Collaboration with Taiwanese agency foundational to NSSL’s MRMS system

Recently a delegation from the Taiwan Central Weather Bureau and Soil and Water Conservation Bureau  visited NSSL for a project review. The visitors include the director of the CWB Meteorological Satellite Center, the director of the SWCB Debris Flow Disaster Prevention Center, one research meteorologist from CWB and two engineers from SWCB. NSSL scientists provided briefings on the latest Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor research and development efforts, and the visitors discussed their operational needs and challenges related to hydrological predictions in a tropical region with complex terrain.

Collaboration is a fundamental aspect of research at NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory and recently a group from Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau and Soil and Water Conservation Bureau visited the lab in Norman, Oklahoma.

The partnership between NSSL and CWB began 16 years ago when both agencies worked to develop and implement an early Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor System version and integrate it into CWB’s radars.

The collaboration grew with the joint interest in developing advanced quantitative precipitation estimate applications to address heavy precipitation over complex terrain associated with typhoons and hurricanes,” said Kenneth Howard, research scientist with NSSL. “The CWB collaboration was foundational to NSSL’s research and development of MRMS system operationally deployed in the United States.”

Such collaborations are important because the atmosphere does not stop at geographical borders.

“These partnerships and opportunities expand our knowledge of advancements in weather and hydrological research and operations around the world,” said Jian Zhang, research meteorologist. “Further, the collaborations leverage resources and expertise in different agencies for a more effective research and development effort to address challenges for different geographical and climatological regions.”

The recent visit provided an opportunity for each agency to present an update on projects and to review progress. The mid-term review allows the CWB project managers to meet with the various participating NOAA agencies in the U.S. This year SWCB joined the review and visited NSSL and the Global Systems Division of NOAA’s Earth Systems Research Laboratory in Colorado.

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