The International Symposium on Atmospheric Sounding and Data Assimilation (ISASDA) was successfully held in Xuzhou, Mainland China, from 6th to 9th December 2023.
General Chair, Prof. Kefei ZHANG, Professor from the School of Environment Science and Surveying and Mapping at China University of Mining and Technology (CUMT), delivered a welcome speech to commence the event.
Co-Chair, Prof. George LIU, Associate Head (Partnership) & Professor from LSGI at PolyU, delivered a speech emphasizing the integration of GPS/Beidou and remote sensing technologies for Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) applications.
The International Symposium on Atmospheric Sounding and Data Assimilation (ISASDA) took place in Xuzhou, Mainland China, from 6th to 9th December 2023. This successful event was jointly organized by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), China University of Mining and Technology (CUMT), and Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
This conference was co-chaired by Prof. George LIU, Associate Head (Partnership) & Professor from LSGI at PolyU, and Prof. Kefei ZHANG, Professor from the School of Environment Science and Surveying and Mapping at CUMT. With its cross-disciplinary theme, the conference attracted over 200 scientists, researchers, and professionals from around the world. It was the first conference of its kind to specifically focus on the synthesis of GPS/Beidou-based and remote sensing-based atmospheric sounding techniques with data assimilation.
The advancement of GPS/Beidou and remote sensing technologies has opened up new opportunities for atmospheric observations, which play a crucial role in providing input data for modern weather forecasting systems through data assimilation into advanced Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models. Data assimilation, the process of incorporating observational data, is vital for improving the reliability and performance of weather forecasting.
Prof. Liu and his Micro-Laboratory of Atmospheric Research and Geomatics Engineering (Micro-LARGE) are internationally recognized pioneers in integrating GPS/Beidou and remote sensing technologies for NWP applications. Their advanced algorithms have significantly enhanced the accuracy of remote sensing satellite-observed atmospheric water vapor data, which is a critical type of input for NWP and weather forecasting. The Micro-LARGE Lab, led by Prof. Liu, is the second agency in the world to assimilate Near-Infrared (NIR) satellite water vapor data into NWP, following the U.K. Met Office, which has been operationally assimilating satellite NIR water vapor data since May 2022.
