Medium-Range Weather Prediction: The European Approach

ISBN-13: 9781441920911 / Angielski / Miękka / 2010 / 270 str.

Austin Woods

Opis

About 450 million people live in the 18 States that set up the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Thirty years ago, they est- lished an independent institution with a clearly defined objective. It was not to be a university-type institute for research, neither was it to be an ope- tional weather forecast office. It would combine the scientific and technical resources of its Member States to use the most powerful computers in order to extend the range of weather forecasts beyond two or three days, the limit of useful forecasts at that time. It would be small; the work force was to be limited to about 150, incl- ing administrative and other support staff. In 2005, 30 years after the Convention was signed, the staff totalled about 160. The Centre attracted the best talent in its specific field of endeavour. Each year about ten scientists left, to be replaced by newcomers bringing younger minds and fresh ideas. It is not surprising that it quickly became a world leader in its field. It is widely recognised as having maintained its leading position. This book considers how the Centre was conceived in the confusing and difficult political period of the 1960s in Europe. It summarises the political, scientific, technical and financial discussions that led to the drafting of its Convention, and how it came to be built 60 km west of London, England.

Recenzje

From the reviews:

"Austin Woods undertook ... ambitious enterprise by guiding the reader through four decades of research and development structured into 20 chapters, which are surrounded by three forewords and three appendices. ... The great strengths of Woods' story lie in his unassuming tone, his short and at times dry personal style ... . Furthermore the author has a gift to explain the complex facets inherent in modern weather forecasting in a fashion that puts the interested ... reader on a valuable track towards (a better) understanding." (H. Volkert, Meteorologische Zeitschrift, Vol. 15 (6), 2006)

Spis treści

Foreword from the President of the ECMWF Council Foreword from the Director ECMWF Foreword from the President of Committee of COST Senior Officials Preface Contents Acknowledgements 1 The First Director 2 The Beginnings: the Political Background 3 Meteorological Developments 1967 to 1971 4 The Project Study 5 The Convention 6 In the United Kingdom 7 1974 to 1980 - The Formative Years 8 The Analysis System, from 0I to 4D- Var 9 The Medium-Range Model 10 Ensemble Prediction - Forecasting the Error 11 Seasonal Prediction 12 Wave Prediction 13 Data from on High 14 Re-analysis - Towards a new ERA 15 Archives and Graphics: Towards MARS, MAGICS and Metview 16 The Computer System: CDC, Cray, Fujitsu, IBM 17 Communicating the Forecasts: Mail and 50 Baud to RMDCN 18 Commercial Issues 19 The Staff 20 And the outlook is. . . Annex 1 Directors Annex 2 The Council and its Committees Annex 3 List of Abbreviations

O autorze

Dr. James Austin Woods (PhD Meteorology Penn State University 1970 and 1972) joined ECMWF in 1978 from the Irish Meteorological Service as Head of Meteorological Operations and became Assistant Director in 1984. In 2004 he retired, at the age of 63.