Introduction

     I am Brent Laabs, a senior undergraduate in Atmospheric Sciences at U.C. Davis, and a participant in the COSMIC project's summer colloquium and field trip. I've been a weather nut since I was very little, and I had decided on studying meteorology when I was eight years old. So in many ways, my visit to NCAR, Japan, and Taiwan was a dream come true - I got to interact with many of the top scientists in my field. For the first time, I feel as if I'm a member of the research community.

     I first became interested in the COSMIC project after my advisor, Dr. Shu-Hua Chen introduced me to some literature that she was intending to investigate. I read through many articles on radio occultation, mostly from the special issue of Terrestrial, Atmospheric, and Oceanic Sciences journal. After this, I wrote many papers on the subject for a scientific writing course, confusing many of the poor chemistry and biology majors who were forced to do peer editing of my papers. Radio occultation is a difficult field to approach without the appropriate background; however, I was quite excited with this promising new approach to gather weather data worldwide. I have always been interested in improving weather prognostics, and COSMIC seems like it has excellent potential to do that.

     When I first heard about the Summer Colloquium on Atmospheric Remote Sensing Using the Global Positioning System, I was very interested. When I learned about the associated field trip in addition to the colloquium, I did not initially intend to apply for the trip. Although I was initially insecure about the idea of taking such a trip, I am extremely glad that I overcame my own reservations and undertook the journey. The travel experience allowed me to make friends and meet colleagues both among the Americans on the trip and the international community. I also had a chance to examine the cultures of Japan and Taiwan, which becomes increasingly linked to the destiny of my home state, California.

Scientific Experience

     Japanese earth scientists had a definite emphasis on ground-based GPS techniques, which is not exactly my area of expertise. However, I am not yet a graduate student, so my expertise is still quite limited. Therefore, this trip gave me the chance to learn about ground-based sensing beyond what I had seen at the colloquium. Japan has a relatively dense array of GPS sites, known as GPS Earth Observation Network (GEONET). There are over 1000 GPS monuments (as the instrument installations are called) scattered throughout the islands of Japan -- which means that stations are spaced about 25 km apart. Clearly, the Japanese government is both prudent and willing to spend millions each year to support its seismology program, due to the devastating earthquakes that occasionally strike that area of the Pacific Rim. GEONET is administered by the Geographical Survey Institute (GSI), the Japanese counterpart to the U.S. Geographical Survey.

     When we visited GSI, it was fairly clear that the primary purpose and usage of GEONET is for geology and seismology studies. In fact, using the GPS data for atmospheric precipitable water vapor came as an afterthought. Ground receivers of GPS data generates a data set with three different types of data: ionospheric electrical disturbances, lower atmosphere precipitable water vapor, and the actual position of the station. So what is noise in the data to the people at GSI is signal to us atmospheric scientists, and the signals can be separated beautifully. The one millimeter precision, desired to track earth moving along fault lines, is perfect for getting good resolution on the amount of water in the atmosphere. It is indeed fortuitous for these GPS instruments, built for other goals, to so perfectly match our needs in the Atmospheric Science community.

     So far as the results are concerned, the GEONET sites have moderately improved the results. However, most data assimilation has been in zenith wet delay thus far. When the models begin using slant delay, a newer method of obtaining data, I expect that results will improve and researchers will actually be able to see the 3D distribution of water vapor. Seeing a system this large in Japan makes me hope that a similar system could be put in place in America. It would be very helpful in the American West, where seismic research could also take place, but the Great Plains could also see some benefit, as a mesoscale GPS network could better resolve some of the larger, more dangerous thunderstorms. GPS receivers are getting better and cheaper, and Japan has already built its network. I can only hope that America soon follows suit, because a large scale GPS network could benefit many diverse fields of earth science.

     The Japanese portion of the field trip gave me the chance to learn much about ground-based GPS measurements, but I am still more interested in space-based GPS. It seemed as if a major purpose of the field trip was to develop interest for the COSMIC satellites in Japan. The students on the field trip served as "ambassadors" for the field of radio occultation, although most of that work was done by Dr. Christian Rocken. Many atmospheric scientists in Japan know about the space-based GPS sensing, but few are excited about it. The reason for this, it seems, is lack of real improvement of weather predictions in forecast models among Japanese experiments. Most show only about 1% improvement in the final model, while around the world values are much higher.

     Consequently, one graph in particular caught the attention of field trip participants while at Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). In one study of a global model, the model's rather aggressive quality control scheme discarded nearly one-third of all of the GPS data it was provided. Further, the model tended to reject warmer temperatures in higher latitudes and lower temperatures in the mid-latitudes. Since the COSMIC Data Analysis and Archive Center (CDAAC) has already corrected for the shape of the earth (geoid) and rejected bad observations, there is no reason for GPS data to have this systematic bias. The graph was indicating a model bias, and the GPS data was trying to correct it. Although I have not done the experiment, I believe that the model forecast skill could be greatly improved simply by removing the quality control at JMA, relying only on CDAAC quality control. Perhaps Japanese cultural tendencies to be conservative and rigid partially explains why they are unable to trust GPS observations more than the model's first guess, because the model has a longer track record and may thus be accorded undue respect.

     Taiwan had a lot to offer that augments my knowledge as a researcher of space-based GPS. And why shouldn't they? After all, Taiwan, or the Republic of China is launching ROCSAT-3, better known in the U.S. as COSMIC. Though half of our stay in Taiwan was on the weekend, the two days that we visited the various institutions there were the most memorable to me. Certainly I feel I would have gained more knowlegde if we could have lingered at any of these institutions: The Central Weather Bureau (CWB), the National Science Council (NSC), the National Space Program Office (NSPO), or National Central University (NCU). However, there was little time for us to explore or ask questions. We were always behind schedule, mainly due to a tendency for scientists to talk too long. I too am guilty of this, as my presentation at NCU went over my allotted time as well (but no one can accuse us of not sharing our findings!)

     In addition to research, we spent a little bit of time on the application of weather forecasting at CWB in Taipei. The bureau is responsible for forecasting over the entire country, and it runs its own numerical weather prediction models. It was among the more interesting stops to me, because we got to see the meteorologists who will actually be using our research to get information to the general public. Since I have never gone to any major NOAA offices, the visit offered me an opportunity to see how such big national organizations are run. Even the facility itself is intriguing. Presentations from CWB staff were given in a press conference room, and I could imagine how many people would have crowded the place during the typhoon only two weeks earlier. During our visit it was much more relaxed. I truly enjoyed watching the presentation and a satellite loop on giant screens in the front, while resting in a comfortable chair that actually fit my Ameriacn-sized body frame, a most welcome rarity on the trip.

     The recent typhoon was still big news in Taiwan, at least to the meteorologists at CWB, so they showed us their satellite movie of its progress across the Pacific. In general, typhoons are the biggest forecasting issue in Taiwan, because they cause the most widespread destruction. Since most models are poorly suited to model tropical storms, Taiwan runs a typhoon model in addition to its ordinary models when it is threatened by a tropical cyclone. The discussion of CWB's weather models was the most interesting thing discussed in my opinion, and at the very least, I'll probably be investigate using their global model for when I'm forecasting at home.

     However, the primary purpose for CWB models is to suit the needs of the forecast office, which was our next visit. The forecast office is very similar to the office of a small private forecasting firm I once worked for: computers scattered throughout, either gathering data or displaying information to forecasters; dozens of weather maps arranged neatly on a table; and forecasters still excited about the last big storm to come through. The large screens for group meetings and the large networking devices were new for me, but I learned that forecasting is done nearly the same everywhere, despite the organization's size.

     NSPO also piqued my interest, because I have never visited anything like NASA in the United States. NSPO is, of course, a much smaller operation. Our presentations took place in a room that doubles as the observation lounge for mission control. However, while we were there no one was actually in mission control - ROCSAT-2, the only satellite they're currently controlling, would be out of radio contact for several hours! But when ROCSAT-3/COSMIC is launched next year, I'm sure things will be a little busier at NSPO. NSPO was established about ten years ago to bring Taiwan into the Space Age, as well as bring in high-tech business. I expect that Taiwan will succeed in its efforts, though I believe that they could be less cautious and take on bigger projects. This isn't so much a local cultural issue as it is a global space industry tendency towards over-stressing caution.

     However, with all of their concern for the functionality of the satellites and their top-of-the-line satellite integration facility, we can be sure that all of the COSMIC satellites will function far beyond their mission life. I got to see the satellites for myself, as #2 and #3 were being worked on in the integration room. As I looked down into that clean room, it suddenly hit me: these satellites are the reason that this whole field trip is happening. The gold plated devices are the product of a thousand people's efforts, and embody the hopes and goals of the program. And in the future, I will spend hundreds of hours on the data the satellites received. It was a transcendent experience, as past, present, and future became entwined with the shining spacecraft I saw in front of me.

     The next day, I set out to discuss my future plans at NCU's Mini-Workshop for COSMIC Outreach. Since I am only an undergraduate, I have done little research as of yet. The presentations that we were required to do at the last minute seemed difficult to me at first, because I have yet to perform any research beyond reading the literature. However, writing the presentation sharpened my focus, made me realize how much I already know, and eventually represented a real research plan. What was intended for interaction with foreign scientists probably assisted me the most.

     In fact, of all the days on the field trip, this last one was the most helpful. The workshop gave me a chance to learn about everyone's research on space-based GPS, and many studies are similar to my own. It gave me an opportunity to learn about what had already been done, and to speak with researchers on the cutting edge. I spent a good deal of time summarizing the experience at NCU for the group report, so I will not go into great depth here. However, I could feel the vitality of space-based GPS research in Taiwan, and I am even considering working there. My experience in Taiwan was great in every sense -- from personal interaction to science to culture -- and I enjoyed my time at NCU the most.

Cultural Experience

     The interesting thing about the Japanese culture is how much everything is packaged. Nearly every item that I or my colleagues bought came double-wrapped, if not triple-wrapped. The Japanese culture spends a lot of time on appearances, which may or may not be beneficial. It was neat to have candies and cookies individually wrapped, so that they will not go stale. However, the islands of Japan are so populated, that there is little room to put all of their trash - what is not recycled, for the most part is usually burned. I wonder how many plastic wrappers end up in incinerators, releasing dioxins to the environment. This is not to say I did not enjoy presenting gifts on my return home in the neatly packaged boxes that made my small purchases somewhat more exalted.

     This focus on appearance has a more practical effect on researchers as well. The GEONET monuments for the GPS receivers are made out of beautifully polished stainless steel; the antennas are designed to be very aesthetically pleasing. However, these shiny monuments do not make for good science, as the steel actually increases the error in the instruments. Radio waves can bounce off of the steel to create multipath errors, which would be difficult to detect over such a small distance. Dr. Christian Rocken, who accompanied us through Japan, related to me that he had tried to convince the Japanese that the steel monuments were a bad idea, but appearance was more important to them. PVC pipe, which is far cheaper, would produce better results.

     Still, I must say that those were the most graceful looking scientific instruments I have ever seen. I must admire a culture that invests so heavily in science that it's even willing to make the instruments look good, but I wonder at what scientic expense this was achieved. In stating this criticism, I must also note that American culture too directs and fashions how we pursue science. For example, First-Lady Laura Bush has recently defended her husband's stance on stem-cell research, saying that the government will not invest in stem cell research because it's not proven to work, thus reflecting attitudes common in the U.S. where we are not always eager to spend money on research for research sake or to fund ventures that are not already to proven. The Japanese are willing to conduct research to find out if something will work. GEONET cannot yet predict earthquakes, the main motivation for the project, but it has created a data record that could lead to prediction. And its unforeseen benefits, the prediction of a volcano eruption and its application in the atmospheric science, show how effective the Japanese approach to science is.

     Japan is a land that sticks with its traditions, even into the modern age of internationalism. Taiwan has some of the traditional ideas, but the large influx of people and ideas after World War II and the Communist Revolution have made Taiwan a much more diverse society. At many places in Japan, we had to take our shoes off to enter: most high-end restaurants, our hotel rooms in Kyoto, at the MU Radar facility, and even at a Buddhist temple. At CWB in Taiwan, forecasters used slippers to work in, but this is a cultural idea imported from Japan - and the Americans did not have to take their shoes off when touring that part of the facility. To me, the Twainese showed more flexibility and acceptance of other cultural sensivities -- after all, in most place in America it is considered odd if not downright rude to remove ones shoes in a public place. Japanese have a firm commitment to their traditional culture, whereas Taiwan's traditions are more lax, more like America.

     Nowhere is this more evident than in language. Few people anywhere in Japan speak English, even among the academic world. They may be able to read English well and nearly all street signs are in English and Japanese, but even those who do speak English did so poorly. In Taiwan, it was not nearly as difficult to find people who spoke English. It's even in fashion to teach one's children the English language, from the advertising I saw. The paintings on the outside of schools often had English words, as many parents see the advantage that English speakers have in the world. This emphasis on learning the language is probably the result of more extensive poverty in Taiwan; the Chinese see English as a way to improve their chances in life, while most Japanese enjoy a comfortable life and high job security. Additionally Mandarin, Cantonese, and native Taiwanese are all very common languages in Taiwan, so openness to another language is part of the culture. In sense, we are more like the Japanese, because so few Americans care about learning a second language. It would behoove both America and Japan to be more accepting of other languages, allowing more economic and cultural growth.

     The effect of relatively traditional cultures in both Japan and Taiwan has a subtle effect on scientific research as well. Both cultures stress respect for one's elders more than the rugged individualism common in America. This results in experiments which are a little bit too conservative, such as the data assimilation case discussed above. Even in Taiwan, scientists and engineers are less comfortable in the unfamiliar territory of space technology. One American scientist in Taiwan claimed Taiwan could not reap the full benefits of space industry until they began to do the design and engineering of spacecraft themselves. However, the emphasis on past technologies has its own rewards; many old inventions are combined in new and innovative ways. Americans and Europeans may be best at the initial innovation, but Asians excel at refining these ideas.

     Taiwan has a very unique culture that makes it different from other Asian cultures as well. Taiwan is Chinese, but the mainland's dictatorial government makes it very different. Taiwan has picked up many of the cultural traits of other Pacific Rim countries, but it still takes pride in Chinese heritage. The field trip visited the National Palace Museum, which houses about 90% of the treasures from the Forbidden City in Beijing. Taken from the mainland during the revolution, imperial artwork, jade carving and name chops, and sculpted bronze adorn the halls of the museum. I can only imagine the value of the collection. Chinese art that predates Western influence is very unique today. The lack of a vanishing point of perspective makes the works seem flat, but the detail is exquisite. It seems sad that many of these artists never signed their names to their work - though the Emperor applied his name several times by stamping different name chops. Name chops are used to stamp the ink outline of your name on paper; the Emperors could not only stamp their given name, but had a tendency to use "greatest man in the world" or similar phrases.

Personal Interactions

     One of the best parts about the field trip to Japan and Taiwan was all of the interesting people that we got to meet along the way. Taiwan provided the most opportunity to interact with scholars on a personal level, since eight NCU students accompanied us throughout our stay. In Japan, however, our interaction was typically all business. Due to a tight schedule and a tendency for the locals to be shier, the only Japanese scientist that I had any personal insight into was Dr. Miquel Garcia, a Spanish citizen doing his "post-doc" at Kyoto University. From Barcelona, Garcia knows five different languages: Catalán, Galician, Castillian Spanish, Japanese, and English. Although speaking the language everywhere and getting around was difficult at first, he says he's adapted pretty well to life in Japan, even eating large amounts of fish.

     Perhaps the most interesting person that I encountered in Japan was the Master Potter of the Shigaraki Pottery, Mr. Ueda. Though he speaks no English, I believe that he understands more than he lets on. He gave us a little introduction to the kiln and the pottery of Shigaraki, translated through Ted Iwabushi. Though the old man did not help us make our rather pathetic looking pottery, he served us tea afterwards in the gift shop. Serving tea is traditional at the pottery, though Ueda went a step further for us and ordered up some little desserts for the field trip group. When his assistant came back with the desserts, a woman tried to stop him, but Ueda insisted that we get some treats. I believe that he respected us as scientists, and that meant he should show some respect as a matter of tradition (as well as showing his big heart.) As we ate the gelatin with a sweet red bean filling, he even explained to us a local custom (through Ted). Everyone in Japan uses arigato to say "thank you"â, but in the Kyoto area it is more common to use okini. This was a wonderful interaction that we took part in, something that could never have happened in the States -- at least I cannot imagine being served treats on a spontaneous basis in an American shop.

     Taiwan presented many more opportunities to interact with local people. NCU students served as our friends and our conduit to the rest of the country by translating when necessary. They all adopted English names for interacting with Westerners, which seems to be the fashion. I must admit that it was helpful to use familiar names, though I want to learn their real (Chinese) names, too.

     The Chinese delegation was lead by Carlo Wang, who was perhaps the most experienced in English. Carlo kept us all organized at most of our scientific visits; he had the most mature research of the presentations I saw, but it was related to air pollution and not GPS science. Stephen Yang was assigned to watch Ron and me in public places, and he was always a cheerful fellow. Kevin Huang was given his English name two weeks before we came, so he was still getting used to it. Huang is one of the students most interested GPS research. Susan Wang was quiet but friendly, and she talked to our Mei Xu a lot. Paul Chen and David Chen didn't spend as much time with the group, but they were both very good dancers. However, the social leader of the group was unequivocally Vicky Fang, who always knew what to do and where to take us. She is gregarious and comfortable in any situation. It's a shame that she isn't proceeding to graduate school, as she would make a remarkable choice for international scientific outreach.

     In addition to escorting us through various scientific venues, the Chinese students took us to various tourist attractions and local activities. Some of these were planned by our guide, Annabel Liu of Acer Computer, but others were done on the spur of the moment. We visited the Gongguan night market, the region near our hotel in Taipei. In addition, they took us through Danshui Marina, which is a thriving, very crowded marketplace aimed at local tourists, like Santa Monica in California. The Chinese students took us out to a dance club, which was on the top floor of a twelve story department store. The music was American, since such a large portion of the world's pop music comes from here. No one was an excellent dancer, but it didn't really matter, since Sunday is a slow day at the clubs.

     On our last night together, the students of NCU took us to a place called Party World for karaoke. Karaoke is truly different in Taiwan (and Japan) compared to America - instead of making a fool of oneself in front of strangers at a bar, each group gets its own private room to sing with friends. Most rooms are small, but we got one of the biggest rooms the Taiwanese students had ever seen, due to the size of our group. Outside of the rooms there was a free buffet of snack foods, but one had to pay for beer. Almost everyone attended, students, staff, and faculty, and it served as a fitting farewell to a frenzied field trip.

     International cooperation is not the only result of this trip, as American students have built friendships that will lead to a great deal of domestic collaboration. Since we experienced so much together, we will always be tight, even if we rarely see each other. Each and every person on the trip made a good impression on me, and I look forward to working with them in the future.

Concluding Remarks

     The COSMIC field trip to Japan and Taiwan was a very positive experience for students from both countries. I learned a lot about research conducted in other countries, and how culture affects it. This trip was truly a once in a lifetime experience, and I am incredibly glad that I overcame my initial jitters. I never imagined studying in Asia before the trip, but I now would actually consider undertaking study or employment in Taiwan.

     While I was at National Central University, I met briefly with Dr. Chuan Sheng Liu, the president of the university. When I told him that I was studying at UC Davis, he asked me, "Do you know Larry?"
At first, I could not imagine of whom he was speaking.
"Do you mean Larry Vanderhoef, my chancellor?" I replied incredulously after much hestitation.
He indeed meant the chancellor of the school, as they had been friends in the States. I regretted to inform him that I did not, but he pressed his business card on me and urged me to carry his personal greetings to the UCD chancellor upon my return! This interaction makes me wonder whether the administrators actually meet with their top students in Taiwan, and how different going to school in Taiwan could actually be.

     I would like to take this chance to thank those of you who opened my mind to the world. Thank you to the National Science Foundation for funding this trip, and thanks to NCAR and the organizers of the colloquium for selecting me to participate. Additionally, I would like to thank our hosts in Japan and Taiwan for providing a memorable experience. Mr. Ueda of the Shigaraki Pottery deserves a big okini. And most importantly, I would like to thank Bill Kuo for putting on a colloquium every 14 years, I am honored to have participated.