The ability to acquire high-resolution temporal and spatial profiles of the atmosphere is a problem for many atmospheric research scientists and operational meteorologists. The COSMIC program at UCAR was designed, developed, and implemented to solve this problem. With little background knowledge in radio occultation practices and the broad usefulness of COSMIC data, my goal for the trip was to learn about the program, its goals and objectives, the anticipated outcomes, and their applications to the field of meteorology and my particular research and operational interests.

     The Oklahoma Climatological Survey at the University of Oklahoma is responsible for the implementation, maintenance, and distribution of data from the Oklahoma Mesonet. Collectively, the Mesonet represents more than 117 remote field observation towers that observe many different environmental variables (including basic meteorological surface observations to comply with national and universal standards). The operational opportunity exists to equip the Oklahoma Mesonet with ground-based GPS receivers and, in concert with the mission of the COSMIC program, derive estimates of water vapor in the local atmosphere. While the scope of that particular GPS application is fairly limited, my attendance and participation at the 2005 Summer Camp was to fulfill my scientific inquiry into the usefulness of the COSMIC program, as it would relate to ground-based meteorological surface observations (and in some fashion, remotely sensed observations from surface observation networks).

     Spending the week at the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) in Taipei, Taiwan (see Picture 1) was enlightening, both scientifically and culturally. Viewing and listening to the different presentations offered by various scientists regarding the many aspects of the COSMIC program was interesting and helped my understanding of the mission and its applications. Paul Chen, of the National SPace Organization (NSPO), provided a status summary of the COSMIC program that clarified the integration of FORMOSAT-3 and GPS satellites to obtain temperature, pressure, and water vapor pressure. Information was also presented about FORMOSAT-3 itself regarding orbital patterns and its nighttime measurements (i.e. ionosphere and aurora boundaries).

     One speaker presented information that sparked my interest in using COSMIC data with ground-based surface observation networks. Tom Yunck, from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, explained how GPS soundings can provide a means to estimate precipitable water in the atmosphere. The ability to use these soundings, monitor and map the movement of water vapor in the atmosphere, and translate those observations into air mass (or frontal) tracks is of great usefulness to operational meteorology and my meteorological interests. Since my goals of attendance and participation at this conference included relating the data of COSMIC to surface weather networks, this was an academic opportunity. Mr. Yunck explained that when GPS soundings are compared to other atmospheric in-situ measurements, there is a "perfect match", thus qualifying the use of these soundings in scientific research and operations. Rick Anthes, President of UCAR, had previously elaborated on the use of GPS soundings as the "world's most accurate thermometer." As with any type of scientific conference or other meeting where scientists (new and seasoned) can meet and discuss topics of interest, creative minds are inspired with thoughts of new projects that use existing or future products in exciting methods. Mr. Yunck's presentation inspired me to think about the operational use of tracking warm and cold air masses (or fronts) over an area with an integrated product that utilizes both COSMIC data and Mesonet data. Any combined use of data from a variety of observation platforms will encourage the positive growth of operational meteorology. While I must maintain my focus during my Master's education, the inspirations derived from the COSMIC Summer Camp will remain earmarked for my future work.

     The talk about "GPS Meteorology" by Chris Rocken, COSMIC Science Manager, helped quantify the observations and data from COSMIC. Using pseudorange measurement and GPS observation equations, the science of the COSMIC program began to take shape from my perspective.

     During the camp, the American students and I were able to experience an earthquake of magnitude 6.0 (see Picture 2). It was felt late at night from our hotel. The best part of experiencing the earthquake event was talking with geology scientists at the Central Weather Bureau the next morning. In the basement resides their Seismology Center for the country, where several instruments are recording motion activity on strip charts. Standing, talking, and listening to the scientists explain where and how the earthquake happened was of particular remembrance from the camp experience.

     Martin Lohmann spoke about "Data Quality Control" for the COSMIC program. My research at the University of Oklahoma primarily focuses on quality control and quality assurance procedures and methodologies with atmospheric data, so Dr. Lohmann's talk was of particular interest. He commented that "quality control should only remove data that does not convey any information on the property to be measured." Throughout my many of hours of literature review and research for quality control of surface based observations and various in-situ measurements, his message effectively and succinctly summarized the purpose of a well-implemented quality control procedure.

     On the last day of May 2005, many lectures were presented about the use of COSMIC data in atmospheric data assimilation and climatic research. Although my work at Oklahoma is directed for the state's climatological survey, my definition and use of climate information is different than that presented at the summer camp. Traditionally, my use of climate information has been limited to explaining events of the past (e.g. a "lessons learned" approach and concept) and making short-term forecasts using climate data (e.g. daily or monthly temperature trends to explain anticipated events). At the summer camp, climate was the means for long-range modeling of the atmosphere. Depending on the scale, boundaries, and initial conditions, the models presented by various speakers focused on various targets and did not appear to provide a distinct forecast, rather, an interpretation of long-range trends. While my meteorological specialty does not heavily involve atmospheric modeling, I did find these talks interesting and I was able to pull some knowledge/educational value from them.

     The lecture series of the COSMIC Summer Camp 2005 also provided a unique opportunity to hear from professors and students from National Taiwan University. From typhoon research to ionospheric research, the professors provided good insight into their research activities and practices. The poster session that was held at the Central Weather Bureau one evening was a great opportunity for students from both countries to discuss topics and share ideas. Since my research involves WSR-88D radars, it was exciting to talk with several Taiwan students about their research with the same radars. As it so happened, one of the students actively researching applications of WSR-88D in Taiwan works under an advisor that achieved a PhD in Meteorology from the University of Oklahoma (see Picture 3). In addition to the poster session, the dinner hosted by the Central Weather Bureau gave me the time to talk more with this professor and hear about his experiences at my home university and at his university in Taiwan.

     Rick Anthes kicked off the portion of the lecture series that involved climate studies, monitoring, and modeling. Dr. Anthes presented information on applications of radio occultation to climate studies. I found several points of his talk very interesting and applicable to the research that I am involved with at Oklahoma. From his "Ten Principles of Climate Monitoring," I found two of unique importance: (7) must be complementary data; (9) must have continuity where as the user develops a clear transition from research to operations. Since my Master's research was developed with climate monitoring in mind, Dr. Anthes helped create a link between my background and the COSMIC program, enabling me to understand more about its applications and importance to many fields of meteorology and climatology.

     Toward the end of the lecture series, the focus shifted toward regional climate modeling using the WRF (Weather Regional Forecast) model. It was stated that "important aspects of the water-cycle must be predicted at the regional scale for societal use." This particular statement is a great synopsis of the importance of the COSMIC program. One scientist commented that "future physics development will go into the WRF model and not the MM5 model." As this modeling direction focused on the WRF, a developer of the WRF commented that "forecast runs will eventually use initial soil moisture and temperature conditions." These three statements caught my attention - for good cause. First, they tell why monitoring the water-cycle and its components are important; second, they tell where I, as a scientist, can contribute to the development of the model to monitor the water-cycle; and third, they indicate the next steps in enhancing model initial conditions and the anticipation of new information and data. The Oklahoma Mesonet is one of the largest surface based networks to include soil moisture and temperature probes that generate thousands of data products each day. The inspired thought to combine COSMIC data, the WRF model, and the Oklahoma Mesonet soil information to produce a unique and highly useful product quickly ran through my mind. The applications for the COSMIC program, in combination with other existing measurement systems and networks, is greater than I originally thought, and after participating in this summer camp, I have a greater appreciation for the integration of networks to accomplish a common goal. The last day of the lecture series provided a much-needed perspective in how the WRF model operates. Even without a background in numerical modeling, I greatly enjoyed the WRF Tutorial that was presented at the COSMIC Summer Camp.

     My level of interest in variational data assimilation systems has increased due to that tutorial and for the first time, having the opportunity to see the "data in action" helped emphasize its importance to scientific analysis and forecasting efforts.

     Culturally, this trip provided an unlimited amount of opportunities and experiences. The daily assistance of Taiwan students was greatly appreciated and positively influenced my travels. The first two days of the camp provided a wonderful orientation to the country of Taiwan and helped open our minds and eyes to a different culture than that experienced in the United States. Touring the national museum was a great treat and afforded me the opportunity to explore the history of the Taiwan culture (see Picture 4).

     To enhance our trip and experiences in Taiwan, we were able to tour the World's Tallest building, ride the World's Fastest elevator, and view the World's Largest wind damper, all in one place - Taipei 101 (see Picture 5). It was amazing to see the intricate architecture and engineering design that accomplished this marvel. It took approximately 32 seconds to climb to the top of the skyscraper. A 360-degree view from the observation floor provided a full view of the city and its surrounding landscape and terrain. To my surprise, the complex of Taipei 101 also had a digital weather station that monitored basic weather conditions at the base of the building; which demonstrates the importance of weather to the city and its people (see Picture 6).

     To complete the week-long science camp, a large group of students from the US and Taiwan, COSMIC coordinators and lecturers took a train ride down the coast of the island country to visit a weather station/office (see Picture 7). A local forecaster gave us a tour of the facilities and a presentation about the history of the station, including its survival through war. In the front yard and on its rooftops, there were many weather instruments (typical of a weather forecast office). This opportunity was of significance to my tour of the country to compare a field office for the Taiwan Weather Bureau to a forecast office for the US National Weather Service. In the vicinity of this weather station was a national park (see Picture 8) that provided a unique and awesome opportunity to see the natural resources of the country. This tour was a great wrap-up for a great science summer camp.

     While I have a full book of notes gathered from the lecture series of the 2005 COSMIC Summer Camp in Taiwan, I have thousands of pictures and plenty of memories to accompany the trip. The experiences that I was able to enjoy, both scientifically and culturally, are due to the careful planning and sincere dedication of the COSMIC staff from UCAR. The students and staff from their respected Taiwan agencies were very friendly and helpful during my trip and I look forward to future collaborations. The lessons learned and scientific avenues discovered were made possible, in part, by the National Science Foundation. I feel that American students that are awarded this distinct opportunity to travel abroad and learn about science research and its applications with an international focus and directive will ultimately bring new and energized ideas and thinking to the research and operational fields of meteorology in the United States.