Author: Travis Swaim

133 – Polar Climate System
Principal Investigator(s): L. Boisvert

We want to calculate the moisture flux over the entire Arctic using satellite data on board NASA’s Aqua satellite daily from 2003-2009. We would like to study how the moisture flux has been changing in recent years with the dramatic changes in the Arctic sea ice pack thickness, compactness, and extent. We would like to compare these findings to recent studies dealing with Arctic cloud changes in recent years to see if they relate. We began with a small-scale study of the North Water polynya in order to test the accuracy of the satellite data before moving on to the entire Arctic sea ice pack.

132 – Analysis and Evaluations of Passive Microwave Measurements
Principal Investigator(s): Nai-Yu Wang

Measurements from polar orbiting satellites, in particular, microwave sensors, offer perhaps the most viable means to develop global precipitation retrievals. Measurements from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and the Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) will exploit such data to provide global, three-hourly precipitation monitoring. Much research and development needs to be done to prepare for the GPM core satellite launch in 2013. The next three years is the most critical time to develop and deliver the pre-launch algorithms. We’ll work closely with several Precipitation Measurement Missions (PMM) science team working groups (WGs) and team members to develop and deliver the baseline precipitation algorithms over land.

131 – Impact of Moisture Conditions on Twomey Effect
Principal Investigator(s): Z. Li

Generally, aerosols suppress shallow cloud development and precipitation process through Twomey effect and aerosol second indirect effect. However, it is not always the case if the meteorological variables change. Previous studies have shown the possibility of anti-Twomey effect. This study attempts to identify and evaluate the dependence of aerosol effects on meteorological variables using both RACORO (Routine AAF Clouds with Low Optical Water Depths (CLOWD) Optical Radiative Observations) aircraft field campaign data, long-term GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) and surface observational data in ARM SGP site. During the RACORO campaign (January to June, 2009), 57 flights were taken, and half of them were inside the boundary layer clouds. The obtained long-term representative statistics of cloud microphysical and aerosol properties of the atmosphere make the statistical average methods possible. These data could also support model simulations of boundary layer clouds. Various factors such as cloud water mixing ratio, RH, and liquid water content (LWC) are investigated.

128 – Pilot Applications of the Chesapeake Bay Forecast System
Principal Investigator(s): A. Busalacchi

A project aimed at demonstrating the value and utility of applications of the Chesapeake Bay Forecast System (CBFS), a prototype regional integrated Earth System Model being developed and implemented at the University of Maryland Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center. This pilot effort will develop several Pilot User Collaborations aimed at identifying and testing methods for applying CBFS forecast products to sector-specific needs.

121 and 139 – Global Floods and Landslides
Principal Investigator(s): R. Adler, H. Wu

The objective is to develop, test and apply a global system for estimating floods and landslides using satellite precipitation information, other satellite data and hydrological models.

116 – Automating Boundary Layer Detection for Aerosol Lidar
Principal Investigator(s): Z. Li

The planetary boundary layer (PBL) varies in depth on a time scale of minutes to hours, with implications for aerosol transport, surface air quality, and radiative forcing. Unfortunately the most direct method for observing the PBL top height, via thermodynamic profiles from radiosonde launches, is available only four times per day even during intensive campaigns and less frequently than that during normal operational use. The timing of the launches seldom corresponds to the extremes of the diurnal cycle. Because a higher temporal resolution for PBL measurements would be valuable to modeling efforts, remote sensing methods are an important potential source. In order to determine whether aerosol profiles detected by micropulse lidar can serve as effective proxies of the thermodynamic structure, PBL heights derived from them must be compared to PBL heights taken from radiosonde and other thermodynamic profiles, such as AERI retrievals. All three sets of measurements are available at the ARM SGP site; intensive collocated radiosonde and MPL data come from the ICEALOT research cruise of March-April 2008.

Chris Kidd presented his latest work on the merger of multi-source precipitation retrievals at the European Geosciences Union conference, Vienna, Austria, April 22-27. He also judged a number of student posters for an Outstanding Student Poster Award in the atmospheric sciences division….

Antonio Busalacchi and Steve Halperin participated in an Executive Round Table on Climate, Private Sector Engagement, and Strategic Forecasting, April 25-26, in Asheville, NC with participants from the private sector, universities and NOAA. The meeting focused on how U.S. business, and the economy as a whole, could be better prepared for weather and climate changes that may take place in the future….

CIRUN co-sponsored an all-day workshop, April 23, held at UMUC, Lost in Translation: Linking Climate Science to Local Communities in Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay. The workshop, organized by the Maryland SeaGrant program and by the Center for Watershed Protection, focused on improving communication about climate change adaptation among planners and between community leaders and scientists….

Senior Research Scientist Robert Adler was named 2012 Outstanding Alumnus, Atmospheric Science Department, Colorado State University in recognition of his long career in atmospheric research. Adler received the award at a ceremony held by the Engineering College, CSU on April 14….