TEAMx (Multi-scale transport and exchange processes in the atmosphere over mountains – Programme and experiment; http://www.teamx-programme.org/) is an international research programme that aims at improving the scientific understanding of the meteorological processes that control the exchange of momentum, heat and mass (water, CO2) between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere in mountainous regions. These processes include for instance surface-layer turbulence, mountain venting, orographic convection, mountain waves.

The First TEAMx Workshop took place in August 2019 and attracted 92 scientists from 11 nations. During the workshop, the scientific basis for TEAMx was collectively reviewed. A synthesis will be provided in the soon-to-be-published white paper of the research programme. The two pillars of TEAMx are (i) a field campaign with large-scale deployment of micrometeorological instrumentation, ground-based profiling instruments and airborne sensors planned for 2023-2024 in the European Alps, and (ii) coordinated model evaluation, combining a hierarchy of tools from large-eddy-simulation to regional models to improve exchange parameterizations (land-atmosphere, turbulence, convection, gravity wave drag) across modelling grey zones.

The research community that initiated TEAMx works at the intersection between micrometeorology, mountain meteorology / climatology and air quality in mountain regions, but seeks to establish connections with neighbouring disciplines. The requested splinter meeting aims at introducing TEAMx to a cross-disciplinary audience. Related fields of research include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) Mountain hydrology and snowpack modelling; (ii) Mountain ecosystem research and carbon budgeting; (iii) Energy meteorology, harvesting of wind and solar energy over mountains; (iv) Climate change impact modelling, statistical and physically-based downscaling in complex terrain; (v) Urban air pollution and air chemistry in complex orography; (vi) Health-related impact modeling (such as heat or cold waves, etc).