is required.

FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC workshop in November
In collaboration with UOP's COSMIC program, the National Space Organization and other sponsors will hold an international scientific meeting on early results and observing campaigns from the FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC satellite mission. The workshop will take place at the National Taiwan University in Taipei from 28 November to 1 December. Scientists worldwide are invited to attend the workshop and submit papers on their COSMIC-related work. More details on the meeting can be found at the URL below.

Contact: Bill Kuo, UOP/COSMIC, 303-497-8910
FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC workshop

New COMET modules: barrier jets, shallow-water waves, landfalling fronts
UOP's Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education and Training (COMET) is pleased to announce a number of new Web-based modules. All are available through COMET's MetEd Web site, http://meted.ucar.edu, or at the individual URLs below.

• Barrier Jet Forecasting: Eastern Foothills and High Plains of Colorado, 17-20 March 2003
  This winter event produced historic snow amounts in the foothills of the Front Range of Colorado and very heavy snowfall along the urban corridor. The emphasis is on both the dominant atmospheric processes and how the operational models analyzed and predicted the barrier jet and associated precipitation distribution.


• Shallow-Water Waves
  This module looks at a variety of shallow-water wave behaviors, including shoaling, refraction, reflection, breaking, attenuation, and coastal run-up and set-up. Understanding wave behavior in the nearshore environment is critical for issuing accurate forecasts for beachgoers, mariners, and coastal communities.


• Landfalling Fronts and Cyclones: Wintertime Impacts of Low-Level Stratification
  This module considers dynamic topographic interactions that have a significant impact on the mesoscale structure of the wind and precipitation fields associated with landfalling fronts along mountainous coastlines. The most significant forecast issue is the tendency of the flow to be blocked by coastal topography; this can enhance along-coast flow and alter the precipitation field.

Reminders from last issue

Schedule set for UCAR October meetings

SCD invites large requests for computational resources
Deadline: 28 August

Workshop on best practices at federally funded centers
Early registration deadline: 6 October

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Questions or news tips: Bob Henson, 303-497-8605
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