AOGS Election of Office Bearers - 2012 to 2014

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Candidate of: Atmospheric Sciences (AS) Section President Kenji Nakamura (CV) Professor Hydrospheric Atmospheric Research Centre, Nagoya University

Mission Statement

Asia-Oceania region includes large continents, steep mountains, and wide oceans, and a large variety of atmospheric phenomena exists. This region is under the influence of the Asian monsoon which is a large scale phenomenon and has interannual variation. This variation which is still in mystery deeply impacts the human society. The typhoon is one of the major causes of natural disasters in this region. The huge damages due to ones in Bangladesh and Taiwan are still in our memory. The precise prediction of the typhoon is crucial for disaster prevention. Mesoscale severe storms also cause damages. Air quality is another important issue for Asia-Oceania countries. Chemical components in atmosphere are under the influence of general circulation and also under the local circulation with complicated changes in chemical quality.  
 
It is true that many very interesting scientific issues exist in Asia-Oceania region. It, however, should also be kept in mind that a lot of people live in this region. Some are in developed countries and others are in developing countries.
 
I am engaged in study of precipitation characteristics using satellite data. During my study, I recognized the variety of atmospheric phenomena with very wide ranges in time and space. At the same time, I put effort to Earth observation space programs, and I understand that the scientific objective is not enough, and the societal contribution is very important. Also I recognize that scientific understanding is essential for the real contribution to society.