04 Dec 2009
WCRP-WWRP-THORPEX Survey on Model Evaluation and Improvement
This is a second call to participate in the WCRP-WWRP-THORPEX Survey on Model Evaluation and Improvement. We are seeking the participation of the observational, theoretical and process (observational and modeling) communities and the climate and NWP modeling communities. The survey will provide input to the strategic planning for model improvement activities coordinated through WCRP, WWRP and THORPEX. The first survey call stimulated a wealth of responses from over 80 participants including substantial group or institute-wide contributions, particularly from climate and NWP modeling groups. This success was reported to the WCRP/CLIVAR Working Group on Coupled Modeling (WGCM) and the WCRP/CAS Working Group on Numerical Experimentation (WGNE). WWRP and THORPEX have joined WCRP in leading the survey as a direct result of its initial success. The expansion of the survey's partners has motivated this second call. We also wish to solicit a greater response from the observational, theoretical and process study communities to help answer the question of how can the international community accelerate/facilitate progress in translating innovative parameterizations and conceptual models, developed through observations and process model studies, into the next generation climate and NWP models. Please send your views by completing the attached survey by 15 January 2010. The survey can be donloaded from WCRP survey . Any further information can be obtained by contacting Anna Pirani (apirani@princeton.edu).

24 Nov 2009
4th meeting of the Global Synthesis and Observations Panel (GSOP)
Members and invitees of GSOP met at the JAMSTEC Tokyo Office , Japan, on 11-13 November 2009 for the panel's fourth meeting. GSOP was one of the drivers for OceanObs'09 and this meeting focused on the best ways to move forward the discussions that took place during that conference and how GSOP can better contribute in those actions. A highlight of the GSOP meeting was discussion of overarching problems and synergies of basin and global activities, facilitated by the attendance of representatives (three of them were panel co-chairs) of all four CLIVAR basin panels. The group also addressed data quality control and data management issues and in particular strongly supported activities to coordinate quality control schemes of ocean profile data. For ocean synthesis activities, basin panels were encouraged to set up small teams with interest around key oceanic regions to exploit the use of ocean synthesis products. In addition, global ocean synthesis intercomparison activities were encouraged to continue under the guidance of GSOP. For those interested, meeting presentations can be found at http://www.clivar.org/organization/gsop/gsop4/gsop_4.php.

01 Jul 2009
12th Session of the VAMOS Panel
The 12th Session of the CLIVAR VAMOS Panel (VPM12) was held on 3-5 June 2009, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA. It was hosted by the Department of Physics of the University of Puerto Rico and the PR Space Grant Consortium from NASA with joint support from WCRP, NOAA/CPPA and US CLIVAR. The presentations given by the meeting participants are available at the meeting webpage (http://www.clivar.org/organization/vamos/Meetings/VPM12_meet.php). The meeting focused on the progress of the VAMOS projects, particularly the VOCALS Regional Experiment, ,the Monsoon Experiment South America, the Intra-American Seas study of Climate Processes (IASCLIP) and in the La Plata Basin. The panel also addressed the VAMOS contributions to the WCRP cross-cutting themes, other WCRP projects, such as GEWEX, and IGBP programs and activities. In particular, efforts by the VAMOS modeling group, the recently established VAMOS Extremes WG, and the group that is analyzing the current status of the Anthropogenic Climate Change related research for the Americas were evaluated. Following the recommendations of CLIVAR SSG-16, linkages with WGSIP, WGCM and the WCRP/WWRP Monsoon Task Force were also explored. The VAMOS panel meeting was preceded by an IASCLIP workshop, held on 2-3 June at the same venue. Further information about the meeting and VAMOS activities can be found at http://www.clivar.org/organization/vamos/vamos.php.