Introduction of the researchers
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Dr. Nobuhiko Endoh
Hydrological Cycle Research Program |
I started my new post in the Hydrological
Cycle Research Program on October 1 , 1998
.I belong to the large- scale Hydrological
Cycle and Processes Group, and I have been
working on the analysis of the heat- water
cycle in the Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding
area.
It is a well- known fact that the existence
of the Tibetan Plateau is important in formulating-
maintaining the monsoon circulation,and still
today,there remain many matters to resolve
about the heat- water cycle on the Tibetan
Plateau.From the project observations of
CREQ in 1993 and of GAME/TIBET in 1996 ,I
have been able to clarify the fact that energy
dissipations are made,not only for atmospheric
heating by sensible heat flux in the spring,but
also for melting frozen soil near the surface.I
also made clear that energy is spent on water
evaporating from the ground surface during
the monsoon season.In addition,we observed
perceptible water vapor decreases during
daylight hours,and at night,the vapor increases
and accumulates in the lower layer of the
atmosphere.By analyzing the existing data,
the results suggest the possibility that
those phenomena are related to water vapor
transport by thermal local- circulation.
Among the great tasks of understanding
the seasonal progression of the Asian monsoon,as
well as the heat- water cycle within the
Tibetan Plateau,I would like to study interactions
between the Tibetan Plateau and tropical
circulation/mid and high latitude westerly
circulation. |
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Mr. Jun Yoshimura
Global Warming Research
Program |
I have been participating in the Global Warming
Research Program since
last April.Before
then,I had been studying
tropical cyclones
(TCs)and El Nino in MRI,using
climate models.My
present theme,which I have
been engaged since
I was in MRI,is how frequency
and intensity
of TCs (including typhoons)would
change due
to global warming.So far,all
results of our
greenhouse- warming experiments
with high-
resolution numerical models
have shown significant
reduction in global frequency
of TCs.But
regional TC frequency might
increase in some
areas,and there is possibility
that the maximum
intensity or rainfall associated
with TCs
would increase on a global
scale.In the near
future we would make numerical
experiments
with much higher resolution
(using the Earth
Simulator),and I have much
interest in whether
we obtain the same,or a
different kind result
from such experiments.
In this research field there are many
tasks to solve,and I am excited by the expectation
that we could understand many more things
by making various kinds of numerical experiments
(of course observed data are also necessary).
I would like to contribute to the society
through my work.The reason I chose my present
research theme is that I intend to urge a
great turnabout of today's civilization toward
mitigation of the global warming by depicting
an image of (even in part)what the earth
would become after global warming.Sometimes
I also take part in environmental NGO activities
as a volunteer.In the distant future,I dream
that I will have a research theme depicting
an image of a great turnabout of today's
civilization from an economic point of view. |
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