Terms of Reference for WMO CAS
Commission for Atmospheric Sciences (CAS)
OPAG on Environmental Pollution and Atmospheric Chemistry (OPAG-EPAC)
Terms of Reference for all GAW Scientific Advisory Groups
(a) To provide guidance and advice on assessments relevant to
OPAG-EPAC;
(b) To develop scientific priorities based on user requirements;
(c) To contribute to the GAW Strategic Plan, taking into account the
IGACO strategy and regional needs;
(d) To implement recommendations, tasks and projects as defined in
the GAW Strategic Plan;
(e) To monitor operations at sites and recommend the development of
networks, observation methodologies and techniques;
(f) To develop measurement procedures and guidelines, data quality
objectives and, when applicable, standard operating procedures;
(g) To report to the JSSC OPAG-EPAC on progress and critical
problems;
(h) To interact with the OPAG for the World Weather Research
Programme.
Back
to CAS Expert Teams
Terms of Reference for the Expert Team on World Data
Centres (ET-WDC)
(a) To coordinate the activities of GAW WDCs and the GAW Station
Information System (GAWSIS)
(b) To formulate GAW requirements for the WMO Information System
(WIS) and contribute to defining and coordinating services for
operational, time-critical applications so that GAW and other
environmental observational data are available to users online and,
when possible, in near real time.
Back
to CAS Expert Teams
Terms of Reference for the Expert Team on Near-real-time
Chemical Data Transfer (ET-NRT CDT)
(a) To contribute to the design of activities that enhance the
transfer of GAW data in near-real-time through the WMO GTS/WIS to
meet the needs of NWP and air quality monitoring and forecasts
centres.
(b) To actively participate in the implementation of pilot projects
that develop and demonstrate ways to solve problems in
near-real-time delivery of GAW data.
(c) To contribute to the development of the WMO GTS/WIS as
representatives of the atmospheric chemistry observations community.
OPAG on World Weather Research Programme (OPAG-WWRP)
Working Group on Nowcasting
Research (WG-NR)
(a) To advance the science of nowcasting, including meteorology processes and predictability;
(b) To promote, and aid the implementation of nowcasting in the WWRP framework and within National Meteorological Services and
their end users;
(c) To organize international workshops and conferences on nowcasting;
(d) To develop and implement RDPs and FDPs to advance the underlying science as well as to develop, compare, validate and
exchange various nowcasting techniques, and to involve the operational evaluation outcomes.
Working
Group on Mesoscale Forecasting Research (WG-MFR)
(a) To promote, organize and/or endorse end-to-end weather research and development projects (RDP) including understanding of
weather processes, improving forecasting techniques and improving the utility of forecast information with an emphasis on high impact weather;
(b) To review and widely advertise guidelines and process of submission/acceptance of project proposals;
(c) To establish project committees, working groups, test beds and expert teams as required for the implementation of projects to
meet the objectives of CAS;
(d) To actively promote the applications of
improvements in weather forecasting capability through forecast demonstration projects (FDP) and the sponsoring of technical workshops and
conferences;
(e) To supervise the process of individual evaluation and quality assessment of each "pre-operational" type project (in
particular of each demonstration project), and to validate its conclusions, in light of the state-of-the-art.
Back
to CAS Expert Teamse
Working Group on Forecast Verification
Research (WG-FVR)
(a) To plan and implement
the verification component of WWRP and TMRP projects;
(b) To serve as a focal point for the development and dissemination of new verification methods;
(c) To facilitate and encourage training and dissemination of information about verification methodologies;
(d) To encourage greater cooperation between users and verifiers of forecasts, to ensure the relevance and integrity of the
practice of forecast verification;
(e) To facilitate the development and application of improved diagnostic verification methods to assess and enable improvement of
the quality of weather forecasts including forecasts from numerical weather and climate models;
(f) To encourage the sharing of observational data for verification purposes;
(g) To encourage greater awareness in the research community of the importance of verification as a vital part of numerical and
field experiments, rather than an “afterthought”;
(h) To promote collaboration among scientists conducting research on various aspects of forecast verification, and with model
developers and forecast providers.
Back
to CAS Expert Teams
THORPEX Executive Board (THORPEX EB)
(a) The THORPEX Executive Board, established by
THORPEX International Core Steering Committee (ICSC), acts as the focal point and coordinates all THORPEX activities.
It is responsible for the day-to-day execution of THORPEX and ensures its implementation in accordance with the THORPEX International
Implementation Plan 2005-2015;
(b) The EB consists of Executive Director, chairs of THORPEX Regional Committees, and co-chairs of the following THORPEX working
groups:
(i)
Predictability and Dynamical/Physical Processes WG;
(ii) Observing Systems WG;
(iii) Data Assimilation and Observing Strategies WG;
(iv) Social and Economic Applications WG;
(v) Data Policy and Management WG;
(vi) Global Interactive Forecasting System/THORPEX Interactive
Grand Global Ensemble (TIGGE) WG;
(c) THORPEX Science and Technical Advisory Boards participate in the work of
the EB to, respectively, ensure the overall scientific integrity of the programme and conformity of THORPEX plans with operational capabilities and
the transition of research results to operations.
Back
to CAS Expert Teams
Working Group on Tropical Meteorology
Research (WG-TMR)
(a) To monitor the implementation of existing priority projects within the WMO Tropical Meteorology Research Programme (TMRP) and
to further develop other appropriate research projects as the need arises, under the following main programme components:
(i) Tropical
cyclones;
(ii) Monsoon studies (on
regional and global scales);
(iii) Tropical drought and
rain-producing systems;
(iv) Limited-area modelling
in the tropics;
(v) Interaction between
tropical and mid-latitude weather systems;
(vi) Tropical meteorology
and climate;
(b) To identify and support research initiatives of NMHSs in tropical countries, generally including collaboration with groups
in universities or research institutes, which are likely to lead to economic benefits, particularly in agriculture and water resources management;
(c) To keep under continuous review developments in research aspects of the WMO Tropical Cyclone Programme (TCP) by maintaining
close liaison with TCP regional bodies and to facilitate coordination of research at regional levels.
Back
to CAS Expert Teams