Dr. Robert Gall, Director (left) and Dr. Richard Rotunno, Assistant Director (right).

 

Message from the Director

The Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology Division (MMM) is dedicated to advancing the understanding of mesoscale and microscale aspects of weather and climate. This understanding is crucial for improving the ability of people worldwide to better predict, and prepare for, the forces of nature that significantly impact their safety, transportation, agriculture, and livelihoods; thus, providing for greater economic productivity and personal security.

As summarized in this Annual Scientific Report, the Division has made significant advances, both in increasing the accuracy in the prediction of precipitating weather systems, and in further understanding complex cloud and surface processes and parameterizations. These two themes define the two major research programs within the Division. The first program, the Prediction of Precipitation Weather Systems (PPWS) Program seeks to increase the accuracy of predicting significant precipitation events, in order to reduce forecast errors toward the limits of predictability. As mentioned, the impacts of increased forecasting accuracy are evident not only in greater economic prosperity, but in the increased well-being of our populations as well. The second program, the Cloud and Surface Processes and Parameterization (CaSPP) Program seeks to quantify the large scale effects of mesoscale and microscale processes and to develop physically based methods to account for these effects in large-scale models. Understanding the vast complexity of interacting weather processes -- from the effects of atmospheric chemistry to the intricate interactions of ocean, land and air -- requires dedicated study and further research in parameterizing these processes for use in computerized weather models. The work of the CaSPP researchers to more accurately parameterize these complex processes contributes to the increased accuracy of climate simulation and prediction, and to more accurate weather forecasting models.

To carry out its program, MMM has established a set of priorities, expressed in its Science Plan. These priorities, as well as those of national and international research programs such as the U.S. Weather Research Program (USWRP) and the Global Energy and Water-Cycle Experiment (GEWEX), are the guiding force that directs the program and serves as the criteria upon which to evaluate its impact. To facilitate the research, the Division is organized into six science groups. These groups include Boundary Layer and Turbulence, Physical Meteorology, Mesoscale Dynamics, Mesoscale Prediction, Cloud Systems, and Prediction Diagnostics. The Division also includes a computing system management group and an administrative group, both of which provide support to the division. MMM is committed to supporting an extensive Visitor Program as evident in the Staff & Visitor section of this report. In addition, collocated with the Division is a group, lead by David Jorgensen, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL). The NSSL group specializes in airborne dual-Doppler observations of mesoscale systems and augments the MMM program in mesoscale observations.

MMM disseminates its scientific progress via many avenues that integrate its science and technology for the benefit of the scientific community. A recent project where this is most evident is the development of the Weather Research Forecast (WRF) model. As the next-generation community model, WRF will integrate research and operations and will provide the mechanism for a more rapid transfer of NWP (numerical weather prediction) research to operational forecasting. This, and other significant accomplishments by MMM staff and visitors, can be viewed under the Summary section of this report. In addition to this, MMM regularly hosts an international representation of researchers at science workshops, seminars, and symposia. This exchange of scientific knowledge and viewpoints benefits the research community as a whole, and stimulates new ideas and scientific efforts within the Division.

We hope that you will gain a sense of the significance of the progress that the Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorolgoy Division has made in the past year, while reading this year's Annual Scientific Report. As always, if you are left either inspired, or with further questions about any of the Division's research, we hope you will contact us.