I nternational C oordination and I mplementation G roup (ICIG) AMMA Operational Center

1. International Coordination and Implementation Group (ICIG) AMMA Operational Center (Niamey; NIGER)

2. International Science and Steering Committee (ISSC) (Project Office) International Coordination and Implementation Group (ICIG) EOP TTs ST3 (database) ST4 (partnership) SOP TTs TT1: RS, GPS, Pilots, VHF TT2a: Flux stations, Scint TT3: Gourma Meso-Site Obs TT8: Wet period TT9: Export TT4: Niamey Meso-Site Obs TT5: Ouémé Meso-Site Obs TT7: Dry period TT2b: Dust, Aerosol, Radiation TT6: Oceanic campaigns AMMA Operational Center Overall Coordination NIGER ST2 ST1 Ocean (B. Bourles) Senegal (F. Roux) Benin (A. Borgstedt) Mali (F. Lavenu) Burkina (B. Stefano) Tamanrass. (C. Flamant) Chad (P. Drobinski)

3. The Principal AMMA Operational Center (Niamey) • AOC-Niamey must provide the following functions: • a) Coordination of the surface, altitude and airborne • instruments to maximize synergies in order to meet the • ISSC’s and ICIG’s scientific and operational objectives. • b) Organisation of briefings and support for the daily • decision-making • c) Writing daily summary of the weather situation and the • development of the monsoon system during SOPs. • d) Daily archiving of the operational status of the equipment • during the EOP and the SOPs; • e) Daily support for the teams working in Niger for AMMA’s • campaigns.

4. The Principal AMMA Operational Center (Niamey) • On the logistical side, the AOC will provide information • or assistance on the following items : • a) Phones and general communications • b) Accommodation • c) Transportation requirements • d) Availability of funds • e) Electricity and fluids • f) Medical assistance • For further information, refer to the implementation guide

5. Organisation of the Principal AOC in Niamey (Niger) Relations with TTs Thierry Lebel Secondary AOCs Thierry Lebel Overall Management Arona Diedhiou Scientific Secretary Norbert Raynal Administrative Tasks Cheikh Kane Forecasting Jean Philippe Lafore Logistics Cheikh Kane Communications Serge Legouis National Committee Cheikh Kane Operations in NIGER Balloons Arona Diedhiou ARM, GPS, RS Arona Diedhiou Aircraft Frederique Said MIT Radar Thierry Lebel

6. The AMMA Operation Center in Niger : Locations, roles and network EOP/LOP config Ground Measurement EOP/LOP Radiosoundings, AERONET, IDAF,GPS, Flux stations ACMAD Center • AMMA Forecasting Center AOC Coordination Center (IRD) ECMWF, NWP, MSG, models (Meteo-France,Toulouse) PUMA and RETIM • General coordination of the AOC • Visitingscientists room Civil Airport SOP Secondary AOCs (Burkina, Benin, Dakar) • GPS • ARM • Radio soundings Niamey Airport ASECNA/DMN/DAC Niger Air Force Military Airport • MIT C-band Radar (US)

7. The AMMA Operation Center in Niger : Locations, roles and network SOP config Ground Measurement EOP/LOP Radiosoundings, AERONET, IDAF,GPS, Flux stations ACMAD Center • AMMA Forecasting Center AOC Coordination Center (IRD) SOP Coordination Center (Met.Office; DMN) ECMWF, NWP, MSG, models (Meteo-France,Toulouse) PUMA and RETIM • Daily briefings • AMMA-Niger room • Office for the scientific secretary, IST. • Room with computers (quick look..) • Visitingscientists room • General coordination of the AOC • Visitingscientists room Civil Airport SOP Secondary AOCs (Burkina, Benin, Dakar) (Banizoumbou, Gourma) • UK aircraft team • ARM (AMMA-US) • GPS • Radio soundings Niamey Airport ASECNA/DMN/DAC Niger Air Force Military Airport • French aircraft team • German aircraft team • Balloons (CNES, FR) • MIT C-band Radar (US)

9. Questions related to the main AOC • a) ST2, linking with TT8 • b) Communications • Phone link to Banizoumbou (cell phones versus INMARSAT) • MIT images: where, how ? • Links with secondary AOCs • c) Human resource for the coordination (contrib of science team). • d) Human resource for ground based instruments (SOP intense operation mode: radiosoundings, MIT radar, ) • e) Partnership with Africans (field school)

10. Questions related to secondary AOCs • a)Djougou • Products to be sent to Niamey through FTP • Schedule of communication • Feedback from Niamey • b) Ouagadougou • Requests ? • What kind of connection • Access to the SOP website; Niamey, Toulouse ?? • Mirror site in Ouaga ?? • c) Gourma • Requests ? • What kind of connection • d) Dakar ??

11. SOP OPERATIONS • The objectives of the SOP coordination are: • a) To review and select the most promising scientific activities for the coming days, based on • environmental analyses and predictions, • previous activity • the ‘opportunity’ given by a forecast; • b) To manage and to maintain information • on the operational status of instruments, • on the current environmental situation, • on the records of previous and ongoing activity, • and on the planned activities of PIs;

12. SOP Operations (continue) • c) To select the most suitable operational modes and timings of ‘responsive’ ground-based instruments and aircraft; • d)To implement decisions on Intensive Observing Period (IOP)based on the current and predicted environmental conditions, and the status of operational facilities; • e) To communicate decisions to all of the necessary teams and personnel;

13. Coordination structure during operations • a) Scientific Coordinator: • acts as chair of the IOP Selection Team, member of the AMMA-ISSC Executive Bureau and is assisted by a deputy. Takes final decision on the type of IOP to be run. • b) Scientific secretary: • liases with forecasters and instrument PIs; in charge of collecting all forecasts, and making the information available on the relevant web pages; in charge of writing the minutes. • c) Facility Supervisor • in charge of the information flow between the primary AOC and the secondary AOCs as well as the isolated sites (Tamanrasset, Dano, R/V Atalante, etc..); in charge of summarizing the daily status of each instrument/platform. • d) Logistics manager • Responsible for maintenance of the logistical programme during SOP, Reports to the Scientific Coordinator.

14. Planning an IOP • a) IOP Selection Team (IST) • IOPs will be selected by an IST. A nominal maximum membership is 12 people on any given day. The management group for each key platform or instrument will nominate its own PI for a given day, who will have final responsibility for the activities of that platform or instrument in the IST. The IST will be chaired by the Scientific Coordinator. • b) IOP Planning Group (IPG) • Following the discussions of the IST, a small IOP Planning Group will work on detailed flight plans (to be activated the following day), and will, where necessary, choose between IOP options, and abort when necessary. • c) Operational forecasting team • The operational forecast team will operate at ACMAD and will be coordinated by Meteo-France with forecasters from Niger and from other African countries. An ideal mode of activity will be for the operational forecasters to work in a combination of daily shifts and ‘responsive’ activity during IOPs.