The Middle Atmosphere Symposium covers all aspects of middle atmospheric science, with emphasis on the interaction between dynamics, radiation and chemistry within the middle atmosphere itself and between the middle atmosphere and the troposphere. Observational, modelling, theoretical, and laboratory studies are all solicited. Research topics include (but are not limited to):
– Gravity waves, their generation, propagation and breaking Sub-seasonal to decadal dynamical variability in the Middle Atmosphere
– Middle Atmosphere response to anthropogenic and natural forcings
– Stratospheric/Mesospheric chemistry and ozone
– Radiation, microphysics, chemistry and dynamics at the tropopause
– Transport and mixing in multiple spatial scales
– Tropical / extratropical dynamical interactions
– Vertical coupling in the Middle Atmosphere
– Mechanisms of Stratosphere-Troposphere coupling, at all time scales
– Role of the Middle Atmosphere on surface climate predictions and projections.
A joint QBOi-CCMI workshop 18-21 November, Virtual
The workshop’s purpose is to introduce the APARC community to QUOCA, a new joint QBOi–CCMI working group aimed at improving understanding of QBO-ozone feedbacks in present-day and future climates.
The workshop will consist of invited and submitted talks related to the QBO ozone feedback and will aim to summarize recent progress in this area. The workshop will run over 4 days with 3 days of talks (2.5 h on each day) and 1.5h of discussion on day 4. Times have been chosen that are friendly to two sets of time zones on each day.
Talks will help generate ideas to motivate working groups devoted to analysis of the QUOCA experiments. Studies on all aspects of QBO-ozone feedbacks – ranging from idealized modeling results to observations-based constraints – are welcome.
Improved simulations of the stratosphere for better predictions of weather, climate and extreme events
A joint QBOi – SNAP – QUOCA (QSQ) workshop 24-28 March 2025, Cambridge, UK
The workshop’s purpose will be to facilitate the sharing and discussion of the latest results on the role of the stratosphere in models relevant for enhancing predictability on all timescales. The workshop will serve as the in-person kick-off for the new QUOCA (QUasi-biennial oscillation and Ozone Chemistry interactions in the Atmosphere) joint QBOi-CCMI project. The aim of the workshop is to better understand stratospheric processes and variability, uncertainties, and their influence on surface climate and predictability. Free-running, initialised, and nudged simulations designed to better understand the stratospheric response to external forcings (such as climate change or geoengineering), or to improve the representation of the predictable signal in surface climate related to stratospheric processes, are also encouraged. Studies examining the potential benefits of the use of artificial intelligence are welcome. The workshop will consist of a mixture of invited and contributed talks, posters and reports on outcomes of the latest multi-model QBOi and SNAPSI experiments employing common nudging methodologies, as well as the QBOi-ENSO and the QUOCA experiments. Breakout sessions will identify gaps in our current knowledge that can usefully inform further coordinated model experiments, and work towards community consensus on their design. Breakouts will also focus on identifying how results from current QBOi, QUOCA and SNAP research can be best used to inform model development and broader scientific activities such as future CMIP planning. To get the full benefit from active breakout discussions, the workshop will be in-person, though it is hoped limited online options will be offered.
Abstract submission will open at the end of September 2024.
The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) announces a research fellowship with a focus on Africa. The fellowship is available through WCRP’s new Global South Fellowship program. The objective of the Global South Fellowship program is to give early to mid-career researchers* from the Global South the benefit to develop their own WCRP related research activity, thereby boosting climate research activities in their own region. Fellowship topics can address a wide range of scientific questions outlined in the WCRP Science and Implementation Plan as formulated through priorities of WCRP activities (Core Projects and Lighthouse Activities). For this 2024 call, WCRP is soliciting research proposals from early to mid-career candidates from the African continent. Such proposals must be supported by a host institution guaranteeing that a successful candidate will undertake the fellowship project full-time during the agreed period of the fellowship at the institution. Successful projects should address aspects of critical gaps in WCRP related African climate research, enhance climate action for and in Africa, help build a community of practice, and create the potential for leaving a strong legacy to build upon in the longer-term. As an example, proposals could catalyze development of community of practice for the climate-policy interface. Another example would be thematic idea of climate literacy, or the non-congruence of climate information for policy makers and different stakeholders. Successful projects should propose research that has the clear potential to be transformative and a develop a foundation for African researchers to lead a WCRP (legacy) project. The proposal should include links to relevant WCRP core activities, where appropriate.
Award details: The WCRP leadership has allocated CHF 50K for a Global South Fellowship with focus on Africa. The award is intended to support the salary of one researcher. Each proposal needs to provide a detailed description of the research project, accompanied by a budget explaining how the resources will be utilized and over what duration, as well as whether there are any other resources that may be leveraged. The fellowship is intended to ideally start in late 2024 (subject to negotiations). The proposal should be accompanied by a letter of commitment written and signed by the host institution. Eligible costs can include (1) salary of the candidate comparable to host institution cost of employment; (2) travel support to a relevant WCRP meeting and essential local travel for research purposes; (3) purchase of an approved laptop. If necessary, institutional overhead can be negotiated. However, no equipment can be covered.
The successful applicant of this open call will be selected by the WCRP fellowship selection committee based on the submitted proposal and an oral/online interview, both of which must be outstanding and be clearly aligned with WCRP strategic objectives. The fellowship selection committee will consist of JSC members and leading members from the African research community. Interested candidates are strongly encouraged to review WCRP’s Science and Implementation Plan and the description of WCRP’s Core Projects and Lighthouse Activities therein and build their project in consultation with the co-chairs of relevant WCRP groups.
The deadline for submitting applications is 30 September 2024.
For more detailed information regarding this call and if you wish to find potential collaborators within WCRP, please contact Hindumathi Palanisamy () cc’ing Lian Xue ().
Disclaimer: The research proposal must be supported by a host institution guaranteeing that a successful candidate will undertake the fellowship project full-time during the agreed period of the fellowship at the institution. The WCRP Fellowship for Africa agreement will be signed between WMO and the host institution only and not with any individual candidate.
In the spirit of promoting cross-activity collaborations, APARC introduces a new joint QBOi-CCMI working group, QUOCA (QUasibiennial oscillation and Ozone Chemistry interactions in the Atmosphere), which is aimed at improving understanding of QBO-ozone feedbacks in present-day and future climates.
Through a community-approved experimental protocol, QUOCA will use chemistry climate models to examine the mechanisms controlling how changes in stratospheric ozone caused by QBO-driven changes in temperature and the circulation alter the heating rates and overall QBO structure. Broader questions related to the ozone feedback on the Brewer-Dobson circulation, QBO influences on trace gas distributions and the impact of an enhanced ozone QBO on teleconnections will also be explored.
QUOCA welcomes anyone who is interested in the coupling between ozone and the circulation to attend a virtual workshop held from November 18 to 21 introducing the activity and defining relevant working groups. Preliminary results from experiments will then be shared as part of a joint hybrid workshop with the QBOi and SNAPSI activities in Spring 2025 in Cambridge, UK.
If you are interested in hearing more about the project, please contact either Dr. Clara Orbe () or Dr. Alison Ming ().
We are excited to announce that, beginning in April 2024, the Manila Observatory in the Philippines is hosting the first Support Unit of the WCRP Academy. We are really happy that Ma. Laurice Jamero has been appointed as the Manager of the Support Unit and is already working hard to establish a new team. More details here:
The Academy looks forward to working with all WCRP activities to promote upcoming events via the Academy’s online catalogue. If you have not seen the guide to becoming a training provider, you can access it here:
It is our pleasure to invite you for our International workshop on “Stratosphere-Troposphere Interactions and Prediction of Monsoon weather EXtremes (STIPMEX)” being organized at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology Pune, India, from 02-07 June 2024. The local organizing committee has made provision for online registration. It is now announced on the STIPMEX website:
The call for nominations to APARC’s Scientific Steering Group (SSG) is now open. During recent years, the project’s scope has been broadened to now include dynamical and chemical processes in the whole atmosphere. APARC strives to understand atmospheric dynamics and composition, as well as its implications for climate variability and climate change. The SSG currently comprises 12-14 researchers from around the world with a wide range of expertise in atmospheric dynamics and chemistry. They guide APARC’s priorities and activities, working together with the SSG co-chairs and the APARC project office. Please note that you can either nominate a candidate or nominate yourself. The SSG takes a strategic view of APARC’s role, so we are looking for individuals with a broad view of atmospheric science and climate change as well as expertise in their own field. Scientific expertise, career stage as well as gender and geographical balance are considered. The initial term of service is for four years (January 2025 – December 2028), with a possible extension of two years. You find all relevant information and the online form to submit your nomination at the APARC website. In case you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the IPO:
We will have a planning Workshop for S-RIP Phase 2 (S-RIP2, https://s-rip.github.io/) in Boulder, CO, USA immediately following the Quadrennial Ozone Symposium (QOS, 15-19 July 2024). The workshop will begin with an ECS event on Saturday (20 July) and informal small group meetings on Sunday (21 July). The formal workshop will be Monday 22 July through the morning of Wednesday 24 July.
We particularly want to foster participation of Early-Career Scientists (ECSs: PhD students, postdoctoral fellows) from all over the world in S-RIP2 and encourage those who are attending the QOS in Boulder, as well as local ECSs, to participate in our workshop. Some financial support will be available for ECS who need to change tickets and/or extend accommodations in Boulder after the QOS.
We particularly encourage applications for the ECS event and participation in the workshop from the Global South. Workshop registration fees will be waived for ECSs. Participation in the S-RIP ECS event on 20 July will be free of charge, including coffee break, lunch, and a social evening; participation in this event may be limited (~10-15 people).
Please save the dates! Note: An announcement on options for registration and accommodation will be made soon, when those arrangements are finalised.
The World Climate Research Programme is calling for nominations for membership of its Joint Scientific Committee (JSC). Initial terms are for four years, starting January 2025. Nominations will close on 15 March 2024.
