Agenda of First Science Team Meeting
OBJECTIVE AND STRUCTURE
SCIENCE OBJECTIVE OF THE AEROSOL RADIATIVE FORCING SCIENCE TEAM:
To better understand
the radiative impact of aerosols on the Earth's climate.
Specifically, to develop a global aerosol climatology and to provide a
quantitative assessment of radiative forcing caused by atmospheric aerosols
during the 20-year period of satellite observations.
OBJECTIVE OF THE FIRST SCIENCE TEAM MEETING:
To provide an opportunity for all members of the team to learn about relevant
individual research investigations and to develop a plan for integrating them
into a collaborative effort to accomplish the science objective.
DISCUSSION OF THE OBJECTIVE AND APPROACH:
The aerosol
radiative forcing science team is a group of individuals who are
responsible for defining and accomplishing their own scientific investigations,
all of which may contribute to our understanding of radiative/climate impact of
aerosols. The assumption is that because of the complexity of the topic, a
team of investigators who individually focus on a number of sub-topics, can be
organized to approach the topic in a synergistic manner. The specific
investigations represented on this team were selected from a number of
positively evaluated proposals. The selections were made with consideration of
the anticipated breadth of investigations required to address the more
fundamental topic.
In order to function as a team, each of the members must be aware of the
contributions which each of the investigations will make to developing an
improved understanding. Thus, in the first meeting each of the contributory
individual investigations should be introduced to the investigations of all of
the other team members. There are several ways in which this can be
accomplished but the one we have adopted seems to be the most efficient and
logistically "do-able." In addition to a mutual understanding of the
individual investigations, a plan must be developed which outlines the
collaborations needed to accomplish the science objective. General agreement
is also needed as to the schedule of the investigations and when the
collaborations can logically be made. This level of detail may be more than
what can be handled in the first meeting.
Ideally the first meeting should start with a review of past progress made and
the status of research underway to address the fundamental science objective of
this science team. However, because of time limitations and the anticipated
experience of the team members, this review is not part of the present agenda.
The Dahlem Workshop Report on Aerosol Forcing of Climate is an excellent recent
(1995) text on the status of this topic. If one does not already exist, it
might be useful for a subset of the team to develop a journal article which
up-dates the Workshop Report (I'm aware of one or two efforts along these
lines).
The format of this first science team meeting differs markedly from the formats
suggested by participants of both the Dahlem Workshop and the Gordon Conference
due to their contrasting meeting objectives. The overall goal of a Dahlem
Workshop "is not necessarily to reach consensus, but rather to identify gaps in
knowledge, to find new ways of approaching controversial issues, and to define
priorities for future research." The goal of the science team, however is much
more focused. This team has been assembled and is funded to do a specific job
in a specific period of time. After discussion with many of the science team
members a format was chosen which efficiently provides time for exchange of
information amongst investigators and for discussion of future collaboration.
FORMAT FOR FIRST SCIENCE TEAM MEETING:
To provide an opportunity for all members of the team to learn about individual
projects and how they can be integrated into a collaborative effort the
following approach has been taken:
1. ABSTRACTS: Each of the team members have been asked to provide via
e-mail an abstract of their investigation. The abstract should clearly
summarize the objective of the investigation, existing/desirable input
information or data, and the expected output of the investigation. A statement
should also be included as to how the investigation may contribute to the
science team objective of improving our understanding of aerosol radiative
forcing and in creating a global aerosol climatology. These abstracts will be
available on the GACP web site before the science team meeting.
2. PRESENTATIONS: Each science team member funded by NASA is asked to
give a 10 minute presentation on their investigation. The presentation should
include a clear and concise statement of the objective of their investigation,
data/information required, approach, and expected output. The presentation
should also indicate how the output may contribute to the overall science
objective and the schedule. The presentation should last 6 - 7 minutes,
allowing 3 - 4 minutes for discussion. The goal of these short presentations
is to identify the individuals and their investigations for future discussions
and for potential future collaboration.
3. POSTERS: Team members who are not funded by NASA are invited to
prepare a poster presentation of their investigations. These poster
presentations should include the information outlined in 2 and should stress
the contribution of their research to the overall science objective of the
team. These collaborators should indicate their planned schedules.
4. REQUIREMENTS FOR AN AEROSOL CLIMATOLOGY: A plenary session is planned
to precede the more focused discussion of team level collaborative efforts, to
address and discuss the "user" requirements for an aerosol climatology. More
specifically, this session will address the needs and hopes related to aerosol
parameterizations in radiative transfer (direct radiative forcing) and the
cloud physics parts of climate models (indirect radiative forcing).
5. PARALLEL DISCUSSION SESSIONS: To identify and plan for collaborative
efforts amongst team members a sequence of four discussion sessions are
planned. Due to schedule and logistical constraints, two of these discussion
"break out" sessions will be conducted at a time for approximately 90 minutes.
It is apparent that to allow adequate development of the topic would require
one-half day at a minimum. However, it is hoped that with focus and discipline
progress will be made and that these sessions will initiate more quantitative
discussion to be conducted via the internet.
Moderators/rapporteurs have been identified for each of these
discussion sessions. The moderators/rapporteurs will initiate discussion by
summarizing (in 15 minutes) the input information requirements, the expected
output and the potential contribution to be made by each of the investigations
in that sub-topic area. The moderator/ rapporteurs (or a designate) should
also outline data sets available in their sub-topic area (if they have not
already been identified in the summary). This may require preparatory work by
the moderators/rapporteurs in advance of the meeting. The moderators/
rapporteurs should keep notes during the break-out session for later reporting.
6. PARALLEL DISCUSSION SESSION TOPICS AND KEY QUESTIONS:
DISCUSSION SESSION A. Strategy
for the development and use of algorithms for
satellite retrieval of aerosol parameters and development of an aerosol
climatology
How might we refine the AVHRR algorithm being used for near-term and
retrospective satellite constraints on aerosol column optical depth? How can
we merge other satellite measurements into this climatology. This session
could conclude with a draft list of ideas for modifications to the current
algorithms, or for additional ways to place error bars (to validate) the
results.
DISCUSSION SESSION B. Strategy for the use of aerosol source data, transport
models, and satellite data for the development of an integrated aerosol
climatology (including source characterization / chemical, physical and
radiative transformations/ transport)
In what specific areas do aerosol
transport models promise to contribute the
most to filling in gaps in the satellite and in situ records of aerosol amounts and properties? This session could conclude with a draft list of suggestions
for additional model runs, or ideas for modifications to current transport
models.
DISCUSSION SESSION C. Strategy for use of surface, in situ, and field
experiment measurements to give additional constraint to the aerosol
measurements and for validation of derived aerosol climatology. Strategy to
separate constraints from validation to avoid compromising integrity of
validation.
Which specific in situ and field measurements could add the most to the
global, but poorly-constrained, picture of aerosol amounts and properties
provided by current and near-future satellite observations? This session could
conclude with a draft list of ideas for additional in situ and field
measurements, or for modifications to current and planned measurement programs
to better complement satellite observations.
How might we approach the statistical issues related to using in situ and
field data to improve the constraints on aerosols provided by satellite
observations?
DISCUSSION SESSION D. Can we assess the global indirect forcing in our
lifetime with error bars smaller than the mean. Strategy for study of cloud /
aerosol interactions. Does the strategy require a focused field experiment
which may be beyond this project?
What can we say about indirect aerosol forcing, using models along with
satellite, in situ, field, and laboratory measurements? This session could
conclude with a draft list of the specific contributions each source could
make, perhaps with some ideas about coordination, refinements to existing
techniques, or new approaches.
7. SUMMARY SESSIONS: In plenary, the rapporteurs from the four parallel
discussion sessions will present the approach adopted to develop their session
topics. They will mention any conclusions reached and outline the points to be
included in their development of a short written topical report to be prepared
following the science team meeting. The schedule for these reports will be
discussed at the meeting but is expected to be available no later than 31
December 1998. These reports will become part of the documented products from
this first science team meeting and will reside in the GACP web page.
8. FINAL PLENARY DISCUSSION SESSION: The goal of this discussion is to
gather the ideas from the previous 2 days and the collected wisdom of the team
to address the question: "What is the best climatology we can aspire to in the
near future, based on existing observations and models, possibly with modest
additions or improvements?
9. BUSINESS DISCUSSION: The meeting will conclude with a discussion of
the structure of the science team, leadership, date and location of the second
science team meeting.
FIRST MEETING OF THE SCIENCE TEAM TO STUDY
AEROSOL RADIATIVE FORCING OF CLIMATE
AGENDA
WEDNESDAY 18 NOVEMBER
9:00 AM PLENARY SESSION 1: INTRODUCTION
9:00 AM INTRODUCTION OF SCIENCE TEAM,
US & INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATORS;
DESCRIPTION OF THE GLOBAL AEROSOL
CLIMATOLOGY PROJECT (GACP); RELATIONSHIP
TO OTHER US & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES,
GOALS & APPROACH OF THE TEAM (Curran)
9:25 AM OVERVIEW OF GACP PROCESSING FACILITY & ITS REMOTE
SENSING COMPONENT (Mishchenko)
9:40 AM GACP PROCESSING FACILITY: TRACER
MODEL COMPONENT (Tegen)
9:50 AM RELEVANT RESEARCH SPONSORED BY OTHER US AGENCIES
10:10 AM COFFEE BREAK
10:40 AM PLENARY SESSION 2: INDIVIDUAL PROJECT SUMMARIES
(Chairperson: McCormick)
10:40 AM Durkee
10:50 AM Remer/Kaufman
11:00 AM Randall
11:10 AM Reagan
11:20 PM Winker
11:30 PM Liou
11:40 PM Stowe
11:50 PM Torres
12:00 NOON LUNCH BREAK
1:40 PM PLENARY SESSION 3: INDIVIDUAL PROJECT SUMMARIES
(Chairperson: Levy)
1:40 PM Hobbs
1:50 PM Ogren
2:00 PM Fuller
2:10 PM Prospero
2:20 PM Novakov
2:30 PM Covert
2:40 PM Bates
2:50 PM Clarke
3:00 PM COFFEE BREAK
3:30 PM PLENARY SESSION 4 INDIVIDUAL PROJECT SUMMARIES
(Chairperson: Li)
3:30 PM Han
3:40 PM Russell
3:50 PM Harshvardhan
4:00 PM Coakley
4:10 PM Stackhouse
4:20 PM Charlock
4:30 PM Pilewskie
4:40 PM Tsay
4:50 PM SESSIONS END FOR THE DAY
THURSDAY 19 NOVEMBER
8:30 AM PLENARY SESSION 5: INDIVIDUAL PROJECT SUMMARIES
(Chairperson: Benedict)
8:30 AM Kukla
8:40 AM Chou
8:50 AM Christopher
9:00 AM Del Genio
9:10 PM Penner
9:20 AM Toon
9:30 AM Chuang
9:40 AM Chin
9:40 AM COFFEE BREAK
10:00 AM PLENARY SESSION 6: INTRODUCTION TO DISCUSSION SESSIONS
WHAT GLOBAL AEROSOL CLIMATOLOGY IS NEEDED
FOR CLIMATE MODELING (Invited Speakers: Hansen
and Del Genio)
11:30 AM LUNCH BREAK
1:00 PM PARALLEL DISCUSSION SESSIONS
DISCUSSION SESSION A: DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF
SATELLITE RETRIEVAL ALGORITHMS
(Moderators/Rapporteurs: Kahn and Durkee)
DISCUSSION SESSION B: USE OF TRANSPORT
MODELING IN INTEGRATED CLIMATOLOGIES
(Moderators/Rapporteurs: Penner and Chuang)
2:20 PM COFFEE BREAK
2:50 PM PARALLEL DISCUSSION SESSIONS
DISCUSSION SESSION C: SURFACE, IN SITU, AND FIELD
EXPERIMENTS: VALIDATION AND CONSTRAINTS
(Moderators/Rapporteurs: Holben and Ogren)
DISCUSSION SESSION D: INDIRECT AEROSOL FORCING:
WHAT CAN DE DONE ABOUT IT
(Moderators/Rapporteurs: Hobbs and Rossow)
4:10 PM RECEPTION/POSTER SESSION (Chairperson: Curran)
6:00 PM SESSIONS END FOR THE DAY
FRIDAY 20 NOVEMBER
8:00 AM SUMMARY SESSION 1: SUMMARIES OF DISCUSSION SESSIONS
A AND B (Chairpersons: Durkee and Chuang)
9:00 AM COFFEE BREAK
9:20 AM SUMMARY SESSION 2: SUMMARIES OF DISCUSSION SESSIONS
C AND D (Chairpersons: Ogren and Rossow)
10:20 AM COFFEE BREAK
10:40 AM SUMMARY SESSION 3: TOWARD AN ADVANCED CLIMATOLOGY
OF AEROSOL RADIATIVE FORCING
(Moderators: Hansen and Russell)
11:40 AM BUSINESS SESSION (TEAM STRUCTURE & NEXT MEETING)
(Chairperson: Curran)
1:00 PM MEETING ENDS
Dr. Robert J. Curran,
Office of Earth Science, NASA HQ
Fax: (202) 358-2770
E-mail: rcurran@hq.nasa.gov
Phone: (202) 358-1432
