Section 2

Arrangements for requesting and receiving atmospheric transport model products from an RSMC

2.1 The "Regional and Global Arrangements" are designed to ensure that the RSMCs' atmospheric transport model products would be effective for, and immediately available to any Member State, in the context of the defined Scope (Section 1.2). These Arrangements recognize the collective role of the RSMCs, the coordinating role of the WMO, and the international authority of the IAEA for nuclear events. It is the intention of the WMO to designate RSMCs within each of its six Regional Associations so that the provision of atmospheric transport model products for environmental emergency response can be achieved within each Region under specific Regional arrangements and procedures. However, until such time as this is fully attained for all Regions, Global Arrangements are in place. The "Regional and Global Arrangements" are found in Annex 1.

2.1.1 The up-to-date list of designated RSMCs is provided with full contact information in Annex 2. In Regions where RSMCs have been designated, the Delegated Authority will direct its request to that RSMC(s) according to specific Regional arrangements and procedures.

2.2 When the Delegated Authority or the IAEA make the request to the appropriate RSMC, it must provide contact information and event related information as indicated on the "Request for WMO RSMC Support by Delegated Authority" or ''Request for WMO RSMC Support by IAEA'' (referred to as the "Request Form"). The language used for the Request Form is determined within specific Regional arrangements and procedures. A sample form completed by a Delegated Authority is found in Figure 2. Blank forms are shown in Annex 3.

Figure 2: Examples of a Request Form filled by a Delegated Authority and by the IAEA IEC.

2.2.1 The essential contact information includes: the Status (indicating event or exercise), date and time of request, published name of the Delegated Authority or IAEA contact, the country or Agency it represents, its telephone and fax numbers and e-mail, the telephone and fax and e-mail of the operational contact point within the requesting country's national meteorological service where the model products will be sent.

2.2.2 The absolutely essential event-related information includes: the name of the release site, and the geographical coordinates of the release. Other event-related information, if unavailable at the time of the request, will be substituted with standard default values. At any time that new information becomes available, it should be provided to the RSMC with an updated Request Form.

2.2.2.1 The model runs will always use the source parameters provided on the Request Form. Standard defaults parameters will be used (see Section 4) for the parameters that are unspecified.

2.2.2.2 Starting date/time of release: date/time specified at "START OF RELEASE" on request form or, if not available, the "date/time of request" specified at the top of the request form (see Section 4).

2.2.3 When making a request, the Delegated Authority or IAEA must send the Request Form, at a minimum completed in its first section, to the RSMC. At the same time, the Delegated Authority or IAEA must immediately call the RSMC to confirm the transmission of the Request for RSMC Support. This procedure must be followed in all subsequent updates of new event-related information provided by the Delegated Authority to the RSMC. Confirmation of receipt of the Request (initial and updates) will be provided by the RSMC immediately.

2.3 The RSMC(s), in response to a request for support by the Delegated Authority or the IAEA, will produce a standard set of basic output products from its Atmospheric Transport Model simulation and using the parameters provided on the Request Form and default parameters for those not provided. The basic output products are defined and discussed in in Section 4 and in Annex 4.

2.3.1 A text, know as the Joint Statement, may be prepared and provided by the RSMC(s) to the National Mmeteorological Service of the requesting country and/or the IAEA. The statement describes the Atmospheric Transport Model outputs in relation to the anticipated atmospheric circulation and weather patterns. The performance of NWP models, on which Atmospheric Transport Model simulation is based, may also be discussed.

2.3.2 Other output products based on available data and related to the emergency event may be requested. The RSMC(s) will respond within its operational constraints.

2.4 The Atmospheric Transport Model outputs will only be updated when a new request is received, normally when significant new event-related information becomes available. A new request may also ask for model re-runs when new meteorological Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) data become available (for example, based on 00 UTC and 12 UTC forecas cycle updates). A new request will be issued whenever a new re-run is required.

2.5 Distribution of the basic set of output products and the Joint Statement to all NMHSs of the WMO States in the Region(s) of responsibility of each RSMC will only be done if requested by IAEA on the ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE REQUEST FOR WMO RSMC SUPPORT FORM (i.e., action required "ALL RSMCS GENERATE PRODUCTS AND DISTRIBUTE WITHIN THEIR REGIONS" or if specified in "OTHER ACTIONS". See Annex 3).

Updated 6 May 2014

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