FORM Activities: Status Report

Hans Richner, IACETH, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland

The FORM Working Group held its last semi-annual meeting in Bad Ragaz 8-9 November 2001. Twenty-one participants from Austria, France, Germany, Liechtenstein and Switzerland joined at the picturesque Hotel Wartenstein overlooking most of the Rhine Valley Target Area. In an almost familiar setting, we spent two days in a relaxed atmosphere exchanging information on the latest activities, discussing the results, and suggesting new activities. The fact that there was minimal time pressure allowed true and constructive discussions. After a brief review of the MAP presentations at the DACHMT 2001 in Vienna, all groups represented at the meeting informed about their activities and newest results. In this discussion it became very obvious, that a number of previously unresolved issues could be cleared thanks to the close cooperation among the researchers. Examples for problem-stricken topics are the remotely sensed wind speed over the valley floor (comparison scidar - radiosonde - lidar) and the flow splitting near Sargans (comparison observation - model). Another important discussion was the definition of various terms related to Foehn; based on the experience, new observations, and expertise these could be further refined. At the end of the meeting an action list was compiled. This list includes the preparation of specific data for use by other groups for their own evaluation. With respect to the upcoming MAP Meeting 2002 (June 17 to 21, 2002, Park City, UT, U.S.A.), a strategy was discussed that would allow to present the activities of the FORM WG in an appropriate fashion. The group unanimously decided to keep its semi-annual meetings. It is foreseen that the fall meeting will regularly be organized by Switzerland in Bad Ragaz, while the spring meetings will be arranged by one of the other countries involved in FORM. The next FORM WG Meeting will be held May 21 and 22, 2002 in Lannemezan, France, upon invitation of Meteo France. The minutes of the FORM WG Meetings, as well as some of the presentations made there, can be downloaded from here.