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High Resolution Numerical Weather Prediction Project
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The 6th Assembly of ALADIN Partners, Casablanca, 14 th of January 2002
Article published on 22 September 2002
last modification on 22 September 2008

by Patricia

The 6th Assembly of ALADIN Partners took place in Casablanca (Morocco) on January 14, 2002 :

  • The 1999-2001 research plan was assessed : while considering objectives versus progress, it appears that more efforts had to be deployed on physics and data assimilation.
  • A 2002-2004 research plan was proposed for training, maintenance, operations, applications, verification, coupling, dynamics, physics, data assimilation, predictability and organisation of research. The discussion aimed especially the verification point (verification is still at the same level than in 1999) and suggested possible solutions : local data bases, exchange of results, co-ordination scheme, ... About the other topics, it was mentioned the too high number of topics with a high priority : it was suggested to distinguish between “transversal priorities†and the other less general priorities : a new working group “Science and Strategy Committee†will be in charge of this kind of management tasks (to supervise priorities and co-operation with other SRNWP groups, to follow AROME project and to report to the Assembly on progress of the scientific plan). The working group has 6 permanent members ( Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Morocco and Romania) and other partners are free to join the meetings on a case to case basis.
  • It was decided to merge the two ALADIN workshops (scientific issues, operational aspects) into one enlarged one.
  • In response to the official request of ACMAD (African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development) to be somehow associated to the ALADIN group, a small working group (Belgium, Croatia, France, Hungary, Morocco and Romania) is created to work on questions of co-operation between the ALADIN group and non-member African NMSs.
  • As these two new working groups were created by the assembly, the Technical Co-operation Standing Committee established by the new MoU is temporarily left aside.
  • The AROME (Application of Research to Operations at Mesoscale) project was presented : AROME was launched late 2001 at Météo-France with the aim to prepare list of objectives, needed research tasks and planification steps for a target around 2009. It could concern a merge of ALADIN and Meso-NH bests to create a new configuration taking advantage of the two models especially at high resolution. This could have obviously heavy consequences on all ALADIN project components. ALADIN Partners, through the Practical Co-ordination Management Structure will be invited at Météo-France AROME meetings.
  • Some fundings will decrease (MAE, LACE, ...) while Météo-France will continue financing tasks related to maintenance. ALATNET is dedicated to “ALATNET actions†with regular justification work to European Union. Thus, in order to reduce some useless charges, as far as possible, people coming on maintenance stays in Toulouse on Météo-France funding will be asked to buy (much less expensive) plane ticket at home (they will be reimbursed in Toulouse). Anyway, more and more deported work in needed but ... at the same time heavy supervising work is also needed.

Please consult the Minutes of the 6th Assembly for more details.

6th Assembly Minutes