The field phase of MAP, will be an unprecedented experimental effort over a mountain range of the size of the Alps. Thanks to the active international cooperation, a number of high technology atmospheric and hydrological probing facilities will be available, and their optimal use must be discussed and planned in advance, in relation with the potential weather situations and with a hierarchy of well defined scientific objectives. In order to facilitate this planning process, the SSC and CIG have decided during the Belgirate meeting to structure the numerous proposals of MAP scientists in eight broad projects (P1 to P8).
Three of these projects come in direct support to the so-called "wet" part of MAP, the primary scientific objectives 1a and 1b. These are
P1: Orographic precipitation mechanisms;
P2: PV anomalies as precursors of heavy rainfall;
P3: Hydrological measurements for flood forecasting.
Four projects come in direct support to the "dry" part of MAP, the primary scientific objectives 2a and 2b. These are
P4: Dynamics of gap flow;
P5: Unstationnary aspects of Foehn in a large valley;
P6: Three-dimensional gravity wave breaking; and
P7: Potential vorticity banners.
Finally, project P8 on the planetary boundary layer structure, comes in support of both wet and dry scientific objectives.
There is a great synergy between the eight projects:
These projects and their observational requirements are described in detail in chapter 2 of the Science Plan. Each project attempts to answer a number of well-posed scientific question, and formulates specific requirements concerning the observing facilities.
The third chapter describes current plans for deployment of the surface based facilities. Several target areas have been defined, and in most cases, the experimental projects described under Section 2 have already been assigned to a specific target area. The capacities of the research aircraft requested for MAP are also briefly summarized in chapter 3, together with their assignment to specific projects. Finally, the plans concerning maximum data exploitation in the fields of NWP, Climatology, and Budget Studies are described under chapter 4.
The Science Plan has been available from the MDC server since the end of January 98. Comments to the editor (myself) are welcome. A detailed review of this document was performed during the International MAP meeting held in Boulder, February 98. A revised draft will be available soon. It should be definitely adopted during the Chamonix meeting in June 98.
This document will then be used as the basis for further planning, eg the operations plan which will be progressively assembled.
