The pre-depression Investigation of cloud-systems in the tropics field campaign: Perspectives of early career scientists

The invaluable roles played by early career scientists (ECSs) throughout the campaign helped make possible the successful execution of the field program's mission to investigate tropical cyclone formation.

ECSs provided critical meteorological information - often obtained from novel ECS-created products - during daily weather briefings that were used by the principal investigators in making mission planning decisions. Once a G-V flight mission was underway, ECSs provided nowcasting support, relaying information that helped the mission scientists to steer clear of potential areas of turbulence aloft. Data from these missions, including dropsonde and GPS water vapor profiler data, were continually obtained, processed, and quality controlled by ECSs.