Report to WMO SDS-WAS steering group meeting Antalya, Turkey

Humaid Albadi25 November 2011

Remote Sensing and Studies SectionDirectorate General of Meteorology and Air Navigation (DGMAN )

DGMAN focal point of Center of Excellence for Training in Satellite Meteorology -Muscat

Po. Box: 2306  PC: 111  Muscat Oman

Email: h.albadi@gmail.com Mobile:+968 99494842

Fax: +968 24521326

DG of Met & Air Navigation

Meteorology

Technical Services & Observing Forecasting

Public Services

Aviation and Marine

Information Systems and Processing

Observing Stations

Communications

Numerical Weather Predictions Remote Sensing & Research

CoE

DG of Met & Air Navigation- Structure

S.Q.University

Media & Customers Services

Dec 2002

Terra2003/34612/12/0306:25 UTC

Meteosat First Genration, MODIS, AVHRR

EUMESAT Dust Product- from January 29, 2004 onward

Current StationsBefore 2011

In Situ Measurements in Middle East

Main Dust sources Affecting Middle East

• Tigris and Euphrates rivers basin• Sistan Basin & Baloushistan • East of Alhejaz Mountains• Southwest Alhajar Mountains

Regional NWP Models3KM & 7 KM

Although Middle East is the second most dust emitter area in the world after Sahara and despite the effort from scientific community in the last decade over the Sahara desert, China and Australia, less attention has been raised in Middle East constraining the processes that operate in key source areas of dust production. Therefore it worthwhile to draw attention of the decision makers in met services and academic institutes to put efforts in this direction

Less Scientific activities in the Region

Dust impacts, Answers needed ?

Affect the rain process !Reduction or increment of

rain amount ?

Reduce the size of cloud droplets

Opposite effects, Increase the possibility of creating severe storms by decreasing wind shear

How much is the change of Dust load affect NWP performance in North Indian Region?

• Overgrazing • Growing demand of water resources due jump in Populations

Change of natural rivers routes - Helmand lake (Afghanistan & Iran )- Euphrates and Tigris rivers ( Iraq ,Syria & Turkey )

How much it is natural and what is the role of Human Activities in Widen the Dust Sources in the region

Human activities that enhances dust emission :-

lowering water levels in the twin rivers

Extensive use of ground water

Drying marshes since 1990s.

Shrinking of vegetated lands due water shortage

Republic OF IRAQ MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT

Taking in the account it will be easier to coordinate in a Smaller group and in order for the Middle East region to concentrate more on the issues related to their dust sources in the region it is wise idea to extend the Scope of current Center of Excellence –Muscat to be a Regional Training & Research Centre for SDS-WAS, acting as third node for WMO SDS WAS eventually

WMODr. Leonard A. Barrie,

Director WMO Research DepartmentDr.Slobodan Nickovic

Atmospheric Research and Environment

Centre of excellence for training on meteorological Satellite Applications

CoE Muscat?

Founded in 2006 as Joint effort between DGMAN, Sultan Qaboos university & EUMETSAT.

EUMETSAT is the main sponsor of the Center

The current Missions

Conduct training on Satellite meteorology and Remote sensing applications in General

Create a network of research and training materials in satellite meteorology via Virtual Lab-Middle East and the Focus Group.

Countries benefits from the Center

Oman YemenUnited Emirates QatarBahrain Saudi ArabiaIran IraqKuwait SyriaJordan LebanonEgypt

Courses

The center do an annual two weeks course in Meteorological satellite applications.

CoursesThe center participated in many distant-learning events

( Dust week )

 

Expert lecturers:• Thomas Lee (NRL,USA)

• Hérve Le Gléau (Meteo France)• Humaid Albadi (Oman)

• Carlos Perez (NASA-GISS and IRI, USA)• Nuno Moreira (Portugal)

• Jose Prieto, HansPeter Roesli and Jochen Kerkmann (EUM)

•In the Framework of the VLab activities•20 organisations world wide participated

CoursesSince 2006 ESACs around 150 meteorologist and Hydrologist from Middle East region were trained on different applications of met satellite data- Dust was always a hot topic

Other Courses

What are is currently done to fulfill the needs to fully activate CoE

In process of training 5 new scientists to work in Remote sensing & Studies section

What are is currently done to fulfill the needs to activate CoE

Building a separate new building for meteorological training that will include CoE-Muscat with full facilities for face to face and distant training Courses- Target day Dec 2013

As a first step in the direction of to extending the Scope of the Center of Excellence –Muscat to be a Regional Training & Research Centre for SDS-WAS, acting as third node in WMO SDS WAS network , CoE-Musct invites the steering group to consider helding the next 3rd Training course on WMO SDS-WAS in Muscat