ACTRIS-D Discusses Strategic Developments and Collaboration at Annual Meeting

This year's annual meeting of the German national ACTRIS consortium (ACTRIS-D) took place in the headquarters of the German Meteorological Service (Deutscher Wetterdienst, DWD) in Offenbach, Germany, from 6-8 May 2024.

About 40 participants from 10 research institutions, universities, governmental agencies and the funding agency discussed not only scientific and technical developments, but also ACTRIS-D relevant questions to foster communication between Topical Centre units and National Facilities, as well as strategic developments. One of the pressing problems for TC-unit administrations is the issue of work contracts with highly qualified personnel: Though being a long-term ERIC, ACTRIS does not guarantee the institutions long-term funding which is needed for permanent working contracts. These issues will be further negotiated with the Ministry and ACTRIS HO seeking a long-term solution.

The meeting was complemented by a session with contributions from DWD. Roland Potthast, Director of the Research and Development Department for Meteorological Analysis and Modelling, gave a scientific overview on DWD’s numerical weather models, earth system models and digital twins. In a subsequent talk, Linda Schlemmer (DWD), highlighted the benefits and areas of application of ACTRIS data in Numerical Weather Prediction. This excursion was very well received by the participants.

In return, the ACTRIS-D implementation projects coordinators, Ulla Wandinger and Markus Hermann from the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS, Leipzig), gave an overview of the ACTRIS-D project for not ACTRIS-related DWD employees.

The meeting concluded with an excursion to the Taunus Observatory on the Kleiner Feldberg, the second-highest peak in the Taunus low mountain range in the North of Frankfurt. The site will be an in situ aerosol and reactive trace gases National Facility of the Institute for Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences of the Goethe University Frankfurt which is currently being upgraded as part of the ACTRIS-D programme.

The meeting was organised by the DWD in close cooperation with TROPOS and the University of Frankfurt.

Participants of the ACTRIS-D annual meeting in the courtyard of the Deutscher Wetterdienst headquarters (pic: Peter Fuessel,DWD).

Ulla Wandinger, German National Contact person and ACTRIS-D coordinator, presented an overview of ACTRIS (pic: Peter Fuessel,DWD).

Exkursion to the future NF Taunus Observatory on top of the Kleiner Feldberg (825m a.s.l.) in the Taunus low mountain range (pic: Andreas Kuerten, University of Frankfurt).