Activities of the International TOVS Working Group (ITWG)

The International TOVS Working Group (ITWG) is convened as a sub-group of the International Radiation Commission (IRC) of the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics (IAMAP). The ITWG continues to organize International TOVS Study Conferences which have met approximately every 18 months since 1983. The most recent conference, the Thirteenth International TOVS Study Conference (ITSC-XIII) was held at the Hotel Le Chantecler in Sainte Adèle, Quebec, Canada from 29 October to 4 November 2003. ITSC-XIII marked the milestone of 25 years of TOVS (TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder) and ATOVS (Advanced TOVS) data starting with the launch of TIROS-N in October 1978.

Through the ITWG forum operational and research users of TOVS/ATOVS and other atmospheric sounding data have exchanged information on data processing methods, derived products, and the impacts of radiances and inferred atmospheric temperature and moisture fields on numerical weather prediction, and weather and climate studies.

The conferences include oral and poster presentations, and the formation of working groups to discuss issues and provide actions and recommendations to share with the international community in the following areas important to the science:

· Radiative Transfer and Surface Property Modelling,

· ATOVS/TOVS Data in Numerical Weather Prediction,

· Satellite Sounder Science and Products,

· TOVS/ATOVS in Climate Studies,

· Advanced Infrared Sounders, and

· International Issues and Future Systems.

There are also technical sub-groups which meet informally to coordinate ATOVS processing software, radiative transfer models and frequency protection issues relevant to ATOVS.

The conference Working Group Report summarizes the recommendations and actions of these working groups. Technical Proceedings of the scientific presentations and posters are also published. The ITWG web site (http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/itwg/) contains electronic versions of the conference papers, presentations and posters. Together, these documents and web pages reflect the conduct of highly successful international meetings.