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

International Science and Steering Committee (ISSC) International Coordination and Implementation Group ( ICIG ) TT1: RS, GPS, Pilots, VHFTT2a: Flux stations, Scint TT2b: Dust, Aerosol, RadiationTT3: Gourma Meso-Site ObsTT4: Niamey Meso-Site ObsTT5: Ouémé Meso-Site ObsTT7: Dry periodTT8: Wet periodTT9: Export EOP TTsSOP TTs TT6: Oceanic campaigns ST1 ST2 Ocean (B. Bourles) Senegal (F. Roux) Benin (A. Borgstedt) Mali (F. Lavenu) Burkina (B. Stefano) Tamanrass. (C. Flamant) Chad (P. Drobinski) AMMA Operational Center ST3 (database) ST4 (partnership) Overall Coordination NIGER (Project Office)

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.

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

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

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

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

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)

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 ??

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;

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;

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.

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.