JMSJ Awards

The latest awards

JMSJ Awards in 2016

In 2016, the following three papers were awarded. JMSJ Award 2016

Schubert et al. (2016)

Schubert, W. H., C. J. Slocum, and R. K. Taft, 2016: Forced, balanced model of tropical cyclone intensification. J. Meteor. Soc. Japan, 94, 119-135.
https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2016-007 Graphical Abstract

Highlights:

This study explores applications of the Salmon wave-vortex approximation to tropical cyclone intensification. The approximation can be used to describe flows with high Rossby number and low Froude number by providing analytic solutions to an elliptic problem.
Results from the two-region forced, balanced model show why topical cyclones can have long incubation times prior to rapid intensification and provide insight into the size of the mature vortex (Fig. 2).
Figure 6 shows results from the three-region forced, balanced model. Insight into the formation of hollow potential vorticity (PV) structures and the inward movement of angular momentum surfaces across the radius of maximum wind are provided.

Bessho et al. (2016)

Bessho, K., K. Date, M. Hayashi, A. Ikeda, T. Imai, H. Inoue, Y. Kumagai, T. Miyakawa, H. Murata, T. Ohno, A. Okuyama, R. Oyama, Y. Sasaki, Y. Shimazu, K. Shimoji, Y. Sumida, M. Suzuki, H. Taniguchi, H. Tsuchiyama, D. Uesawa, H. Yokota, and R. Yoshida, 2016: An introduction to Himawari-8/9 - Japan's new-generation geostationary meteorological satellites. J. Meteor. Soc. Japan, 94, 151-183.
https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2016-009 Graphical Abstract

Highlights:

A Japanese new-generation geostationary meteorological satellite of Himawari-8 was successfully launched on 7 October 2014. The Japan Meteorological Agency has commenced the unit’s operation from 7 July 2015. Himawari-9 will also be launched in 2016 for in-orbit standby service, and will eventually replace Himawari-8 (Fig. 1).
Figure 2 shows first true-color composite image from Himawari-8. It carries state-of-the-art optical sensor of Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) with significantly higher radiometric, spectral, spatial and temporal resolution than those previously available in geostationary orbit.
This paper provides an overview of the Himawari-8/9 satellites. In the first half of the paper, the basic functions of the satellites, their ground segment, the specifications of AHI and the imagery and data distribution/dissemination scheme are explained. The physical retrieval products created from satellite observation data are introduced, and the development plan for new products and application are discussed in detail later in this paper.

Kitamura (2016)

Kitamura, Y., 2016: Improving a turbulence scheme for the terra incognita in a dry convective boundary layer. J. Meteor. Soc. Japan, 94, 491-506.
https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2016-028 Graphical Abstract

Highlights:

A new formulation for eddy viscosity and thermal eddy diffusivity is presented to constitute a turbulence closure model applicable to the terra incognita range in which neither the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes Simulation (RANS) nor the Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) is appropriate.
The anisotropic length scales are empirically determined as a function of the model resolution using the results of the a priori LES analysis and are applied to the Deardorff model.
The proposed model improves the representation of the vertical heat flux and the magnitude of the resolved convection even for the resolutions including the terra incognita range, while the original Deardorff model tends to underestimate the subgrid heat flux with increasing the grid size.