American Geophysical Union Meeting Showcases Science and Outreach

 
Published: 28 December 2011
ARM Archive Manager Raymond McCord and ARM Technical Director Jim Mather speak with visitors to the ARM booth.

The ARM Climate Research Facility once again took part in the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting, which attracted an estimated 20,000 attendees, with 12,000 posters and 6,000 oral presentations—a growth of more than 11 percent from last year’s meeting. During the meeting, held from December 5-9 in San Francisco, nearly 500 visitors stopped by the ARM outreach display in the exhibit hall to learn about using ARM data and how to get involved in field campaigns at the ARM Facility sites.

More than 80 scientists throughout the week presented research results using ARM data, including some of the first results from ARM’s new scanning cloud and precipitation radars. Jay Mace from the University of Utah also participated in the press conference “Innovations for Understanding Weather and Climate” on Thursday, December 8, where he discussed the scientific impact of these new radars. His briefing is captured in this YouTube video.

Laura Riihimaki demonstrates an activity from one of ARM’s lesson plans.

On Tuesday, December 5, ARM Communications Team member Dana Dupont and ARM user Laura Riihimaki, a scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, represented ARM at a “Share-A-Thon” sponsored by AGU and the National Earth Science Teachers Association. This event allowed research organizations to share educational materials with teachers participating in the Geophysical Information for Teachers (GIFT) Workshop. Using an activity in one of the lesson plans developed by ARM, they demonstrated a convection cell using hot and cold water and food coloring. This activity helps illustrate the atmospheric processes behind monsoon systems.

Now considered the largest worldwide conference in the geophysical sciences, the next AGU Fall Meeting will be held December 6-10 in 2012.