The Pre-Depression Investigation of Cloud-Systems in the Tropics (PREDICT) Field Campaign: Perspectives of Early Career Scientists

Clark Evans National Center for Atmospheric Research, * Boulder, Colorado

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Heather M. Archambault University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York

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Jason M. Cordeira University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York

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Cody Fritz University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois

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Thomas J. Galarneau Jr. CIRES, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado

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Saska Gjorgjievska New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico

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Kyle S. Griffin University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York

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Alexandria Johnson Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

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William A. Komaromi Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

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Sarah Monette University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida

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Paytsar Muradyan Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

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Brian Murphy Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

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Michael Riemer University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin

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John Sears University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida

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Daniel Stern Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Mainz, Germany

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Brian Tang National Center for Atmospheric Research,* Boulder, Colorado

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Segayle Thompson The Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania

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The Pre-Depression Investigation of Cloud-systems in the Tropics (PREDICT) field experiment successfully gathered data from four developing and four decaying/nondeveloping tropical disturbances over the tropical North Atlantic basin between 15 August and 30 September 2010. The invaluable roles played by early career scientists (ECSs) throughout the campaign helped make possible the successful execution of the field program's mission to investigate tropical cyclone formation. ECSs provided critical meteorological information— often obtained from novel ECS-created products—during daily weather briefings that were used by the principal investigators in making mission planning decisions. Once a Gulfstream V (G-V) flight mission was underway, ECSs provided nowcasting support, relaying information that helped the mission scientists to steer clear of potential areas of turbulence aloft. Data from these missions, including dropsonde and GPS water vapor profiler data, were continually obtained, processed, and quality-controlled by ECSs. The dropsonde data provided National Hurricane Center forecasters and PREDICT mission scientists with real-time information regarding the characteristics of tropical disturbances. These data and others will serve as the basis for multiple ECS-led research topics over the years to come and are expected to provide new insights into the tropical cyclone formation process. PREDICT also provided invaluable educational and professional development experiences for ECSs, including the opportunity to critically evaluate observational evidence for tropical cyclone development theories and networking opportunities with their peers and established scientists in the field.

*The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation

The Pre-Depression Investigation of Cloud-systems in the Tropics (PREDICT) field experiment successfully gathered data from four developing and four decaying/nondeveloping tropical disturbances over the tropical North Atlantic basin between 15 August and 30 September 2010. The invaluable roles played by early career scientists (ECSs) throughout the campaign helped make possible the successful execution of the field program's mission to investigate tropical cyclone formation. ECSs provided critical meteorological information— often obtained from novel ECS-created products—during daily weather briefings that were used by the principal investigators in making mission planning decisions. Once a Gulfstream V (G-V) flight mission was underway, ECSs provided nowcasting support, relaying information that helped the mission scientists to steer clear of potential areas of turbulence aloft. Data from these missions, including dropsonde and GPS water vapor profiler data, were continually obtained, processed, and quality-controlled by ECSs. The dropsonde data provided National Hurricane Center forecasters and PREDICT mission scientists with real-time information regarding the characteristics of tropical disturbances. These data and others will serve as the basis for multiple ECS-led research topics over the years to come and are expected to provide new insights into the tropical cyclone formation process. PREDICT also provided invaluable educational and professional development experiences for ECSs, including the opportunity to critically evaluate observational evidence for tropical cyclone development theories and networking opportunities with their peers and established scientists in the field.

*The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation

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