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Field Campaigns
Apply now to use an ACRF site in FY 2008; proposals for smaller, short-term campaigns being accepted
18th Annual Meeting
See the website for award-winning posters, pictures, and how to submit poster PDFs
Research Spotlight
UPDATED! CMBE data are now available from the ACRF sites in Barrow, Alaska; Nauru Island; Manus Island, Papua New Guinea; and Darwin, Australia.
Long-Term Best Estimate Data Available for Climate Modelers
To better serve the needs of climate model development, ACRF has devoted significant effort to assemble a "climate modeling best estimate" (CMBE) of the highest quality cloud and radiation measurements. This data set, specifically tailored for use in evaluating of global climate models, includes long-term best estimates from selected ACRF measurements for cloud fraction, total cloud cover, shortwave and longwave radiation fluxes, liquid water path, and precipitable water vapor. These quantities are derived from three ARM value-added products and the total sky imager measurements.
For more information:
Research Spotlight
New WACR-ARSCL Evaluation Product Available for Niamey
Observations from the 95 GHz W-band ARM Cloud Radar (WACR), Micropulse Lidar, and ceilometer have been combined using the new WACR-Active Remote Sensing of Clouds (WACR-ARSCL) value-added process (VAP) (Kollias and Miller, 2007) to produce cloud boundaries and time-height profiles of cloud location, radar moments, and linear depolarization ratio fields for the entire Niamey deployment (3/16/2006 – 12/29/2006). The basic algorithm used in the WACR-ARSCL VAP is similar to that employed by the ARSCL VAP, which is based on 35-GHz Millimeter Cloud Radar observations (Clothiaux et al., 2000).
These data are available as an ARM evaluation product from the ARM Archive. Please contact the Archive if you have any login questions.
Research Spotlight
Marked Improvements Shown in Global Weather Forecast Model
One of the world's foremost weather forecast models is showing dramatic improvements thanks to the pairing of two recent advancements in the representation of radiative transfer in global weather and climate models. Developed with funding from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program, the new components simulate the absorption and scattering of sunlight ("solar radiation") in the atmosphere and better represent small-scale cloud variability. Their application to the forecast model of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) solves a long-standing problem in which this model predicted too many convective thunderstorms over the ocean relative to those over near-by land areas.
For more information, read the feature story.
Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program
The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program is the largest global change research program supported by the U.S. Department of Energy. The primary goal of the ARM Program is to improve the treatment of cloud and radiation physics in global climate models in order to improve the climate simulation capabilities of these models.
To achieve this goal, ARM scientists and researchers around the world use continuous data obtained through the ARM Climate Research Facility. This scientific user facility provides a unique asset for interdisciplinary global change research among the national and international scientific community.
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