GRUAN Lead Centre

The Lead Centre at the Lindenberg Meteorological Observatory/ Richard-Assmann-Observatory (MOL-RAO), Germany became fully operational in summer of 2008.

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GRUAN Lead Centre Staff: Tzvetan Simeonov, Marion Fiedler-Krüger, Dr. Michael Sommer, Dr. Ruud Dirksen, Dr. Christoph von Rohden (from left)

Members of Lead Centre

Dr. Ruud Dirksen (email) is head of the in-situ sounding group at the Lindenberg Meteorological Observatory and head of the GRUAN Lead Centre. Within the in situ sounding group, he coordinates all activities of the GRUAN Lead Centre and is point of contact for any GRUAN related matters. Dr. Dirksen has previoulsy worked at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) and the Free University Berlin on satellite observations of the composition of the atmosphere.

Dr. Michael Sommer (email) is a GRUAN Lead Centre scientist working on the management of GRUAN measuring data. This includes the management of data archive particularly with regard to meta data, the development of interfaces and other software components for GRUAN, as well as the analysis and quality assurance of GRUAN data. Additionally, he is working on the development and support of the GRUAN homepage and blog. He achieved his PhD at the Technische Universität Dresden in 2009 where he performed a study of atmospheric radiation climatology based on reconstructions from satellite measurements.

Dr. Christoph von Rohden (email) GRUAN Lead Centre scientist - His main duties involve the development and testing of reference instrumentation as well as the conception and realization of international research projects and field experiments. He has previously worked on transport processes in lakes and groundwater at the Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Heidelberg and afterwards on thermometry and metrology for oceanography at Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Berlin.

Tzvetan Simeonov (email) is a GRUAN Lead Center scientist, working on the development of the GRUAN data product for the RS41 in the framework of the “EVALRADIO” project. The topic of his PhD dissertation is the derivation and analysis of atmospheric water vapour and soil moisture from ground-based GNSS stations as a joint research project between GFZ Potsdam, Technische Universität Berlin and Sofia University.

Marion Fiedler-Krüger is supporting the GRUAN Lead Centre in all administrative matters as well as in data analysis and data management issues.

Former GRUAN Lead Centre Staff

Dr. Holger Vömel (email) - 2008 to 2014

Dr. Franz Immler (email) - 2008 to 2011

Terms of Reference

June 2014

The GRUAN Lead Centre is to be responsible for the monitoring of the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) Reference Upper Air Network (GRUAN), including development of GCOS needs for station operation, coordination among stations, and ensuring archival and dissemination of GRUAN data. GRUAN is envisaged as a network of 30-40 high-quality, long-term, upper-air observing stations that are built on, but not confined to, the larger GCOS Upper Air Network.

Initially, the GRUAN Lead Centre would be convened under the scientific guidance of the GCOS/WCRP AOPC Working Group on Atmospheric Reference Observations (WG-ARO) and with the agreement of the relevant Permanent Representatives of WMO Members. It would serve the following functions in developing and maintaining the Network (in collaboration with the host country and WMO):

  • Coordination of the network
  • Training, education and research
  • Data management including reanalysis
  • Reporting

The AOPC Working Group on Atmospheric Reference Observations envisages establishment of the Lead Centre in 2007, collocated with an existing organization already engaged in similar or related functions for climate observing system.

Download Terms of Reference (2014-06-05, pdf)