From October 14 to 18, the ICDM Workshop 2024, organized by the International Commission on Dynamical Meteorology (ICDM) and co-hosted by Nanjing University and the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, was successfully held at Nanjing University Xianlin Campus. The workshop, with the theme Linking Weather and Climate Dynamics Across Scales, aimed to explore the latest research findings and cutting-edge scientific issues in the field of dynamical meteorology, thereby to enhance the understanding of the complex connections between weather and climate. There are over 140 scholars from 35 academic institutions in European, North American, Asian, and African countries attending the workshop.
Meeting venue
Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony was chaired by Professor Yang Zhang, ICDM member and the co-chair of the Scientific Organizing Committee of the workshop. Academician Zhe-Min Tan, President of Nanjing University and Chair of the China Meteorological Society, Professor Thomas Spengler, Chair of the ICDM, and Academician Mu Mu, Chair of the China National Committee for IAMAS attended the opening ceremony and delivered welcoming speeches.
Academician Zhe-Min Tan extended a warm welcome to all the scholars who had traveled from afar to attend the workshop, and expressed his best wishes for its success. As a former ICDM member, he thanked the committee for choosing Nanjing University as the host of the workshop and pointed out that, over the past century since its foundation, the program of atmospheric sciences at NJU has nurtured many outstanding scholars majored in dynamical meteorology. He looks forward to further strengthening of NJU's international exchanges and collaborations via the workshop, and wishes the workshop make contributions to the development of world's dynamical meteorology study.
Speech by Academician Zhe-Min Tan, President of Nanjing University and Chair of the Chinese Meteorological Society
Professor Thomas Spengler emphasized the inherent connection between weather and climate through physical processes at different spatiotemporal scales, and the importance of understanding the complex interactions between these scales for improving weather forecasting and climate predictions. He hopes that the workshop can promote cooperation and innovation in the above areas.
Speech by Professor Thomas Spengler, President of the ICDM
Academician Mu Mu pointed out that global warming presents new challenges to dynamical meteorology and atmospheric sciences, which set higher requirements not only in dynamical understanding but also in international cooperation. He hopes that the workshop would serve not only to exchange the latest advances in weather and climate dynamics but also to foster collaboration between Chinese and international scholars. Specifically, he emphasized the importance of broadening the vision of young scholars and inspiring their enthusiasm and creativity in scientific research.
Speech by Academician Mu Mu, Chair of China National Committee for IAMAS
Keynote Speeches, Poster Presentations, and Diverse Activities
The five-day workshop explored the cross-scale connections and dynamical mechanisms between weather and climate from various perspectives, including interactions between the tropics, mid-latitudes, and polar regions, dynamics of climate change and extreme events, machine learning, and predictability of weather and climate events. The workshop invited 12 experts to deliver keynote presentations, including Academician Mu Mu at Fudan University, Academician Zhe-Min Tan at Nanjing University, Professor Xiu-Qun Yang at Nanjing University, Professor Noboru Nakamura at the University of Chicago, Professor Heini Wernli at ETH Zurich, Professor Dale Duran at the University of Washington, Professor Wanying Kang at MIT, and Professor Rachel White at the University of British Columbia. The program also featured engaging oral presentations and poster sessions.
In addition to the oral presentations and poster sessions, the workshop organized a variety of enriching exchange activities. An ice-breaking event on the first day helped participants get to know each other better. A panel discussion was arranged during the lunchtime of the second day, where senior scientists shared their insights into the latest developments, challenges, and future prospects in the field of dynamical meteorology with all attendees. On the fourth day, an informal roundtable meeting was organized for early-career researchers, providing guidance on career planning and development from senior scientists. Moreover, campus tours and other activities were scheduled throughout the workshop, offering opportunities for participants for in-depth acquaintance of Nanjing University and the School of Atmospheric Sciences.
Closing Ceremony
The closing ceremony of the workshop was chaired by Dr. Lin Wang, the co-chair of the Scientific Organizing Committee of the workshop. During the ceremony, Professor Thomas Spengler, Chair of the ICDM, and Professor Tim Woollings, Vice-Chair of the ICDM, presented awards for the best student oral and poster presentation, respectively. Professor Lili Lei, Vice Dean of the School of Atmospheric Sciences at Nanjing University, presented Professor Thomas Spengler with the certificate of NJU “International Fellowship Initiative (IFI)”, in recognition of his contributions to the university's international academic exchanges. Finally, Dr. Lin Wang, on behalf of the ICDM, expressed gratitude to the local organizing committee for their meticulous preparation over the past half year, to the student volunteers for their hard work, and to all participants for their involvement.
The successful hosting of the ICDM workshop highlights the vibrancy of research in the field of dynamical meteorology and demonstrates the confidence of scholars in jointly advancing the development of weather and climate dynamics. Participants from around the world brought a rich diversity of backgrounds and academic ideas, which facilitated the international exchange and research collaborations.
Group photo