About
This 4-year project, four subjects are proposed to enhance the scientific unique of two island-base (Taiping and Dongsha) research platforms in South China Sea. At first, yearly extend of scientific platform (container with instruments) at Taiping island to provide the meteorological data and ionopheric observation for monsoon, island-convection, ocean-atmospheric interaction, marine/ecological environment and geomagnetic studies which are all international hot issues for research. The open ocean in-situ observation at Taiping and Dongsha plays the role of key geolocation to form a better regional network surrounding South China Sea countries, and joins global network. For example, the WMO (World meteorological Organization) code for Taiping island was registered as “59997”. When we launch more frequent balloon-borne radiosonde at Taiping, and pass the measurement through WMO Asian regional center at Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) to the world meteorological society, “Taiwan” will be turned on worldwide quickly and easily. The second, Dongsha Atoll Research Station (DARS) was established well (traffic and living condition) from 2012. The unique atoll ring with a runway forms independent and safe marine space (out of Taipei FIR) for testing auto-pilot vehicles. It could be treated as a “sand-box” for different types of airplane (fixed wing airplane and multi-rotor VTOL drone) on flight experiments and marine ecosystem observation done in some countries. Lagoon at Dongsha also provides a good space for airship-buoy design and test. The third, we plan to use research vessels (such as RV OR1 and RV Legend) to connect two-island point-type observation into line-type observation in South China Sea. The cruise observation could involve multi purposes in geoscience and meteorological research issues together. It will be an attractive point for international scientists visiting and cooperation asking and archive the governmental expectation and policy over South China Sea. Finally, through the setup stages on Taiping island research platform, DARS and research vessels’ cruise, they show the dramatic characteristics to the international scientific societies. These features can help Taiwan scientists keeping the existed connection to the international society in the past field campaigns, and are also the attractive points for foreign cooperation.