Operations Updates
ARM Climate Research Facility Operations Update - August 31, 2004
This bimonthly report provides a brief summary of significant accomplishments and activities in the operations area of the ARM Climate Research Facility (ACRF).
Satellite Data Conversion Supports Tropical Cloud Research
This liquid water plot from SSM/I global data shows long cloud bands and areas of scattered convection (red), including a fairly extensive cloud system in the vicinity of Manus Island in the Tropical Western Pacific (indicated by the white rectangle). Larger version is available here.
For several years, the ARM Program has collected global satellite data for wind speed, precipitable water vapor, cloud liquid water, and rain rate over the ocean. From ascending and descending satellite passes, these data represent atmospheric state information that is useful for driving and diagnosing climate models, particularly in the tropics. The data sets, produced twice a day by Remote Sensing Systems (RSS), come from Special Sensor Microwave/Imagers (SSM/I) on board satellites involved in the U.S. Air Force's Defense Meteorological Satellites Program. ACRF data systems staff recently completed a major effort in reviewing the needs for this data and converting it to NetCDF (network common data format) with associated image files for enhanced usability.
In 2002, RSS updated the algorithm used to produce the SSM/I data sets, followed soon thereafter by a reprocessing of all data from 1996. ACRF data systems staff used this opportunity to review ARM science needs and make any desired enhancements their SSM/I data collection script prior to replacing the associated data in the Archive. Two science needs became apparent: ARM trajectory work to determine tropical cirrus cloud origins, and rainfall measurements in the tropics. By increasing the longitudinal and latitudinal boundaries by 15 degrees, the expanded data would include much of the equatorial Indian Ocean, providing a broader frame of reference for research at the ACRF Tropical Western Pacific locale. To enhance user friendliness of the information, the satellite data were converted to NetCDF format. Quantities derived from the SSM/I data, including precipitable water vapor, are stored as a function of local equatorial crossing time (time of satellite overpass), latitude, and longitude. The data sets now also include thumbnail and full resolution images as rendered by the SSM/I.
With the conversion of the expanded satellite sensor data to NetCDF files complete, the new preprocessed data from 1996-01-01 through 2004-06-30 is now available from the Data Archive. The SSM/I data will be processed monthly on a 2-month delay, to allow time for sensor drift corrections to pre-applied by RSS.
New Look for Education and Outreach Website—Just in Time for School!
With a new school year looming, ACRF staff involved in the Education and Outreach Program worked with the ARM communications team to develop and implement an updated Education website. The redesigned website includes updated content and a fresh look to complement the recent ARM website redesign. For continuity, the website still features the familiar faces of Professor Polar Bear, Teacher Turtle, and PI Prairie Dog (each representing an ACRF site), but now provides easier navigation and great new learning activities.
Targeted at students, the Study Hall webpage includes a variety of activities and information designed to pique the scientific interests of kids in grades K-12.
The Education website is now divided into three specialized and easy-to-navigate sections: Homeroom, Study Hall, and Teachers' Lounge. Homeroom features information about ACRF education and outreach efforts, providing news, events and publications. Study Hall is a resource for students, containing quizzes, activities, and commonly asked questions and answers about climate, weather, and global warming. This area also includes a new "Just for Fun" page that offers coloring pages, word seeks, and more. The Teachers' Lounge provides teachers with sample lesson plans, activity ideas, and valuable background information.
A DOE stipulation for ACRF funding is to provide educational resources to anyone interested in learning more about climate sciences, weather, research techniques, or instrumentation. To this end, the website serves as a cost effective and globally accessible reference. In addition, Education and Outreach staff frequently participate in targeted public education venues such as WeatherFest, and work closely with communities that host ACRF sites.
