EUMETSAT has the pleasure of welcoming experts in the field of meteorology, clima-tology and the environment to its 2008 Meteorological Satellite Conference which, for the first time ever, will take place on “home ground” in Darmstadt, from 8 – 12 September 2008. 

Since 1991, Darmstadt has, with good reason, been hailed “the city of science” and now boasts a new Conference Centre, called the Darmstadtium (named after a chemical element that was first discovered in 1994 by the Darmstadt-based GSI (Heavy Iron Research Institute) Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung.

The Darmstadtium Science and Congress Centre was inaugurated at the end of 2007, rapidly becoming the architectural symbol of the new Darmstadt.  It will be the venue par excellence for our conference.

Supporting us at this year’s event will be colleagues from the German weather service (Deutscher Wetterdienst).

Sessions have been categorised as follows:

• Session 1 Future Systems
• Session 2 Future Sensors and Calibration
• Session 3 Oceanography
• Session 4 Climate monitoring with operational satellites
• Session 5 Nowcasting
• Session 6 Data services for real time application
• Session 7 Advanced sounding
• Session 8 Monitoring land use
• Session 9 Activities for learning in meteorology?
• Session 10 Hydrometeorology?
• Session 11  Atmospheric Composition
• Session 12 Numerical Weather Prediction applications

Following the highly successful joint conference in Amsterdam in 2007, we are aiming to replicate this September the same high scientific content, the dynamic interchange of ideas and the favourable ambience. The programme follows roughly the same format, with three parallel sessions on most days, thereby ensuring only minimal non-acceptance of abstracts submitted, as well as poster displays which can be viewed during the entire week.  As always, there are some topics of wider interest and for this reason the programme includes four plenary sessions which all delegates are invited to follow. 2008 is also the year of the Jason-2 launch and the timing of the conference should be ideal to hear the first results. 

What contributes to a good conference are of course the delegates and it is the mix of seasoned attendees and newcomers – from around the world - which gives a balanced combination of experience and innovation.  We hope that you will be able to join us in Darmstadt this coming September.

The notification of the availability of the second announcement and draft programme is being sent to those who registered via the first announcement.  The draft programme will be updated from time to time should the need arise, and abstracts will be posted on this page.
 
Details of registration, accommodation, travel as well as important information pertaining to the conference are provided in the following pages. Registration and hotel booking forms can be found under: .