The mountainous island of Dominica has been selected as the location for a research project on the generation of convective clouds and precipitation in the tropics. The Dominica Experiment (DOMEX) started in March of 2007, but attention is now focused on the intensive field phase in April/May 2011.  During this phase, a research aircraft will be profiling the upstream conditions east of the island and penetrating clouds over the island. The principal investigator of DOMEX is Professor Ronald B. Smith from Yale University, with support from the USA National Science Foundation.  Participating institutions include: Dominica Division of Forestry, Dominica Met Office, MeteoFrance DIRAG, University of Reading and the University of Wyoming.

1. To understand the physics of mountain triggered convection and precipitation in the tropics, using Dominica as a natural laboratory
2. To develop data sets that can be used to test and improve numerical models of convection and precipitation in the tropics
3. To better understand and predict the weather and climate of the Lesser Antilles including Guadeloupe, Dominica and Martinique

University of Wyoming King Air

Castellanus

Ron, Arlington, Nigel, and Eustace