News Archive
April - June 2007
6/27/2007 - Data From the NOAA Climate Reference Network for Barrow, AK, and Stillwater, OK, are Available Through the External Data Center
The ARM Climate Research Facility is providing data in netCDF format from the U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN), a network of climate change monitoring stations developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This network provides long-term observations of temperature and precipitation that can be paired with long-term historical observations for the detection and attribution of present and future climate change. The two main observations are hourly average surface air temperature and hourly total precipitation. Data are available for the Barrow, Alaska, station starting 2002-08-09 to present and for the Stillwater, Oklahoma, stations starting 2002-03-12 to present. For further details on these datasets, see http://www.arm.gov/xds/static/noaacrn.stm or go here to order the data.
5/18/2007 - ICRCCM Results Now Available at the ARM Archive
Data and documentation from the first Intercomparison of Radiation Codes in Climate Models (ICRCCM-1) are now included at the ARM Archive. This 1980s climate modeling project eventually led to the creation of the ARM Program. Included in this repository are all available correspondences, publications, reports, workshops and meetings, ICRCCM test cases, longwave and shortwave tabular results, one set of single-model results (ATRAD), and longwave line-by-line results.
To learn more about ICRCCM, read the Initial Concept section under ARM History or go directly to the ARM Archive. (If you are a first time you visitor to the Archive, you will need to create a new account—a relatively short form asking for contact information.)
4/25/2007 - New, Improved Algorithm for Retrieving Liquid Water Path Now Available at the ARM Archive
The MWRRET product uses an improved retrieval technique and a method to identify and remove biases from the data to greatly improve the retrieved LWP (blue). It also performs so-called physical retrievals at each radiosonde launch time (black dots)—physical retrievals are the best possible retrieval that can be performed. (Larger image.)
The total amount of liquid water in clouds overhead, called the liquid water path (LWP), is a critical variable in understanding the flow of radiant energy in the cloudy atmosphere. A new algorithm recently developed provides improved estimates of LWP from the ARM 2-channel microwave radiometers. The original microwave radiometer (MWR) retrieved LWP data often had large unphysical values in clear skies (before 06 UTC and after 09 UTC in the example to the right).
Developed by ARM scientists, the algorithm called the Microwave Radiometer Retrievals of Cloud Liquid Water and Precipitable Water Vapor or MWRRET, utilizes an advanced absorption model and improved retrieval techniques to greatly improve the accuracy of the derived LWP relative to the original ARM values. A total of 18 years of data, from six ARM Climate Research Facility (ACRF) sites, have been processed using this new algorithm.
These data (and more) are freely available in the ARM Archive. The first time you visit the Archive you will need to create a new account—a relatively short form asking for contact information—you can use right away. Order MWRRET data now.
4/23/2007 - BAMS Features Three ARM Research Papers in February
In a tropospheric trifecta, three ARM research papers were featured in the February 2007 issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, or BAMS. Two of the articles—Turner et. al., and Comstock et. al.,—cover studies of retrieval algorithms used to characterize the microphysical properties of thin liquid water clouds and upper tropospheric ice clouds, respectively. The third article, Verlinde et. al., discusses the scientific objectives and emerging results of the Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment, conducted in October 2004.
These articles are available online in Volume 88, Issue 2 of BAMS, the official news outlet of the society. This publication is devoted to editorials, topical reports to members, articles, professional and membership news, conference announcements, programs and summaries, book reviews, and society activities.
4/23/2007 - Arctic Surface Radiation Data Now Available at the Data Archive
Researchers lead by principal investigator Ellsworth Dutton used more than 30 years of surface irradiance data obtained from Barrow, Alaska, in a study of temporal and spatial variations (Dutton et al., 2006). The high temporal resolution (1 to 3 minute averages) data and the quality assured hourly averages are now available from the ARM Archive. See http://www.arm.gov/xds/static/noaarad.stm for details or go here to order the data.
4/1/2007 - Climate Scientists Cool Their Heels at Science Team Meeting in Monterey
Nearly 300 participants from countries as far away as Japan, Australia, and Finland attended the 2007 ARM Science Team Meeting.
A spring mix of sunny skies and stormy weather provided an appropriate setting for the Seventeenth Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program Science Team Meeting, held March 26 through March 30 in Monterey, California. Held annually since 1990, this meeting brings together ARM scientists, ACRF infrastructure staff, and user facility researchers to review program progress and plan future activities.
This year's plenary session featured opening remarks by the new program director for ARM science, Dr. Kiran Alapaty. He described the current and outyear budget outlook, emphasizing the need for patience during the ongoing continuing resolution process. He also summarized the status of the research proposal process for both universities and national laboratories, indicating areas to focus on in the next few years to enable program growth in future research directions.
On Tuesday and Wednesday evening, 180 posters were the subject of much discussion among ARM Science Team meeting participants. (Click for a larger version.)
Dr. Warren Wiscombe, ARM Chief Scientist, then gave a recap of program accomplishments in the past year, including completed field campaigns, the use of new parameterizations in climate models, and the formation of a radar focus group. He also described key plans for the coming year, such as implementing routine research flights via the ARM Aerial Vehicles Program, and investigating the potential for adding tomography capabilities to the ACRF baseline measurement suite.
During the remainder of the meeting, formal presentations and smaller breakout sessions covered results emerging from cloud and radiation measurement and modeling research. Evening poster sessions held on Tuesday and Wednesday provided an informal setting for science team members to review and discuss their research activities in more detail. Next year's ARM Science Team meeting will be held in Norfolk, Virginia.
Events
4/19/2007 - Workshop on Patagonian Dust and Its Climate Implications Scheduled for October
There will be a workshop on Patagonian dust and its climate implications on October 3-5, in Puerto Madryn, Argentina. The objective of this meeting is to share information and promote collaborations among groups from different disciplines to improve understanding of southern South America (notably Patagonia) and its role in influencing the past/present climate and marine biogeochemistry in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica.
For more information, see http://www.cenpat.edu.ar/dustmeeting/ or contact Dr. Santiago Gasso at santiago@climate.gsfc.nasa.gov.
4/19/2007 - 7th International Summer School on Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (ISSAOS) Set for L'Aquila, Italy
The 7th International Summer School on Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (ISSAOS) will take place September 3-7 in L'Aquila, Italy. The school is aimed at undergraduate and graduate students, young researchers, postdocs, professionals and to all who would like to gain a broad understanding of theory and applications of integrated ground-based observing systems. It will focus on the applications of integrated ground-based systems. ARM Program scientists Tom Ackerman and Dave Turner will speak at the event. For more information, see http://cetemps.aquila.infn.it/issaos_2007/. Early registration ends May 30, 2007.
4/19/2007 - Registration Deadline for the 33rd International Conference is June 15
The American Meteorological Society (AMS) with the Bureau of Meteorology is hosting the 33rd International Conference on Radar Meteorology at the Cairns Convention Centre in Cairns, Australia, August 5-10. This meeting is one of the oldest and most prestigious international meetings undertaken by the AMS. Renowned invited international and local speakers will present their latest findings relevant to research and the operational applications radars. Of special interest to ARM will be sessions focused on the latest techniques and results for studies of clouds and radiation as well as sessions focusing on the latest technological developments. It is anticipated that there will be major contributions relating to the first results from Cloudsat with Graeme Stephens presenting a keynote. Sessions focusing on major field programs will feature contributions from TWP-ICE and AMMA.
For details, see http://www.ametsoc.org/meet/fainst/200733radar.html for more details.
Employment Opportunities
6/28/2007 - Computer Network Manager Position Available at the ACRF SGP Site
The ARM Climate Research Facility (ACRF), funded through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is seeking a Computer Network/Systems Engineer for its Southern Great Plains (SGP) site, near Lamont, Oklahoma. The ACRF is a DOE National User Facility, with facilities around the world dedicated to making long-term climate measurements. As part of this user facility, the SGP site contains state-of-the-art instruments and computer systems and is a focal point for collaborative national and international research. The successful candidate will be part of a team responsible for the maintenance and design evolution of the ACRF global network and communications infrastructure. The duties of the position include:
- Maintenance and operation of wide- and local-area networks, and communications for ACRF measurement systems and facilities deployed worldwide
- Ensuring continued, reliable operation of data collection processes and data flow from measurement facilities to a central data management facility
- Monitoring of ACRF communications
- Developing, implementing, and monitoring cyber security policies
- Providing technical support to ACRF operations staff and to scientists visiting the ACRF facility.
The successful candidate will have strong managerial and leadership experience, as well as the necessary technical skills and experience. Minimum requirements are:
- Considerable systems administration skill with Linux operating systems
- Knowledge and experience with scientific data collection and instrumentation, especially regarding interfaces to networks and computer systems
- Considerable skills in C, Perl, XML, Java, and secure programming practices.
Desired skills:
- Systems administration skill with Solaris and Cisco operating systems
- Working knowledge of wide- and local-area networks and telecommunication systems including satellite and ground-based systems, design specifications, procurements, reliability, and integrity
- Certifications in Red Hat Linux or Cisco IOS.
This exciting research-driven position is located in a rural location at the SGP site near Lamont, Oklahoma, and is operated by the Cherokee Nation Distributors of Stilwell, Oklahoma. Additional information about the site and its mission can be found at http://www.arm.gov/sites/sgp.stm. Some international travel may be required. There will be frequent interaction with other ACRF staff located throughout the world. We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, please fax or mail your résumé to:
Fax: 580-388-4052
Email: HR@ops.sgp.arm.gov
Mail: Human Resource Department
309600 EW 28
Billings, OK 74630
6/28/2007 - Assistant Network/Systems Engineer Sought for ACRF
This position is no longer available. For more information, please contact Richard Eagan at richard.eagan@anl.gov or (630) 252-3435.
6/15/2007 - Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science (CIRES) Announces Three Openings
Three positions were recently posted on the CIRES website (http://cires.colorado.edu/jobs/) including the following:
- professional research assistant for the NOAA Earth System Research Lab (ESRL) Global Systems Division (GSD) - involves sharing responsibilities with the Forecast Verification SEction within the Aviation Branch of the ESRL's GSD (posted May 7, 2007).
- professional research assistant for the NOAA Earth System Research Lab (ESRL) Global Systems Division (GSD) - needs to possess strong computer and mathematics skills with a background in physical sciences, will be part of the Forecast Verification Section engineering team (posted April 23, 2007).
- professional research assistant for the NOAA Earth System Research Lab (ESRL) Global Systems Division (GSD) - will lead and coordinate a small team in the development of new verification and user-based techniques for the evaluation of aviation forecasts (posted April 23, 2007).
For more information, see the CIRES website.
5/17/2007 - Research Scientist Position Available at the University of Oklahoma
The Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies at The University of Oklahoma invites applications for a full-time research scientist position. The appointee will join the research group led by Dr. Yefim Kogan and will be responsible for performing numerical simulations of clouds and cloud observing systems. The main research tool is an advanced LES model with explicit formulation of microphysics that uses extensively observations from the ARM Climate Research Facility.
Interested applicants should send a full curriculum vitae with the names of three references (including phone numbers and email addresses) to:
Prof. Peter Lamb, Director
c/o Ms. Tracy Reinke
Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies
University of Oklahoma
120 David L. Boren Blvd, Suite 2100
Norman, OK 73072-7304
email: treinke@ou.edu
For more information, see the online posting.
4/13/2007 - Technical Director Sought for DOE National User Facility
The U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is seeking a Technical Director for the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program. The ARM Program is DOE's largest contribution to global climate change research sponsoring research and the ARM Climate Research Facility (ACRF). As a national user facility, ACRF operates climate observation sites all over the world, the ARM Aerial Vehicle Program (AVP), and the ARM Data Archive for collaborative national and international research. As the ACRF primary point of contact, the Technical Director is responsible for coordinating the technical priorities of the user facility, as communicated by the DOE Program Manager and the ARM Chief Scientist, for implementation by the infrastructure. The Technical Director is also responsible for representing the broad interests of the infrastructure activities (Engineering, Operations, and Archive) to the DOE Program Manager and the ARM Chief Scientist.
The Technical Director is accountable to DOE's Program Manager for effectively coordinating elements of the infrastructure. The Technical Director maintains the ARM integrated budget. The Technical Director chairs the Infrastructure Management Board (IMB) for budget discussions among the infrastructure (Operations, Engineering, and Archive) managers to develop an integrated budget proposal to the DOE Program Manager. This includes the annual budget proposal as well as budget issues that arise during the year.
The Technical Director serves as the liaison between the ARM infrastructure and the ARM science team. This includes communications with the Chief Scientist and participating in meetings the Science Team Executive Committee and Working Groups deem necessary.
The Technical Director works with DOE Program Manager and the ACRF Infrastructure Management Board to ensure that tasks related to the ACRF are communicated and tracked. The Technical Director oversees the activities of the ACRF Science Liaison, who represents the ACRF to the outside (non-ARM familiar) world and coordinates outreach efforts, drawing ARM and other DOE resources as required. The Technical Director is responsible for coordinating the review of ACRF field campaign requests and impacts on resources, sites, instruments and/or data.
The ARM Technical Director is a senior line management position in the PNNL Atmospheric Science and Global Change (ASGC) Division reporting directly to the ASGC Division Director. The position location is in Richland, WA.
Minimum Requirements: Masters Degree in science or engineering (PhD preferred) with a combination of technical and program management experience (preferably centered on atmospheric research) and a history of increasing management responsibility. This position has been filled.
3/26/2007 - Brookhaven National Laboratory Seeks Postdoctoral Research Associate
Brookhaven National Laboratory is seeking a postdoctoral research associate to work on a project that investigates (1) the role of entropy in shaping earth's climate and climate change, and (2) macroscopic principles such as the maximum entropy production principle that govern the weather/climate systems. This position requires a Ph.D. in atmospheric science or related field and experience in climate models, especially energy balance models. Familiarity with radiation transfer, satellite data, and cloud physics is highly desirable as well as the ability to run/analyze climate models of different levels of complexities and compare simulation results with observations (e.g., satellite data).
For more information on this position, please contact Dr. Yangang Liu at lyg@bnl.gov or 631-344-3266.
