Introduction

     I am currently enrolled in the graduate program at Purdue University in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS). I was awarded my Bachelor's of Science in Meteorology from Purdue in the spring of 2002. After completing my B.S., I took time off to search for a career in a not-so-hot job market and quickly realized the benefits of attending graduate school. While my first inclination was to choose a more practical career, I again realized my true love was in weather and the atmosphere. I immediately switched from the School of Education back into the EAS department and have been here since the fall of 2003. I hope to complete my Master's in the summer of 2005 and will then pursue a career as an operational or consulting meteorologist.

     I became interested in the practical aspects of GPS meteorology while taking a class in remote sensing within the department. The professor for the course approached me with her research interests and proposed that I consider working with her on a joint project with Shu-hua Chen at the University of California - Davis. After going through several difficult weeks of making my decision, I decided to work with Dr. Jennifer Haase on this project, which involves validating precipitable water vapor (PWV) data from a NASA satellite using highly accurate GPS ground-based sensors. Upon joining Jennifer's research group, I came across an e-mail regarding a two-week colloquium at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Because I did not have any hard-set plans for the summer, I decided to apply for the colloquium and the follow up field trip to eastern Asia. The colloquium would give me the opportunity to learn as much GPS meteorology as possible now that I was starting to work with GPS PWV data. I initially had reservations regarding the trip to Asia since it would mean that I would miss out on nearly a month of research, but I decided that visiting the world-class research institutions on the other side of the planet was an opportunity one should not quickly pass up.

     While I certainly looked forward to the possibilities involved in research collaboration and the use of data from unique sources, I must admit the more intriguing aspect of the field trip was the cultural experiences I could make while in Japan and Taiwan. It can be rather difficult to escape the realities of being closed off from the rest of the world at times, especially after having grown up in the Midwestern United States. As one can imagine, I was delighted to have been chosen to attend both the colloquium and field trip, and will cherish both until the last bit of my memory passes.

Scientific Experience

     Of most interest to me, scientifically, was the ultra dense ground-based GPS network in Japan. GEONET, as it is otherwise known at the Geographical Survey Institute (GSI) and Meteorological Research Institute (MRI), offers Japanese scientists from a wide array of fields a chance to analyze geological and meteorological processes across the country's 600+ islands. While the initial purposes of GEONET may have been geared towards seismology and geodesy, obvious meteorological applications turned up once it was found that the atmosphere significantly attenuates the signal between the transmitter in orbit and receivers on the ground. The attenuation happens both in the ionosphere and the troposphere, the latter of which is most important to life on Earth, as it is where the biosphere and a majority of the atmosphere is located. More specifically, the signal is made slightly weaker by one of the Earth's most important greenhouse gases - water vapor. The attenuation of the signal is one person's caveat or error, while it is another's foe. Meteorologists are able to back out precipitable water vapor from processed GPS data, given some amount of information regarding air pressure and/or temperature at the Earth's surface.

     Before continuing, it becomes necessary to describe just what precipitable water vapor is, and of what use this information can be for short-term forecasting and numerical weather prediction. Hypothetically, if one could imagine condensing all the water vapor in a column of air from the ground (or some other arbitrary level, such as a cloud top or geopotential height level) up to the highest reaches of the atmosphere, then letting it fall to the ground within that column, the end result is the liquid equivalent that has the potential to fall as precipitation. This liquid equivalent is otherwise known as precipitable water vapor. As PWV increases, the potential for precipitation amounts increase given other necessary atmospheric processes and constituents. PWV values are generally higher over warmer climates and near warm oceans where evaporative processes contribute greatly to the amount of vapor in the air. Typical values may range from 10 mm or less over a desert up to 60-70 mm in tropical cyclones.

     Precipitable water vapor is variable in both space and time, thus the relatively high spatial and extremely high temporal resolution of GEONET data presents meteorologists with a powerful tool for examining atmospheric characteristics in detail. One caveat of PWV from GPS sensors is that it represents an integrated value in the zenith direction from the ground up. While GPS satellites and sensors are rarely stacked vertically, the slant path between the two allows for a more tomographical, or three-dimensional, view of PWV in a given area.

     With regards to improving data resolution for use in numerical modeling, results have been inconsistent. Some research at MRI in Japan has shown significant improvement to precipitation forecasts, while others have found little or even negative impact for some yet unknown reason. It is thought among scientists in both the United States and Japan that the 3-D approach will improve the positive impacts of GPS PWV data in numerical weather prediction.

     With GEONET data recently becoming publicly available, it may be possible to include some of Japan's GPS PWV data in my current research. Its high resolution and accuracy will provide an excellent sample for a comparison to MODIS data from NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites. I look forward to using this data and sharing my results with our Japanese hosts in the near future. While the focus in Japan is the use of ground-based GPS methods, atmospheric scientists using GPS in Taiwan are geared towards space-based retrievals of vertical profiles of water vapor and/or temperature. As it is well known by all involved with the colloquium and field trip, Taiwan is responsible for roughly eighty percent of the planning and funding for COSMIC, or ROCSAT-3. I see great potential in COSMIC, in the both the operational and numerical prediction sectors of meteorology here in the United States and elsewhere. Any meteorologist knows that data over the oceans, which cover over seventy percent of the globe, is sparse. What data we have from other satellites is far from perfect, and COSMIC looks to appease this problem by introducing thousands of atmospheric profiles into the community every day in any weather condition. This is particularly important in oceanic environments where tropical cyclones develop, but coverage over other data sparse regions, such as Antarctica, South America, and Africa, should greatly improve weather prediction across our dynamic globe.

     The operational forecast centers in both Japan and Taiwan were state-of-the-art and highly technologically-oriented. I was impressed with both countries' abilities to fund weather prediction, as I had previously assumed forecasting in the United States would have been far superior to that in either Japan or Taiwan. Nevertheless, they appear to be doing very well. If I ever manage to learn Japanese or Taiwanese, I would consider venturing back to either country to work with their meteorologists in a forecasting office.

Cultural Experience and Interactions

     I have an uncle in the chemical engineering field who works in East Asia from time to time. He was very excited to hear that I would be going on this trip, and attempted to prepare me for the culture shock that I would likely experience. I suppose he did a decent job, although I did feel like I was on a different planet for a few days. I'm not sure if that had to do with major jet lag or if it was due to eating food I never dreamed existed. Nonetheless, my experiences with the cultures of Japan and Taiwan were everything I'd hoped they would be and more.

     I was particularly fond of fashion in Tokyo. While it did seem odd that everyone was so well dressed, it was later explained to me that business in Japan is still quite formal, and the attire tends to match the conservative attitude of many. It was also fascinating to see the influx of American culture, both past and present, into the Japanese lifestyle. While the influx was not noticeable more often than not, I did observe many women and men dressed in full 80's garb, only it was jazzed up to match the 21st century. I have started to notice the 80's trend spreading back into the United States now. It goes to show just how culture and fashion spread from the coasts to the heartland of the United States after it originates overseas.

     Another fascinating aspect of Japanese culture was the cleanliness and tidiness of streets and alleys, even in the most populous parts of the city. One afternoon I looked for a trash bin to throw out a piece of gum for over an hour, yet not one cigarette butt or gum wrapper could be found on any street or sidewalk. I suppose this cleanliness matches the Japanese fervor for aesthetics.

     Taiwanese culture, on the other hand, didn't seem to care quite so much about clean streets, restaurants or people. While some may prefer the sharp lines and spotless imagery in Japan, I can also appreciate the earthiness and relaxed nature of people and places in Taiwan. In the numerous street markets we went to were smells of things so foreign to me that I dared not venture a guess as to what food was being prepared. Often times I was under the impression that I smelled rotting flesh, only to find out later that it was actually food!

     Perhaps the best part of the entire experience was the opportunity to try new foods, beverages and candies. While I had obviously eaten sushi and sashimi in the United States, it's quality was at least a billion times worse than what we were blessed with in Japan. I must admit, however, that it got a little old to have miso, raw fish and rice porridge for breakfast nearly every day. My favorite was an eleven-course meal that consisted almost entirely of tofu. It is incredible how creative chefs can be with soy. The custom of having at least two beers with dinner in Japan (and apparently as many as you want in Taiwan) was another highlight of the trip. I'm no foreigner to beer or sake, but the Japanese can't seem to get enough (nor do they think we can get enough). The obligatory two-beer tradition often turned into a night of giggles, dancing and old-fashioned fun. It was among these experiences that I bonded with my new American, Japanese and Taiwanese friends. Asian Karaoke is also another thing I shall not soon forget.

     Taiwanese food was just as delicious, although meals in Taiwan lacked the pristine and elaborate manor in which Japanese meals are presented. The one exception to the rule was the traditional Chinese meal we experienced near Hsinchu. The courses never seemed to stop that night (nor any other night for that matter) and the tradition of sitting around a circular table with your family and friends reminded me of Christmas or Thanksgiving in America. Our hosts and hostesses also took us to giant Chinese/Japanese buffets on several occasions, and I managed to stuff myself full at every chance. In fact, I think I must have gained a good ten pounds on this trip, due to a combination of excellent cuisine and fine drinks every night.

Concluding Remarks

     It was very interesting to see how the scientific process works in East Asia, and it was comforting to know that it is the human experience that makes science happen around the world, rather than something only Americans can accomplish. I look forward to further collaboration between the East and West with regards to atmospheric science and life in general. We clearly have so much to share with one another. I also was able to claim a renewed spirit when coming back to the States, in that I was ready to pursue bigger and better things than what life has to offer here in Indiana. There is no doubt in my mind this trip opened up all sorts of new connections between Japan, Taiwan and the United States.

     The opportunity given to me by Bill Kuo and others to visit Japan and Taiwan deserves endless kudos. I am forever indebted to Bill, Barb, Kim, Gary, Ted, Annabel and Scott for making this trip more than just an international experience - it was also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Without their help and guidance, I'm certain the trip would not have gone off as planned. I would particularly like to commend and thank Kim for her kindness and youthful attitude. She always brought a smile to my face. The friends and connections I made are, up to this point, some of the most amazing of my life.

     Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the NSF and any other sponsor for their time, funding and endless effort. It has and will, without a doubt, pay off for the meteorological research communities of the US and east Asia in the future.