Radio Science Bulletin 313 - June 2005 - URSI

Mode B Sponsorship- URSI Joint Working Group FG Workshop:Commission F Symposium on Microwave RemoteSensing Atmospheric Remote Sensing Using SatelliteNavigation Systems, URSI Joint Working Group FG,Matera, Italy 13-15 October 2003 (Conference report:RSB, December 2003, pp. 64-65). The four themeswere atmospheric/ionospheric measurements usingground-based GNSS receivers, GNSS radio occultationand novel radio occultation techniques, scintillation –ionospheric and tropospheric effect, and imaging anddata assimilation techniques. The young scientist sessioncovered each of the four themes.- ClimmDiff’03: Fortaleza, Brazil, 17-19 November 2003(Conference report: RSB, March 2004, pp. 59-62). Themeeting extended the Climpara meetings linking URSIwith ITU-R and addressed the use of climatic parametersin the prediction of radiowave propagation characteristicsand diffraction modelling and its applications. Themeeting preceded parallel meetings of ITU-R WorkingParties 3J, 3K, 3L, and 3M. 60 participants attended themeeting and 35 contributed papers were presented.- MICRORAD 2004: 8 th Specialist Meeting onMicrowave Radiometry and Remote SensingApplications, Rome, Italy, 24-27 February 2004. Topicsincluded satellite missions and experimental campaigns,sensor calibration, advanced techniques, retrievalmethodologies, and several applications (ocean,atmosphere, snow, soil and vegetation. 152 participantsattended the meeting. 85 oral and 42 interactivepresentations were given.- Commission F Triennial Open Symposium: Cairns,Great Barrier Reef, Australia, 1-4 June 2004 (http://www.ursi-f2004.com). Topics covered both radiowavepropagation and remote sensing. 40 participants attendedthe meeting. 4 invited and 26 contributed papers werepresented.- AP-RASC’04: 2004 Asia-Pacific Radio ScienceConference, Qingdao, China, 25-27 August 2004. Themeeting covered all scientific fields of URSI. A total of17 keynote speeches, 6 invited presentations and over200 contributed presentations were given.- Commission F Triennial Symposium on MicrowaveRemote Sensing: Commission F Symposium onMicrowave Remote Sensing of the Earth, Oceans, Ice,and Atmosphere, Barza d’Ispra, Italy, 20-21 April 2005(http://ursi-f-2005.jrc.it) (Conference report: June RSB,2005, p. 77). Topics included SAR, SAR interferometry,early warning of earthquakes and tsunami, groundbasedsystems, ESA SMOS mission, monitoring ofsnow cover, and radar polarimetry. 62 participantsattended the meeting. 40 oral and 8 interactivepresentations were given.Preparation of Scientific Programme forGeneral Assembly 2005Setting up a scientific program for a triennium is theprime activity of an URSI Commission in order to achievean exchange of ideas and research results among individualscientists throughout the world. This is carried out atGeneral Assemblies and other meetings.Traditionally, Commission F oral sessions at GAhave been organised based on invitation only. It was agreedat GA 2002 to open the oral sessions for contributed papersin order to have opportunities especially for Young ScientistProgramme awardees to present their results. AllCommission F sessions at GA 2005 consist of invited andcontributed presentations and, additionally, related posterpresentations. The following sessions are planned:F01 - Satellite and terrestrial propagationF02 - Propagation and scattering in vegetationF03 - Mobile and personal access radio propagationF04 - Mobile and indoor propagationF05 - Scattering and diffraction effects in remote sensingF06 - Global remote sensingF07 - Urban remote sensingF08 - Novel sensors and data fusionF09 - Microwave remote sensing of the cryosphereF10 - Remote sensing of atmosphere and oceanFG - Transionospheric signal degradationBCF - Propagation models and Maxwellian approach tosmart antennasGF1a, b - Atmosphere-ionosphere sounding by using globalnavigation satellite systemsThe Commission F Tutorial is entitled “Spaceborneradar mapping of boreal forests”.CommunicationsThe Commission F web site has been established inconnection of the URSI web site (http://www.ursi.org) forefficient dissemination of information.60TheRadio Science Bulletin No 313 (June, 2005)