3rd Training Course on WMO SDS-WAS products (satellite and ground observation and modelling of atmospheric dust)

• https://dust.aemet.es/events/3rd-training-course-on-wmo-sds-was-products-satellite-and-ground-observation-and-modelling-of-atmospheric-dust
• 3rd Training Course on WMO SDS-WAS products (satellite and ground observation and modelling of atmospheric dust)
• 2013-12-08T08:00:00+00:00
• 2013-12-12T14:00:00+00:00

When	Dec 08, 2013 08:00 to Dec 12, 2013 02:00 (GMT / UTC0)
Where	Muscat, Oman
Add event to calendar	iCal

European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

Directorate General of Meteorology and Air Navigation, Oman (DGMAN)

Sultan Qaboos University (SQU)

SDS-WAS. Regional Center for Northern Africa, Middle East and Europe

welcome you to Muscat, Oman, for the ‘3rd Training Course on WMO SDS-WAS products (satellite and ground observation and modelling of atmospheric dust)’ to be held 8-12 December 2013.

The local organizer of the event is the WMO Center of Excellence in Oman, which is coordinated by Meteorological Affairs Department, Directorate General of Meteorology and Air Navigation (DGMAN) and Sultan Qaboos University’s Remote Sensing and GIS Center.

Background

A large amount of sand and dust is continually raised from bare, dry soils and transported downwind affecting regions hundreds to thousands of kilometres away.  For countries in and around arid regions, airborne dust represents a significant threat. First, dust storms cause soil loss and damage to crop plants, thereby reducing agricultural productivity. Then, it has negative impact on human health, causing respiratory and cardio-vascular problems, eye infections and, in some regions, serious diseases such as meningitis. The main effects on the economy are related to reduced visibility, affecting aircraft and road transportation, and to polluted air, affecting semiconductor industry or solar power plants. When deposited onto soil or ocean surfaces, mineral dust can have beneficial effects on certain ecosystems, such as Central and South American rain forests, which get most of their mineral nutrients from the Sahara, and iron-poor ocean regions, where the availability of this metal allows increased biomass growth. Finally, suspended dust particulate plays an important role in different aspects of the climate system such as radiation budget, cloud microphysics or atmospheric chemistry.

Scope

The event is targeted to operational meteorologists, air quality and public health managers, and early career scientists (advanced students, PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers) with interest on the Earth system sciences. They are expected to be proficient in English as a working language.

Participants will attend a series of lectures and practical exercises. Attendance of international experts on aerosol observation and modelling will ensure an advanced and stimulating learning environment for participants.

Venue and dates:

The event will be held at the Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat, Oman, 8-12 December 2013, with a total duration of 25 hours.

Registration and enrollment:

Pre-registration is open between July 19 and September 15, 2013. The list of admitted applicants will be published on October 7. Submit here your application:

Economical support

Applicants from countries with GDP per capita below 15,000 US$ (according to the World Bank list) are eligible for financial support covering travel, board and accomodation.

Applications for financial support must be submitted by email to sdswas@aemet.es with subject: 'support' before September 15, 2013. They shall contain the following documents (in pdf format):

• CV and motivation to attend the course (max. 2 pages)
• A support letter from the Permanent Representative of the applicant's country with WMO is not mandatory, but it will be highly valued in the selection process.

The list of granted candidates will be published on October 7.

Draft agenda:

Draft list of lecturers:

• Jose M. Baldasano (Barcelona Supercomputing Center)
• Francesco Benincasa (Barcelona Supercomputing Center)
• Emilio Cuevas (AEMET)
• Jose Prieto (EUMETSAT)
• Kerstin Schepansky (Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research)
• Enric Terradellas (AEMET)

McIDAS-V Tutorial

The event will be complemented with the ‘McIDAS-V Tutorial with focus on atmospheric dust cases’, to be held 15-16 December 2013 at the same venue, with a separate registration process.