Photo: John Coppi (January, 1992)
The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) Lighthouse Activities are transdisciplinary in nature, integrating across WCRP and collaborating with partners, to accelerate advances in new science, technologies, and institutional frameworks that are needed to more effectively manage climate risks and minimize societal threat based on robust and actionable climate information. The Global Precipitation EXperiment (GPEX) is one of these initiatives, aiming at taking on the challenge of improving precipitation predictions around the world, including polar and high-mountain regions.
Following an open call in 2024 for the four Working Groups (WGs) co-chairs and members, we would like to seek nominations (including self-nominations) to further expand our current WG memberships that will develop and execute the GPEX implementation plan over the next decade, and integrate with the past efforts.
Each diverse WG is formed by approximately ten members including two co-chairs. At least one Early and Mid-Career Researchers (EMCR) is anticipated to join each WG. Gender and geographic balances will also be emphasized.
Responsabilities
- Contribute scientific knowledge and energy to meet the objectives and proposed outcomes of the WG, working with other members of the WG, the GPEX SSG, and other WCRP activities and partners, as necessary.
Time commitment
Hourly meetings are expected to take place regularly on a bi-monthly or monthly basis for for the WGs, at the discretion of the WG co-leads. There may be times when there is more or less work, depending on the activities undertaken. Most meetings will be online, with some out-of-hours work required due to time zone coordination. A face-to-face meeting is anticipated every 18 months.
Remuneration
These are not paid roles.
How to apply
Please submit the online application and upload your CV via the following online form:
https://airtable.com/apphgHfLbgNUI5FLJ/pagsgGnBsMldbhOQH/form
The deadline for applications/nominations is 31 March 2025.
Please contact Hindumathi Palanisamy, WCRP Scientific Officer in charge of GPEX, and Lian Xue should you have any questions (
Additional Information
The future of the global water cycle in general, and specifically the prediction of freshwater availability, for humans around the world remains among the frontiers of climate research and are relevant to several UN Sustainable Development Goals. Despite progress over the past few decades, precipitation prediction remains a complex process in observing, understanding, and modeling. GPEX will take on the challenge of improving precipitation prediction around the world by organizing WCRP Years of Precipitation (YoP) and associated activities before and after YoP.
Working Group 1: Coordinated Field Campaigns
As a flagship activity of GPEX, in order to plan and implement the YoP for 2-3 years, this Working Group will engage with national and international funding agencies to identify anchor projects and coordinate global field campaigns around these anchor projects. Scientific foci for these campaigns will sample across different precipitation drivers/scales (atmospheric rivers, mesoscale convective systems, monsoons, and tropical cyclones, among others), regions, and seasons. We particularly encourage applicants who are leading or engaged in proposal development and/or planning international field campaigns aimed at understanding one or more of the precipitation drivers/scales. In addition, individuals from Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, and Australia are particularly encouraged to apply.
Working Group 2: Data Development
This Working Group focuses on precipitation data archiving, access, analysis, and validation, particularly in data-sparse regions such as the tropics, mountains, cold regions, and developing countries with limited open data policies. It aims to improve existing datasets by integrating in situ measurements and data from observational campaigns, including GPEX campaigns, while collaborating with other precipitation-focused groups to assess uncertainties in gridded precipitation products. The Working Group is also interested in understanding precipitation processes by collecting measurements from radar, disdrometers, GPS/GNSS, and water isotopes. Expertise is needed in quality control and adjustments for rain-gauge and snow weight measurements, especially in cold and polar regions. Experience in facilitating open data access is highly valued. Additionally, the group will promote FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) data principles, integrate diverse observational types in collaboration with the WMO and other partners, and provide guidance for future routine and in situ observation networks.
Working Group 3: Prediction and Modeling
This Working Group will focus on operational forecasting, data assimilation, analysis, reanalysis; climate modeling; and process studies. It will support research on precipitation predictability, prediction techniques and applications across space and time scales. It will coordinate precipitation analyses and forecasts from different centers (particularly national meteorological and hydrological centers) for the GPEX period. It will also support the establishment of multi-model databases of subseasonal-to-seasonal prediction, climate projection, km-scale model ensembles, and a hierarchy of models for process understanding of precipitation, identification of model deficiencies, identification of sources and limits of precipitation predictability, and testing the transferability of model improvement from one region to another. Applications from individuals from Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Central and West Asia, and Australia are particularly encouraged.
Working Group 4: Regional/National Activities and Capacity Development
This Working Group will support existing national/regional activities and/or the establishment of new activities, partly through capacity development. The capacity development will focus on entraining scientists and graduate students into the YoP, particularly from the Global South. The Working Group will develop relevant activities, such as encouraging contribution to create and deliver digital visualization products of precipitation that directly contributes WCRP Lighthouse Activities; and seeking support for studying abroad and hosting training courses on precipitation science, prediction, modeling and applications. The Working Group will work on liaising and coordinating with existing Early and Mid-Career Researchers (EMCR) networks as well as other WCRP projects to promote GPEX capacity development activities and encourage their participation. Applicants from Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and South America are especially encouraged to apply.