Abstract
The Global Atmospheric Research Program (GARP) Atlantic Tropical Experiment (GATE) took place from June to September 1974. It remains the largest field campaign in atmospheric science history. Its 50th anniversary was celebrated at the 104th AMS Annual Meeting in Baltimore on February 1, 2024. The celebration featured a series of events including town halls, sessions, and a luncheon. These events provided a platform for reflection and knowledge sharing among surviving participants and others, and highlighted GATE’s foundational role in advancing our understanding of tropical meteorology and oceanography. GATE was motivated by the need to address the challenge of global weather forecasting, and its science objectives remain relevant today. The campaign led to discoveries that continue to influence modern thinking about tropical meteorology and oceanography. It also impacted the design and goals of subsequent tropical field studies. This article briefly describes the 50th anniversary celebration, including some of the experiences of the participants, summarizes seminal findings about tropical convection, the tropical atmospheric boundary layer over the ocean, easterly waves, oceanography, and air-sea interaction–fields where GATE’s insights have guided subsequent research.
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