News Archive
October - December 2003
12/30/03 - Mean and Variance Measurements of Photon Path Length in Oxygen A-Band and Water Vapor Band Provide Insight into Radiative Transfer in Cloudy Conditions
Researchers used the advanced Rotating Shadowband Spectrometer (aRSS) located at ARM's Southern Great Plains (SGP) site in Oklahoma, to retrieve the mean and variance of the photon path length distribution in two spectral bands. Measurements from previous instruments have been used to retrieve the mean photon path length in the oxygen A-band (763 nm). Measurements from the aRSS, which has triple the resolution of previous instruments, allowed the first retrievals of the statistics of the path length distribution, and hence the variance, in a water vapor band (820 nm). Because the scattering properties of cloud particles vary slowly with wavelength in this region of the solar spectrum, researchers can assume that they are the same at both these wavelengths and therefore use the pair of measurements to draw conclusions about the scattering properties of the atmosphere. To read the full story, see the Sample Results of ARM Research Highlight.
12/01/03 (Updated) - AWEX-G IOP Launches First Vaisala Radiosonde RS92 in North America
According to the manufacturer Vaisala, the AIRS Water Vapor Experiment - Ground (AWEX-G) Intensive Operational Period (IOP) at the ARM Southern Great Plains Site launched the first radiosonde RS92 in North America. It flew on-board the Frost-Point Hygrometer package and was launched at approximately 03:00 UT on November 5. All systems were operating normally. Another RS92 sonde launch was planned for 05:30 UT. The AWEX-G IOP began October 27 and concluded November 16. Data from the AWEX-G IOP will be used to validate a satellite-based atmospheric moisture sensor called AIRS (atmospheric infrared sounder). For more information, see the AWEX-G IOP website.
11/25/03 - Japanese Proposal to Save Mt. Fuji Air Observation
At the end of the 19th century, Mt. Fuji became an important meteorological observation point. The Mt. Fuji Weather Station was established in 1932 and has been operated manually by Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) since then. The station has been effective in forecasting typhoons and other meteorological observations. Recently, however, it was announced that Mt. Fuji Weather Station is moving from attended to an unattended operation in 2004. Terminating the manual operation means losing the knowledge of high mountainous station maintenance. Once lost, the knowledge is difficult to recover.
In the 20th century, growing human activities resulted in severe air pollution on a global scale. Polluted air is transported over long ranges in the free troposphere. Free troposphere, involving 70% of global air in weight, remains one of the frontiers in atmospheric chemistry. Because the free troposphere is very difficult to access, most sample collection is performed by airplane observation, and sampling has been limited to comparatively favorable meteorological conditions when airplanes can fly. Mountains higher than 3,000 m are other candidates for sampling free tropospheric air. However, the accompanying boundary layers, even though small, should be considered in selecting sampling sites.
Due to its shape, the summit of Mt. Fuji is thought to be in the free troposphere most of the time throughout the year. Since 1990, precipitation and aerosol samples were collected at the summit. In 1992, continuous ozone measurement began. In 1997, based on this preliminary work, the Meteorological Research Institute (MRI) began summer research campaigns of intensive observations that lasted from 10 days to 2 weeks. Large quantities of interesting observation data are now coming out, such as continuous observation data of O3, CO, SO2, CO2, Rn-222, Be-7, chemical species in aerosol, black carbon, etc. These data have led to many new findings such as (1) sporadic transport of polluted air mass from the continent controlled by synoptic scale meteorology, (2) estimation of amount of ozone from upper atmosphere, (3) determination of the effect of a Siberian forest fire, as found in the black carbon concentration, (4) nitrate transportation with Kosa particles, etc. These findings are just a small visible part of the research. Additional important findings can be expected from observations in the future, if the research observations continue.
Observations using high mountains have been performed all over the world, at Mauna Loa, USA; Jungfraujoch, Switzerland; Mt. Waliguan, China; etc. Many scientific observations, in addition to atmospheric chemistry, are included at these sites. Compared to other developed countries, mountain observations in these scientific fields lag far behind in Japan.
Automated observation may serve well for meteorological observation. However, for chemical observations, manual operation is much more desirable. Chemists need samples and chemical observation, and current equipment in general is not sufficiently matured for routine observation (at least not completely maintenance free). Moreover, these observations have just begun and are proving themselves to be effective when continued. Because of the sudden announcement that the Japan Meteorological Agency's manual operation is almost ending, we are proposing the establishment of an atmospheric science station at the summit of Mt. Fuji utilizing the facilities, before the information on maintenance is lost forever. The current facility would be renovated from the present JMA Mt. Fuji Weather Station and be open to all atmospheric scientists.
11/10/03 - Overview of the ARM Program's TWP Sites Presented at Conference in Thailand
Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program scientist Jim Barnard will be presenting an overview of the ARM Program's Tropical Western Pacific sites at the 2003 International Symposium on the Climate System of Asian Monsoon and Its Interaction with Society in Khon Kaen, Thailand, November 11-13.
11/06/03 - ARM Chief Scientist Elected AAAS Fellow
Tom Ackerman, ARM Chief Scientist, has been elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for making scientifically and socially significant efforts to advance science and its applications. Tom is specifically being recognized for pioneering studies of radiative properties of aerosols, for developing millimeter-wave radar for measuring cloud properties, and for leading the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program's Science Team. Tom will be recognized in February at the AAAS Fellows Forum to be held at the AAAS National Meeting in Seattle, Wash. The full list of 2004 Fellows was announced in the October 31 issue of Science magazine. For more information, see the AAAS news release (half-way down the page).
Events
12/23/03 - 2004 SPIE Meeting in Denver Gearing Up
The International Society for Optical Engineering's (SPIE) 49th Annual Meeting Symposium will be held August 2-6 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Papers with an emphasis on remote sensing are to be presented for SPIE's session on Atmospheric and Environmental Remote Sensing Data Processing and Utilization: An End-to-End System Perspective. For more information, see www.spie.org/info/am.
10/24/03 - Joint Meeting Scheduled for the ARM Aerosol IOP and Aerosol Working Group
A joint meeting of the Aerosol IOP and Aerosol Working Group (AWG) will be held at The Lodge in Sonoma, California, December 15-17. The first half of this meeting will discuss measurements and analyses associated with the Aerosol IOP held at the ARM Southern Great Plains site during May 2003. The second half will discuss issues relevant to the ARM Aerosol Working Group. In addition, a poster session and reception, compliments of BAER Institute, will be held the evening of December 15. For more information, see the meeting website.
To be guaranteed the special meeting rate of $89 per night, participants must register by November 21. Call the toll-free number 888-710-8008 to reserve a room at The Lodge today. Identify the meeting or conference as the "Aerosol Working Group." The Lodge is about 1-hour-driving distance from San Francisco for those who will be attending the AGU Fall Meeting December 8-15 in San Francisco.
10/24/03 - AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco in December
The annual fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) will meet in San Francisco December 8-12 at the Moscone Center West. For more information, see the meeting website.
Employment Opportunities
None available at this time.
