Winter Storms Reconnaissance Program

PACJET will be closely coordinated with the WSR program. As illustrated, the two experiments cover complementary regions of the data sparse Pacific ocean, with WSR focused on the central Pacific and PACJET on the coastal areas. Cooperative plans have been underway for some time, and will at least consist of coordination on the timing and location of flight operations. The goals of coordination will be either to cover the same storm using a sequence of flights, or by focusing all flights on a single time.

Winter Storms Project Domain
WSR and PACJET Experimental Regions

The Hemispheric Observing System Research and Predictability Experiment (THORPEX)


THORPEX is a major experiment being planned for the Pacific Ocean in 2003-2005. PACJET incorporates several components that will aid in preparing for this large experiment by testing new measurement techniques that could be of value in THORPEX. In this respect, PACJET helps accelerate progress toward THORPEX, and increases the chances for its success. The most relevant testing in PACJET includes:
  1. Development of buoy-mounted wind profiling. The first prototype was tested in March 2000 for 5 days on a SCRIPPS buoy. Preliminary assessment of the data indicates that the key method for suppressing sea clutter was successful, and thus the investment will be made to harden the system for protracted deployment, testing, and validation during PACJET.

  2. Realistic field testing of a promising UAV, the AEOSONDE. The goal is to conduct at least one successful flight from Hawaii to the west coast in the context of a significant storm and with over-the-horizon communication with the UAV. The capabilities of the AEROSONDE appear to be well suited to PACJET's goal of measuring the low-level jet. (Fig. from Greg Holland).

  3. Testing coordination of up to 4 aircraft in sampling a target specified by the ensemble transform technique as part of a coordinated effort with the Winter Storms Reconnaissance program.

IMPROVE

Although the IMPROVE and PACJET experiments each have several objectives, they share a common goal of better understanding of microphysical conditions associated with heavy orographic precipitation on the west coast. Efforts are being made to coordinate the experiments in a way that helps each better realize its primary goals. For example, the IMPROVE project's field work in winter 2000/2001 was recently shifted from November/December 2000 to January/February 2001, which now overlaps the observing period for PACJET, and a profiler that will be deployed along the coast for PACJET will be sited to optimize its value for IMPROVE. Numerous other possibilities for coordination and synergy will be fully explored.