Introduction

     Hi, my name is Mei Xu. I am currently a Project Scientist I at the Research Applications Program (RAP) of NCAR. Previously, I studied Physics in college, and Meteorology in graduate school. I graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a M.S. and Ph.D. My thesis work was on atmospheric turbulence and radar data analysis.

     At NCAR, I work in the areas of radar data assimilation, mesoscale modeling, and ensemble forecasting. I am interested in GPS remote sensing because of its potential in providing observations for improving the forecasting capabilities of the mesoscale models. Working with radar data in the last a few years, I have long realized the tremendous need for adequate atmospheric sampling, especially on temperature and water vapor. In the future, I wish to explore the feasibility of applying the GPS observations in mesoscale data assimilation systems.

     I was very excited to learn of the opportunity to visit Japan and Taiwan. It would be my first trip to the two regions. Japan and Taiwan both have strong commitments to developing the GPS technology and have made significant advances in research and applications in the area. I was eager to learn from them. I was also interested in learning about the people and culture. I felt that, by going with a group and having all the coordination and pre-arrangements (financial support, transportation, tour guide, hosting institutions, workshops, field visits, and cultural activities) done, I would see and learn much more than I would if I went alone. Indeed, during the trip, the coordinators had done their work so well that everything went smoothly even though we had a very packed schedule. Because of all the support we received, we were able to use our time in the most effective way.

Highlights of Scientific Visits

     We had 7 work days during the trip, and we were in 6 different cities and more than 10 institutions. Among the institutions we visited were major research institutes, national operational centers, a funding agency for research, and key universities in the region. We learned about instrumentations, facilities, research methods and techniques, and regional weather systems and geological characteristics. We were in the field as well as classrooms. In the operational centers of the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and the Taiwan Central Weather Bureau(CWB), we watched the forecasters do their work - meteorology in action!

     Among the people we met were students, professors, scientists, engineers and officials of government agencies. The subjects of our visits and discussions include GPS technology and applications (of course!), general satellite meteorology, radar meteorology, numerical weather prediction and computer technology. On some of the subjects we had more exposure; on others, we only scratched the surface (class 101)!

     Work day one (July 5) of the trip was spent in Tsukuba, Japan, which looked like the ideal town for a researcher or scholar. It is the garden-like town where the Geological Survey Institute (GSI) and Meteorological Research Institute (MRI) of Japan are located. The GSI campus is also where several generations of ground-based GPS receiver towers are erected. We had an opportunity to listen to the lecture while standing by the most advanced tower. It was also very interesting to watch the animation showing the crust deformation of Japan (at a speed 2 million times faster than the speed actually observed by GEONET - the GPS Earth Observing Network of GSI).

     At MRI (July 5 afternoon), we heard presentations by our Japanese hosts (from several institutes and universities) as well as the U.S. participations. The Japanese presentations (in English) were mainly overviews and lectures on GPS/MET research projects, topics and techniques, while the U.S. participants presented their research plans, mostly thesis research plans.

     On day two we were in Tokyo! Our activities at JMA included lectures on the impact of GPS data on numerical weather predictions, and a tour of the operational forecasting units. One of the talks, given by Ko Koizumu, was on the JMA data assimilation system and the impact of GPS data on the JMA mesoscale model. This was especially relevant to my personal research interests. Dr. Christian Rocken from UCAR also gave a one-hour talk on UCAR/COSMIC that was well attended.

     On July 7, we took the train to Kyoto. Our Kyoto activities were less packed. On July 8, we set out to see the MU radar of the Kyoto University, which is for studying the middle and upper atmosphere, as well as the troposphere with fine time and spatial resolutions. It is a giant radar indeed, consisting of 432 antennas - very impressive (Figure 1)!

     After a visit of 4.5 days of visit, it was time to leave Japan. On Friday (July 9) afternoon, we arrived in Taiwan. Our stay in Taiwan included a weekend of cultural activities and two days of scientific visits, lectures and a workshop. On Monday (July 12), we went to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) and the National Science Council (NSC) in Taipei, and the National Space Program Office (NSPO) and the National Center for High-Performance Computing in Hsin-Chu, a city about two-hour bus ride south of Taipei.

     At CWB, we learned about the major weather systems in Taiwan and CWB's effort in improving their observations and operational forecasts. A total of four presentations were given at CWB: The first two were general introductions to the operations and research at the Meteorological Satellite Center (MSC) and the Weather Forecasting Center (WFC) of CWB, respectively, and the last two focused on more technical aspects related to the COSMIC (ROCSAT) data management plans and data assimilation efforts. One research aspect at CWB that is closely related to my current research is the very short term rainfall forecast (VSRF). This effort includes 0-2 hour severe weather forecasting based on quantitative precipitation estimation from Doppler radar observations, and 3-12 h rainfall forecasting using a mesoscale model based system, LAPS-MM5.

     Our discussions at NSC had a more practical nature. NSC is a cabinet-level organization primarily for managing and funding research and development affairs in science and technology, similar to the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the U.S. We met with Dr. Wei-Chung Wang, Director-General of the Department of International Programs (NSC/DIP) of NSC. An NSC staff person introduced to us the general conditions of research and development in Taiwan, and Dr. Wang talked about the commitment and efforts by NSC/DIP to establish international scientific cooperation. He pointed out that COSMIC is one of the on-going cooperative programs between NSF and NSC. Dr. Wang also briefed the U.S. delegates on the existing visiting programs for the U.S. students, such as the Summer in Taiwan project which allows 20 U.S. graduate students each year to spent 8 weeks doing research in Taiwan.

     Later that afternoon, at the NSPO Test and Integration Facility, we saw the actual COSMIC/ROCSAT-3 satellites being integrated and tested! We were totally amazed when we fixed our eyes on the baby satellite lying on the assembly table. It was one of the most exciting moments of the trip. At NSPO, we also toured the mission control center to see the operations of ROCSAT-1 and ROCSAT-2.

     Our visit (July 12) to the National Central University in Chung-Li is another scientific highlight that was more closely related to my current research. NCU has a strong radar meteorology program. During the mini-workshop at the Department of Atmospheric Sciences of NCU, there were several talks that focused on radar observations, retrieval methods and radar data assimilation. I also gave a talk entitled "High resolution modeling and radar data assimilation" that summarized some of my recent work at NCAR/RAP. I came to know several people who are working on similar topics to mine and we talked about possibilities for some collaborative work in the future!

Cultural Experience

     Both Japan and Taiwan are modernized nations, clean and affluent. On the other hand, they still keep a lot of the ancient traditions. I especially liked Kyoto, and marveled at its mixed air of modernization and nostalgia. Enjoying all the conveniences brought upon by industrialization, Kyoto is still the ancient capital, emanating a quiet feeling of nobleness and dignity.

     while ago, I read a story about World War II. It said that when the Allies started offensives against Japan, they avoided bombing the ancient structures in the Kyoto and Nara area. I am glad that they did!
In Kyoto, we stayed in a Japanese style hotel which I liked very much. I like the easiness and simplicity, the closeness to the earth, and the wood and bamboo works of the house. While in Kyoto, we also visited the nearby pottery town, Shigaraki. We attended a pottery class, and I made a mug for the first time. It was not as easy as it looked at all!

     We had feasts most of the evenings of our trip, many given by the hosting institutions. The dinner time was also a time for useful exchanges and interesting discussions, on science or culture. I loved the food in both Japan and Taiwan, and tried raw fish for the first time in my life. One night in Kyoto, we were in a Tofu restaurant having a 10-course Tofu dinner. The restaurant was Japanese style, peaceful and pretty, and the servings were like artwork!

     In Taipei, we visited the National Palace Museum, which houses the many treasures collected by the ancient Chinese emperors throughout the centuries. The Republic of China took the collections over after the revolution in 1911, and shipped them to Taiwan in 1949 when the government left the Chinese mainland to Taiwan. There was a large collection of Jade work on exhibit. The Ching Emperors' seals were interesting. I was also fascinated by the section termed "The dialogues between the Emperor and his officials", which contains the ancient documents that were the exchanges between the emperors and their officials. Since I can read Chinese, I found the writings (especially the Emperors' comments on the official's reports) very amusing.

Personal Interactions

     We had the opportunities to meet many scientists during the trip. Besides the tours, lectures and workshops, we talked to them at dinner on a more personal level. In Japan, I made a few friends and I am going to write emails to them. I also learned a few sentences in Japanese!

     We also got to know our teammates better. We learnt about each other's families, backgrounds, schools or institutes, and interests. We have really shared the experience(many photos to prove)! Our staff members and guides - Ted, Kim, Scott, Bill and Annabel were so helpful!

     Ten NCU students accompanied us during the Taiwan visit. I spent more time with Susan Wang, who is a second year graduate student in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences in NCU. We talked about our research work, the educational and research systems in Taiwan and the U.S., and future plans. She is currently working on GPS data analysis. Her plan is to work for a few years after obtaining her M.S. degree, to help with supporting her family. After that, she may come to the U.S. for further study.

     In both Japan and Taiwan, I also met a few people whom I had met in the U.S. before. One of them was my graduate school classmate who went back to Taiwan to teach at NCU after he got his Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma. We talked about our respective research work after graduation. Since we are working on very closely related topics, we shared our results and insights on some problems. There are real possibilities for future collaborations there!

Concluding Remarks

     It has been a wonderful trip filled with great opportunities. I am very glad for the scientific and cultural experiences I had throughout the trip. I am grateful for the financial support provided by the International Programs of NSF through COSMIC, and the institutions in Japan and Taiwan. I am grateful to Dr. Bill Kuo, the UCAR staff and our hosts in Japan and Taiwan, who worked so hard to make the trip possible for us.

     The launch of the COSMIC satellites will present vast challenges and opportunities for the numerical modeling community. The Colloquium and the visits have given me the necessary preparations for tackling problems in the area. I am looking forward to applying the GPS observations to mesoscale data assimilation systems.

     The scientific community is, by its nature, international. Taiwan's commitment to COSMIC has been substantial. Both Japan and Taiwan have developed strong research and application programs in the GPS technology and atmospheric sciences in the broader sense. I am glad for the opportunities to learn from them and to share information with them. In my future career, I will continue to seek for international collaborations and sharing of resources.

     Just like the old Chinese saying states: "Better seeing it for one time than hearing about it for a thousand times". I have read about Japan and Taiwan extensively, but seeing them for the first time, however briefly, made a difference. As a U.S. citizen of Chinese descent, I felt that I have a lot to learn from the Japanese people: the determination to overcome obstacles and the earnestness to do things best. Both the Japanese and Chinese are intelligent and hard-working people, and they represent a large percentage of the global population. It is crucial to the world peace for the U.S. people to know what is going on in these societies, and in the hearts and minds of these people (and other people too) in the large family of this globe.

     Again, it has been a great experience of "Continued Education"!