5 Organization and Overall Schedule

5.1 Organizational Structure of MAP

The organizational structure of MAP comprises three official bodies whose duties are specified in their respective terms of reference:

A. The International Governing Panel (IGP)
B. The Scientific Steering Committee (SSC)
C. The Coordination and Implementation Group (CIG)

In addition a Programme Office (PO) is created to serve as focal point for the MAP activities. The MAP Data Centre, an essential component of the programme, is described in Section 4.

A. International Governing Panel

The IGP consists of representatives of the national meteorological services and of the science funding agencies. The IGP carries the final responsibility for the implementation of the overall Mesoscale Alpine Programme. It approves the recommendation on the structure and implementation of MAP, particularly with respect to the necessary financial and technical support.

Dr. Philippe Bougeault, Météo France CNRM, Toulouse, F
Dr. Daniel Cadet, CNRS - INSU, Paris, F
Dr. Frederic Delsol, WMO AREP, Genève, CH
Dr. Thomas Gutermann, MeteoSwiss, Zurich, CH (chairman)
Dr. Joachim P. Kuettner, NCAR, Boulder, USA
Prof. Gianpiero Maracchi, University of Florence, Firenze, I
Dr. Fedor Mesinger, NOAA Science Centre, Camp Springs, USA
Prof. Eberhard Müller, Deutscher Wetterdienst, Offenbach, D
Dr. Stephan P. Nelson, National Science Foundation, USA
Dr. Roberto Sorani, Servizio Meteorologico dell' Aeronautica, Roma, I (vice-chairman)
Prof. Peter Steinhauser, Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik, Wien, A
Dr. John M. Stone, Environnement Canada, Dorval, CAN

Moreover, Dr. Joachim P. Kuettner, NCAR, Boulder, USA serves the IGP as Expert on International Research Programmes.

B. Scientific Steering Committee

The SSC consists of leading atmospheric scientists and technologists. It is responsible for the formulation of well defined objectives and of a coherent scientific programme for MAP. The SSC will ensure the scientific integrity and coherency of the scientific objectives of MAP.

The following individuals have agreed to serve as members of the SSC:

Dr. Reinhard Böhm, Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik, Vienna, A
Dr. Philippe Bougeault, Météo France, Toulouse, F (chairman)
Dr. Andrea Buzzi, ISAO-CNR, Bologna, I
Prof. Huw C. Davies, Atmospheric Science ETH, Zurich, CH
Prof. Josef Egger, Universität München, Munich, D
Dr. Klaus P. Hoinka, Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre, DLR, Oberpfaffenhofen, D
Prof. Robert A. Houze, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
Dr. Joachim P. Kuettner, NCAR, Boulder, USA
Dr. Martin J. Miller, European Centre for Medium Weather Forecasts, Reading, UK
Prof. Hans Richner, Atmospheric Science ETH, Zurich, CH
Prof. Roger K. Smith, Universität München, Munich, D
Prof. Ronald B. Smith, Yale University, New Haven, USA
Prof. Reinhold Steinacker, Universität Wien, Vienna, A

C. Coordination and Implementation Group

The responsibilities of the CIG are the general planning and coordination of MAP in accordance with the scientific and technical goals set forth in the MAP Design Proposal document and in accordance with the decisions of the SSC and IGP. At present, the members of the CIG are:

Dr. Robert Benoit, Environnement Canada, Dorval, CAN
Dr. Peter Binder, MeteoSwiss, Zurich, CH (chairman)
Dr. Carlo Cacciamani, Servizio Meteorologico Regionale, Bologna, I
Dr. Massimo Crespi, Centro Sperimentale per l'Idrologia e Meteorologia, Teolo, I
Dr. Richard Dirks, UCAR, Boulder, USA
Dr. Georg Mayr, Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, A
Dr. Evelyne Richard, Laboratoire d'Aéorologie CNRS, Toulouse, F
Prof. Hans Richner, Atmospheric Science ETH, Zurich, CH
Prof. Christoph Schär, Atmospheric Science ETH, Zurich, CH
Prof. Reinhold Steinacker, Universität Wien, Vienna, A
Dr. Jürgen Steppeler, Deutscher Wetterdienst, Offenbach, D
Dr. Hans Volkert, Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre, DLR, Oberpfaffenhofen, D

D. Programme Office

A permanent MAP Programme Office staffed by one full-time scientist with secretarial support is funded by and located at the Swiss Meteorological Institute. It commenced operating on 1 January 1995. The PO forms the internal administrative focus of MAP and is the interface of MAP to outside bodies. It is charged to meet the administrative needs of the SSC and CIG. Furthermore, in close collaboration with the CIG, it supports the organization of scientific meetings and the periodic publication of the MAP Newsletter.

E. MAP Liaison to WMO

WMO within the CAS/AREP Programme on Very Short- and Short-Range Weather Prediction Research will co-sponsor MAP. This does not entail a financial contribution.

In addition, further steps have been undertaken to establish a connection with the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), since the MAP objectives are of interest to a range of its activities within GEWEX. The GEWEX Hydrological Panel has decided to establish regular interactions with the MAP community by cross-representation at respective working group sessions, workshops and Scientific Steering Group meetings. This arrangement will provide for MAP to be conducted in liaison with GHP.

5.2 Overall Schedule

Here only a brief summary is given of the programme strategy elaborated in Section 3. In particular reference is made to Fig. 3-1 for the timing and the (tentative) dates of the programme.

MAP is designed as a programme in three phases.

Phase I (1995-1999): Essential activities during the first phase are refinement of hypotheses, numerical experimentation, establishment of climatologies of mesoscale features in the Alpine area from existing data and testing of new observing systems. The results of these studies will help in the devising of the detailed observational strategy for the field experiment.

The field phase preparation work will in time be succeeded by the field experiment itself, but other activities, in particular numerical experimentation and climatological studies, will continue throughout the whole time span of MAP.

Phase II (1999): The MAP field experiment as a coordinated campaign will take place during a 13-month period, called the MAP General Observing Period (GOP), encompassing a full annual cycle with an extra month for spin-up at the beginning. Within the MAP General Observing Period, a 3-month period will be designated as a MAP Special Observing Period (SOP) during which the time and space resolution of the routine observational networks will be enhanced. Climatological evidence suggests that a 3-month period lasting from mid August to mid November appears to be the most suitable for the measurements to document the phenomena related to the primary objectives of the programme. Within the SOP a number of Intensive Observing Periods (IOPs), say 10 to 15 each of 1 to 3 days duration, will be defined. During these IOPs, chosen in connection with the actual meteorological situation, all available measuring platforms, and in particular research aircraft, suited to observe the respective phenomena will be deployed.

To avoid conflict in the booking of certain measuring platforms and other essential resources, the timing of the year for the field experiment has to be chosen in coordination with other experiments which are currently under preparation. Other boundary conditions could necessitate a shift of the field experiment to 1999 and thus, the proposed schedule is tentative.

Phase III (2000-2001): The tasks of the third phase are to assemble and analyse field data, as well as to evaluate the data in order to test the hypotheses set up in Phase I. These efforts have to be an integral part of MAP in order to guarantee optimum interaction between data post-processing and research activities.

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