The IPY-Thorpex cluster

The IPY-Thorpex cluster currently comprises an international cooperation between 10 individual IPY projects from 9 countries with the following main objectives:

• To explore the use of satellite data and optimised observations to improve high impact weather forecasts (form Polar Thorpex Regional Campaigns (TReCs) and/or provide additional observations in real time to the WMO GTS)

• To better understand physical/dynamical processes in polar regions
• To achieve a better understanding of small scale weather phenomena
• To utilise improved forecasts to the benefit of society, the economy and the environment
• To utilise the Thorpex Interactive Grand Global Ensemble (TIGGE) of weather forecasts for polar prediction

• The Greenland flow Distortion Experiment (GFDex). The focus is upon Greenland tip jets, air-sea interactions, barrier winds and mesoscale cyclones. The field campaign took place in February 2007. (Ian Renfrew, University of East Anglia.)
• Storm Studies of the Arctic (STAR). Includes enhanced observations in the eastern Canadian Artic, gap flow, air-sea interactions, orographic precipitation, interaction of cyclones with topography etc. (John Hanesiak, University of Manitoba.)
• Concordiasi. IASI assimilation in Antarctica, assimilation of dropsondes launched from driftsondes, polar processes, the circumpolar vortex, using IASI data for climate monitoring, stable boundary layers, polar clouds and ozone, etc. (Florence Rabier, Meteo- France.)
• Norwegian IPY-Thorpex.  Our project, which also coordinates the IPY-Thorpex cluster.
• Thorpex Arctic Weather and Environmental Prediction Initiative (TAWEPI). Study of various aspects of Arctic weather and the Arctic climate system – snow processes, polar clouds, sea-ice and ozone layer, develop and validate a regional weather prediction model and the use of satellite observations over the Arctic. The research will be done in various Canadian provinces, and will also improve science's understanding of the Arctic and its influence on world weather. (Ayrton Zadra, Environment Canada.)
• Greenland Jets. Will consider mesocale flows, including orographic disturbances, mesocylones and surface fluxes. (Andreas Dörnbrack, DLR, Germany.)
• Greenex. Considers forecasting of small-scale weather phenomena including extremes; meso- and fine-scale flows in the vicinity of orography and sea ice and downstream weather development as well as scale interactions. (Haraldur Olafsson, Iceland in cooperation with DLR.)
• Artic Regional Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ARCMIP). Targeted observations on the North Pole station over the Artic Ocean, feedbacks between the planetary boundary layer and meso-cyclones. Climate processes and feedbacks within the coupled Artic climate system. (Klaus Dethloff, Alfred-Wegener Institute, Germany.)
• Impacts of surface fluxes on severe Artic storms, Climate Change and Arctic coastal orographic processes. Includes studies of storm activity in the western Artic in the context of surface fluxes from changing ice, ocean and land surface conditions. Studies of coastal ocean processes and assessment of severe weather and climate factors that can impact human communities. (Will Perrie, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Canada.)
• The Thorpex Pacific Asian Regional Campaign (T-PARC). Includes studies of ET (Extra-Tropical transition) and links between tropical/mid-latitiude and polar weather. (David Parsons, NCAR, USA.)

Download presentation of the 10 different members here.

IPY-Thorpex is supported by EUCOS and ECMWF which will provide targeted runs and assimilate observations from field campaigns.

As can be seen, these activities are mainly focused on the Arctic region. However, one of them has its focus on Antarctica and one of its aims is to validate and improve the assimilation of AIRS/IASI satellite data in numerical models with emphasis on polar latitudes. Other important issues that will be investigated in IPY-Thorpex is the role of Greenland in terms of flow distortion and its effect on local and middle latitude weather prediction as well as the thermohaline circulation in the ocean; comparison of Arctic Regional Climate Models; exploration of the use of satellite data and optimised observations to improve high impact weather forecasts and improved understanding of physical/dynamical processes in polar regions with emphasis on small scale weather phenomena.

The projects are expected to bring new knowledge and understanding of meteorological conditions and processes at high latitudes. This includes understanding the physics of small scale systems (e.g. polar lows) and the role of Arctic mountain ranges like Greenland as well as the role of high latitudes for the climate.

Dedicated in situ observations may be mainly limited to the IPY period although it is hoped that some "legacy" observations will continue; it is clear however that most of the future observations to be used by NWEP will come from satellites that gives a unique vantage point of the polar regions atmospher-ocean-ice systems. By the combined use of available in-situ observations taken during the IPY with remotely sensed observations and better parameterisation schemes it is expected that weather and environmental forecasts will be significantly improved. The development of new weather and environmental prediction systems trough the IPY-Thorpex projects will be a step forward the generation of meteorological, hydrological and ice information needed to continuously monitor and forecast the polar regions present environmental state at unprecedented accuracy that will permit quantifying their spatial and temporal variability on a wide range of scales, from few hours to weeks.

These improvements in turn will generate socio-economic benefits for polar communities. This will increase sustainability of Arctic communities, since this will facilitate the merging of traditional Inuit and meteorological knowledge of the evolving high latitude climatology and weather systems. Another example of an socio-economic advance is that our understanding of the climatology and physics of the low-level wind field in the Arctic will assist in the assessment of the potential use of wind power as a replacement for burning of fossil fuels in remote northern communities. This will contribute towards improving the health of northern communities through a reduction in pollution as well as contributing to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
 

See also IPY-THORPEX Science Implementation Plan, by Thor Erik Nordeng (pdf) here.