Turning down the thermostat: Climate intervention using stratospheric aerosols NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2024-10-22 | Turning down the thermostat: Climate intervention using stratospheric aerosols
Preview: Air Quality from Space NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2024-02-09 | Hear from NSF NCAR Scientist and Associate Director Dr. Pieternel Levelt about how satellites can help inform further research on air quality as well as climate policies all around the world.
Air Quality from Space NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2024-02-09 | Did you know that satellites in space can track air pollution and greenhouse gases on Earth? For the past two centuries, human activity has changed the chemical makeup of our atmosphere, leading scientists to rename this period the ‘anthropogenic epoch’. As megacities continue growing throughout the world, so is air pollution. These developments will have significant effects on coming generations despite global agreements to reduce methane emissions by 30% in less than 10 years.In her Explorer Series Lecture, NSF NCAR Scientist and Associate Director Dr. Pieternel Levelt will discuss how these satellites can help inform further research as well as climate policies all around the world.Learn more about the Explorer Series: https://edec.ucar.edu/public/ncar-explorer-series
Divided waters: Weathering our changing flood and drought extremes NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-11-13 | Water is one of our most precious resources with incomparable destructive forces, whether they be droughts or floods. Understanding what water will do in this changing climate allows for protection of human life and property; but how can we know what water will do tomorrow if the data from the past can no longer help us? To better serve current societal needs, there has been an evolution of hydrologic models that allow scientists all over the world to more accurately predict water’s unpredictable behavior.In this NCAR Explorer Series Lecture, NCAR Scientist David Yates will describe how advancing hydrological models can help us quench the thirst for knowledge on water’s behavior.
Preview: Divided waters: Weathering our changing flood and drought extremes NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-10-30 | In this NCAR Explorer Series Lecture, NCAR Scientist David Yates will describe how advancing hydrological models can help us quench the thirst for knowledge on water’s behavior.Learn more on the Explorer Series website: https://edec.ucar.edu/events/water-security
Join an observing team for the 2024 total solar eclipse NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-10-12 | The Continental-America Telescope Eclipse (CATE) project is looking for community members along the path of totality of the 2024 total solar eclipse to join the CATE team! As a team member, you will get training on how to collect data on our Sun's corona using a solar telescope during the April 8th eclipse.You can visit the CATE website to learn more about the project and how to fill out an interest form to be a potential team: https://eclipse.boulder.swri.edu/.
Using total solar eclipses to study the corona NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-10-12 | In this NCAR Explorer Series video, we talk with NCAR scientist Dr. Paul Bryans about total solar eclipses and how scientists use these natural phenomena to study our Sun's outer atmosphere.
The lifecycle of an NCAR airborne field campaign NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-09-18 | How do scientists in Colorado help solve the Earth’s mysteries? The NCAR Research Aviation Facility supports two large research aircraft that deploy with teams of university researchers to study the Earth system all over the world. From the seed of a burning question about how the planet works and an idea for how aircraft measurements can help to answer it, a rigorous planning process kicks in that includes flight planning, diplomatic clearances, coordination with air traffic control, international shipping of complex equipment, and eventually the execution of the field campaign itself. But it does not end there. After a successful airborne field deployment, the science teams often still need several years to process the measurement data, distill key findings (frequently using supercomputer models), and publish the results in peer reviewed journals.In this NCAR Explorer Series Lecture, NCAR scientist Britt Stephens, and NCAR project manager Cory Wolff will describe the lifecycle of a field campaign that used the NSF/NCAR Gulfstream V aircraft to study air-sea gas exchange around Antarctica.Learn more on the NCAR Explorer Series website: https://edec.ucar.edu/public/ncar-explorer-series
When you need darkness to see the light: Total solar eclipses NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-09-13 | In this NCAR Explorer Series Lecture, NCAR scientist Dr. Paul Bryans from the High Altitude Observatory (HAO), will give a history of the efforts around observing the solar corona under eclipse conditions to unlock how the Sun affects life on Earth, how those studies can advance science and how NCAR will be researching the eclipse in 2024, all while offering advice on how to make the most of your own personal eclipse experience.Learn more on the NCAR Explorer Series website: https://edec.ucar.edu/public/ncar-explorer-series
Preview The lifecycle of an NCAR airborne field campaign NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-09-01 | In this NCAR Explorer Series Lecture, NCAR scientist Britt Stephens, and NCAR project manager Cory Wolff will describe the lifecycle of a field campaign that used the NSF/NCAR Gulfstream V aircraft to study air-sea gas exchange around Antarctica.
Meet the Experts: Empowering Yourself on your Science Journey with Marissa Vara NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-08-29 | What is it like to work at NCAR|UCAR?! Join us as we talk with experts to learn about what they do in their work, the highlights and challenges, and how it impacts us and our world. Then ask them anything you want to know about what it's like to do their jobs!There are many paths you can take in the world of science, and it’s not always an easy journey to find and claim your place. Whether you want to be a climate scientist, meteorologist, educator, or community organizer, navigating your career paths in Earth systems sciences can be a challenge. Luckily there are experts like Marissa Vara to help! This month, learn about Marissa’s journey to become a higher education specialist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and how she advises multiple groups within the organization on diversity, equity, and inclusion. By increasing access to climate and Earth systems science careers and empowering historically marginalized people to be able to work in their own communities, we create a more inclusive and just space for everyone. This event is part of Bard College’s Worldwide Teach-in on Climate and Justice.
Predicting Hurricanes in the Face of Climate Change with Dr. Rosimar Rios-Berrios NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-08-26 | What is it like to work at NCAR|UCAR?! Join us as we talk with experts to learn about what they do in their work, the highlights and challenges, and how it impacts us and our world. Then ask them anything you want to know about what it's like to do their jobs!With our changing climate, we are already seeing an increase in the intensity and frequency of many severe weather events. Hurricanes, also known as tropical cyclones, are one type of weather that becomes supercharged by climate change and can lead to dramatic and deadly consequences. Predicting hurricanes is personal for this month’s expert, Dr. Rosimar Rios-Berrios, who grew up with hurricanes in Puerto Rico. Join us to explore how scientists are hard at work to better predict hurricanes and their impacts so we can work together to build more resilient communities adapted to our changing planet.
2023 NESSI Presentations - Harvana Laing NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-08-24 | Watch 2023 NESSI intern Harvana Laing's end-of-summer presentation, "Investigating the Different Characterstics of Hurricanes to Improve Hurricane Warnings."As someone aspiring to be a broadcast meteorologist, I tend to think about ways I can help in the future. Having experienced so many hurricanes helped in the development of this project, as I am aware of the destruction caused. As hurricanes are becoming more intense and stronger, I want to look at ways forecasters and broadcast meteorologists can communicate the imminent risks from approaching hurricanes better to the public. I want the public to be fully aware and more informed about the extreme effects that hurricanes can bring. Factors such as how rapidly a hurricane forms (intensification) or moves (translation speed) play a major role in the effects experienced on the ground. I believe there are ways for broadcasters to educate the public on the severity and risks of these factors. This project focuses on rapid intensification and slow translation speed and associated impacts such as total rainfall. I started with Hurricane Dorian, of which I had firsthand experience, then considered three other hurricanes that traversed the Bahamas (hurricanes Irma, Maria and Matthew). All four hurricanes were classified as rapidly intensifying and I noticed that the slower translation speed from Hurricane Dorian exacerbated the storm surge experienced compared to the other hurricanes.
2023 NESSI Presentations - Isabela Suaza-Sierra NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-08-24 | Watch 2023 NESSI intern Isabela Suaza-Sierra's end-of-summer presentation, "Integrating Hydrologic and Machine Learning Models to Predict Lake Water Temperature Profiles and Release Temperatures throughout the Red River Basin, USA."This study focuses on the Red River Basin in the southern United States, with important water resources to support fish populations, societal water needs, and streamflow in the region. We developed and calibrated a daily WEAP ("Water Evaluation And Planning" system) water systems model to enable the exploration of future water use and management scenarios under climate change conditions. This model estimates the basin's streamflows, reservoir storage volumes, and inflows, utilizing terrain, atmospheric forcing, and land cover parameters. The calibration process involved 25 streamflow USGS gauge stations, daily discharge data from 1996 to 2010, and manual soil parameters calibration. Additionally, we explored machine learning methods (Random forest) to predict vertical lake/reservoir temperature profiles and release temperatures, which are crucial for understanding and managing freshwater ecosystems. By incorporating these predictions as a predictive function in WEAP, we demonstrate the potential benefits of the integrated approach. Future work includes validation and calibration of additional streamflows (2010-2020), reservoir operations, and water temperature observations. The study's findings contribute to better water resource management and climate change adaptation strategies in the Red River Basin.
2023 NESSI Presentations - Joseph Loffredo NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-08-24 | Watch 2023 NESSI intern Joseph Loffredo's end-of-summer presentation, "A Survey of MPD (MicroPulse DIAL) Differential Absorption Lidar Data."Over the last 20 years there have been repeated calls from various national reports for observing systems that can accurately measure thermodynamic profiles of the atmospheric boundary layer (e.g., National Research Council 2009,2010,2012; National Academics of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine 2018). The MicroPulse DIAL (MPD) was jointly developed by Montana State University and NCAR/Earth Observing Laboratory. It is a differential absorption lidar, meaning that it measures the difference in absorption from two near infrared frequencies, ~828nm (Spuler et al. 2015, 2021). The ratio of returned signals gives a range-resolved water vapor number density (absolute humidity). This technique makes the MPD a perfect answer to the calls of the past and present because it is taking direct measurements, meaning no external calibration is required for the narrow bandwidth frequencies. The instrument has demonstrated high accuracy across numerous studies over the last several years (Weckwerth et al. 2016).To illustrate MPD water vapor profiles as different atmospheric phenomena passed overhead, a survey of MPD data from field campaigns was conducted. These examples show the value of MPD’s high vertical resolution water profiles and its ability to operate autonomously for long periods of time, showcasing the potential for a network of MPDs.
2023 NESSI Presentations - Nishchitha Etige NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-08-24 | Watch 2023 NESSI intern Nishchitha Etige's end-of-summer presentation, "Influence of Large-scale Kuroshio Extension Variability on the Pacific Decadal Precession in the High-Resolution Version of the Community Earth System Model."The large-scale variations of the meridional sea surface temperature gradient associated with the Kuroshio Extension (KE) set up a north-south dipole pressure pattern over the North Pacific Ocean. This dipole represents the north-south phase of the Pacific Decadal Precession (PDP), a quasi-decadal mode of climate variability in the North Pacific atmosphere. Further, these KE variations alter the jet over the North Pacific modifying the zonal propagation of stationary wave energy. As a result, a downstream pressure response is established, giving rise to the east-west phase of the PDP. Empirical and dynamic investigations on ocean and atmospheric reanalyses have revealed this causal link between KE and PDP. In present work, we explore the representation of these causal links in the high-resolution version of the Community Earth System Model (CESM). By analyzing the model's piControl and historic (1878-2007) output, we obtained large-scale KE indices. The model successfully simulated the observed meridional SST gradient associated with KE's variability in both experiments. Consequently, it reproduced the PDP's dipole patterns over the North Pacific and the downstream atmosphere as observed in reanalysis. The presence of these KE and PDP causal links in the high-res CESM model will enable us to investigate the future of the KE and PDP relationship in a changing climate.
2023 NESSI Presentations - Paulina Soto Robles NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-08-24 | Watch 2023 NESSI intern Paulina Soto Robles's end-of-summer presentation, "Evaluating the Multiscale Atmosphere-Geospace Environment Model through Comparisons with Auroral Observations."Understanding and accurately predicting the intricate dynamics of stormtime geospace is a pressing objective nowadays. A challenge that started to be recognized in the 19th century when Alexander Humboldt acknowledged the relation between solar activity and the observed perturbations on Earth’s geomagnetic field. He named the consequences of these interactions “geomagnetic storms.” It is fundamental to comprehend that stormtime geospace refers to a system of systems representing interconnected physical domains of the near-Earth environment. These systems give place to space weather, which refers to the dynamic and ever-changing conditions in the space surrounding our planet. The Center for Geospace Storms at the John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in partnership with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, as well as other fundamental research institutions, embraced the challenge. They have created the Multiscale Atmosphere-Geospace Environment (MAGE) model, a physics-based simulation of such environment. Their work aims to achieve an accurate prediction of space weather to ensure the flourishing of humanity.The purpose driving the present research was to start quantifying the accuracy of the model while establishing the precedence for future work. In pursuit of this goal, we compared THEMIS All-Sky Imager’s auroral observations with MAGE’s results from the November 4th, 2021 geomagnetic storm event since auroras are a common phenomena caused by geomagnetic activity.
2023 NESSI Presentations - Stephanie Ortiz Rosario NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-08-24 | Watch 2023 NESSI intern Stephanie Ortiz Rosario's end-of-summer presentation, "Environmental Moisture Influence on African Mesoscale Convective Systems."Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) contribute to a large portion of the precipitation in the midlatitudes and the tropics. In Western Africa, rainfall is mainly due to MCSs, which have been found to be modulated by synoptic features such as the African Easterly Jet (AEJ), the West African Monsoon (WAM), and African Easterly Waves (AEWs). The spatial and temporal non-homogeneous moisture distribution and data scarcity over the tropics limits the understanding of these tropical convective systems. For this reason, in this study, three moisture sensitivity experiments are explored using the Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS-A) at high-resolution, where the initial and lateral boundary relative humidity conditions from ERA5’s pressure levels are altered to add and remove moisture (20% and 50%, respectively). To observe the MCSs that develop in the three experiments (control, moist, and dry), after an initial subjective tracking, an automated tracker, Tracking Algorithm for Mesoscale Convective Systems (TAMS), is approached to objectively identify, track, and classify the simulated MCSs. By evaluating the atmospheres’ mean state and the MCSs’ statistics from TAMS, it is found that more moisture does not necessarily mean more MCSs are going to develop; however, those MCSs that develop in the moister environment tend be larger in area and with longer-lasting extreme cases. The MCSs in the moist experiment are influenced by an AEJ that is stronger and more northward positioned than the control AEJ. These findings could provide an insight on how the atmosphere could transform with added water vapor in a changing climate.
2023 NESSI Presentations - Ye Mu NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-08-24 | Watch 2023 NESSI intern Ye Mu's end-of-summer presentation, "Global Scale Forcing of SALLJ and Associated Local Impacts on Precipitation Extremes."Increasing floods and droughts in South America underscore the urgent need to examine the driving forces behind these precipitation extremes. The South American Low-level Jet (SALLJ) is important for the hydrological cycle over South America due to its control on precipitation. This study delves into the remote forcings, and trends associated with various types of the SALLJ (Central, Northern, and Andes), and their impacts on precipitation extremes using global reanalysis data. The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) drive SALLJ trends. In their positive phases, Central SALLJ occurs more frequently (38.9%), intensifying precipitation extremes in Southern South America. In contrast, negative phases favor Northern (20.3%) and Andes (37.3%) SALLJ, enhancing precipitation extremes in the western and southeastern Amazon. SALLJ persists longer in its favored phases, resulting in more intense precipitation events in its exit region. This framework explains the large-scale forcings of historical trends and helps with understanding the frequency and intensity increases in future extreme precipitation events.
2023 NESSI Presentations - Daniel Bonilla NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-08-24 | Watch 2023 NESSI intern Daniel Bonilla's end-of-summer presentation, "Evolution of Atmospheric H2O, SO2, and SO4 after the 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai Volcanic Eruption."The January 15, 2022 eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai (HTHH) underwater volcano sent an unprecedented amount of water (H2O) and moderate amounts of sulfur dioxide (SO2) high into the stratosphere. This eruption can have a significant impact on atmospheric compositions and climate. There is a need to understand long-term changes of the atmospheric dynamics and chemistry from the injection of these pollutants. This research aims to showcase the evolution of volcanic gasses and aerosols (H2O, SO2, and SO4) to explore the potential global impacts as a result of the eruption. We use the Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2) WACCM6 (Gettelman et al. 2019) to simulate the stratospheric H2O and aerosol enhancements due to the HTHH eruption. Two experiments are conducted: the experiment case with SO2 and H2O injection from the HTHH eruption and the control case with no volcano injection. The difference between these two experiments gives information about the volcanic impact on the atmosphere. We find that the concentrations of H2O, and aerosols largely enhanced in the stratosphere after the eruption compared to the background atmosphere. They are slowly propagating from the tropics towards Southern hemisphere higher latitudes and sedimenting to the lower stratosphere later in 2022. This persistent volcanic H2O and aerosol potentially have a significant impact on climate change and stratospheric ozone. These results in this study can help with future analysis on the long-term impact from this volcano eruption.
2023 NESSI Presentations - Benjamin Fellman NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-08-24 | Watch 2023 NESSI intern Benjamin Fellman's end-of-summer presentation.
Meet the Experts: Predicting the Future with Global Climate Models featuring Cecile Hannay) NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-08-17 | What is it like to work at NCAR|UCAR?! Join us as we talk with experts to learn about what they do in their work, the highlights and challenges, and how it impacts us and our world. Then ask them anything you want to know about what it's like to do their jobs!Our planet’s air, ocean, ice, land, humans, and much more are continuously interacting to create our complex Earth system. Thousands of climate researchers use Earth system models made up of thousands of math equations run on supercomputers to create an accurate representation of the whole planet. The most robust Earth system models are compared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in reports that summarize predictions of future climate change. Join us this month to discover how climate scientists like Cecile Hannay work every day to improve global climate models to accurately simulate conditions over hundreds of years, so that we can better predict how our planet's climate will likely change.
Meet the Experts: Predicting the Weather for Renewable Energy (featuring Branko Kosovic) NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-08-16 | What is it like to work at NCAR|UCAR?! Join us as we talk with experts to learn about what they do in their work, the highlights and challenges, and how it impacts us and our world. Then ask them anything you want to know about what it's like to do their jobs!As countries around the world transition their power grids from fossil fuels to renewable energy, one challenge we all face is the effect daily weather has on wind and solar energy production. Predicting cloud cover and wind where we build our solar panels and wind turbines can be tricky, and weather and climate can have huge impacts on the energy production we rely on. This month meet Branko Kosovic, a weather systems scientist in the NCAR Research Applications Lab, and discover how his team works together to help the transition to renewable energy by developing and sharing better weather forecasts and technology.
2023 REU How to Apply to the NSF GRFP NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-08-13 | Join us as GRFP Fellows Blake Stoner-Osborne and Ahmi Cacapit share their tips and tricks and walk us through the process of applying to the prestigious NSF GRFP Fellowship.
Preview When you need darkness to see the light: Total solar eclipses NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-08-08 | In this NCAR Explorer Series Lecture, NCAR scientist Dr. Paul Bryans from the High Altitude Observatory (HAO), will give a history of the efforts around observing the solar corona under eclipse conditions to unlock how the Sun affects life on Earth, how those studies can advance science and how NCAR will be researching the eclipse in 2024, all while offering advice on how to make the most of your own personal eclipse experience.Learn more: https://edec.ucar.edu/events/2024-total-solar-eclipse
Leaving it all behind: Evacuation lessons from wildfires in Colorado NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-08-07 | Do I have to leave? That is often the question when there are wildfires and other extreme weather events. Issuing orders of evacuation requires understanding both social and environmental factors. Understanding the delicate interconnection between fire and human behavior can improve emergency communication while supporting evacuation plans that better reflect local community and ecological needs.In this NCAR Explorer Series special event, a team from the Innovator Program shares lessons learned from community evacuation experiences with two recent fires: the 2020 East Troublesome Fire and the 2021 Marshall Fire. They will expand on modeling fire behavior, visualization for each fire’s progression, and what was learned from sharing these tools with residents who evacuated.Learn more on the Explorer Series website: https://edec.ucar.edu/public/ncar-explorer-series
2023 REU How to Write an Abstract and Give a Good Talk NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-07-21 | Join us for this interactive workshop on how to write a scientific abstract and how to give a good talk.
2023 REU Using Social Media for Science Communication NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-07-21 | Join us for this workshop on how to use various social media platforms to communicate science.
2023 ECLP: What is Great Leadership? NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-07-21 | Join Devon Duncan for this 2 hour interactive workshop about great leadership!
2023 REU How to Apply and Get into Graduate School NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-07-21 | Join graduate student and NSF GRFP recipient Blake Stoner-Osborne for this workshop on how to apply to and get into graduate school.
Session 5: Research Relevance and Broader Impacts NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-07-11 | The NCAR/UCP Fellows Professional Development Committee has organized a grant writing and management series to provide postdocs and early career researchers with a foundation on which to build the skills needed to support their scientific career. This session of the series covers aspects of research relevance and broader impacts which includes: (1) what counts as “Broader Impacts”, (2) what is too grandiose versus too little, (4) writing meaningful and actionable Broader Impact/DEI statements, (5) effective technical writing to convey your big ideas, and (6) example broader impact statements and open discussion.Members of the NCAR/UCP Fellows Professional Development Committee are joined by Dr. Stephen Nesbitt (University of Illinois Urbana -Champaign), Meghan Myron-Karels (UCAR), and Karen Slater (RAL)
Session 6: Convergent Science NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-07-11 | The NCAR/UCP Fellows Professional Development Committee has organized a grant writing and management series to provide postdocs and early career researchers with a foundation on which to build the skills needed to support their scientific career. This session of the series provides an introduction to convergent science for early career scientists and includes (1) understanding convergent science, (2) successfully conducting collaborative writing and ideation, (3) convergent science to include Indigenous knowledge/communities, and (4) getting involved in convergent science as an early career scientist.Members of the NCAR/UCP Fellows Professional Development Committee are joined by Dr. Julie Demuth (MMM), Dr.Paulette Blanchard (Haskell Indian Nations University), and Dr. David John Gagne (CISL/RAL).
Session 4: Project Logistics Part 2: Developing a Budget NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-07-11 | The NCAR/UCP Fellows Professional Development Committee has organized a grant writing and management series to provide postdocs and early career researchers with a foundation on which to build the skills needed to support their scientific career. This session of the series provides tips and advice on developing a budget.Members of the NCAR/UCP Fellows Professional Development Committee are joined by Dr. Scott Landolt (ASP/RAL)
Session 4: Project Logistics Part 1: Project Management NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-07-11 | The NCAR/UCP Fellows Professional Development Committee has organized a grant writing and management series to provide postdocs and early career researchers with a foundation on which to build the skills needed to support their scientific career. This session of the series covers aspects of project management such as (1) developing a project management strategy, (2) how to plan a timeline for key milestones, and (3) how to highlight your qualifications for managing the project.Members of the NCAR/UCP Fellows Professional Development Committee are joined by fellow NCAR employees: Christine Shields (CGD) and Dr. James Done (MMM).
Session 3: NCAR/UCP Policies and Protocols NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-07-11 | Description:The NCAR/UCP Fellows Professional Development Committee has organized a grant writing and management series to provide postdocs and early career researchers with a foundation on which to build the skills needed to support their scientific career. This session of the series covers (1) proposal opportunities and restrictions for postdocs, (2) funding requirements for Project Scientists, (3) soft-money pursuit responsibilities and strategies, (4) NCAR internal timeline for proposal submission to agency, and 5) transferring grants to external institutions.Members of the NCAR/UCP Fellows Professional Development Committee are joined by fellow NCAR employees: Dr. Christina McCluskey (CGD), Anna Thomas (Contracts), and Valerie Koch (Budget & Planning).
Session 2: Granting Organizations Procedures and Policies NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-07-11 | The NCAR/UCP Fellows Professional Development Committee has organized a grant writing and management series to provide postdocs and early career researchers with a foundation on which to build the skills needed to support their scientific career. This session of the series includes (1) finding relevant and responding to proposals calls, (2) understanding the specific requirements for different programs, and (3) navigating multiple funders, partial funding, and sending a proposal to multiple calls.Members of the NCAR/UCP Fellows Professional Development Committee are joined by Dr. Virginia Selz, a Program Manager for the NOAA Climate Program Office; Dr. Eric DeWeaver, the Program Director for the NSF Climate and Large-Scale Dynamics, and Valerie Koch, the Proposal Operations Manager for NCAR.
Session 1: Overview | NCAR/UCP Postdoctoral Grant Writing & Management Series NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-07-11 | The NCAR/UCP Fellows Professional Development Committee has organized a grant writing and management series to provide postdocs and early career researchers with a foundation on which to build the skills needed to support their scientific career. The overview session of the series covers the 1) goals of the series, 2) the basic structure and content of a grant proposal, and 3) what does the proposal pipeline look like at NCAR.Members of the NCAR/UCP Fellows Professional Development Committee are joined by fellow NCAR employees: Rebecca Haacker (EdEC), Dr. Scott Landolt (ASP/RAL), Caroline Haws (MMM), Caitlyn Quinn (HAO), and Valerie Koch (Budget & Planning)
2023 REU Interactive Anti-Harassment/Discrimination Training for Undergraduates NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-06-30 | Join us as Michael Hubenthal and his team host an interactive workshop called "Anti-discrimination/Anti-harassment Training" for interns across several summer internship programs!
How ensemble prediction systems can tell us what we know (and don’t know) about the future NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-06-15 | Will there be ice on the roads tomorrow morning? In early June the answer is easy, but there are many days throughout the year when the answer is “It’s impossible to say for sure.” Knowing tomorrow’s weather helps us plan our day better, decide which car to use for our commute and what clothes to wear; but how much can we trust the forecast? If we knew the degree of certainty in the forecast; how satisfied would we be at 5pm with our 7 am choices?Ensemble prediction systems produce multiple forecasts that allow for a higher degree of certainty in our predictions and improve forecasts of many high impact events like hurricanes, droughts and floods, sea ice melting, and even global warming. These systems are generated using ensemble data assimilation that combines computer forecasts with observations from balloons, planes, satellites, and radar. In this NCAR Explorer Series Lecture, NCAR scientists Drs. Moha Gharamti and Jeff Anderson will demonstrate how ensemble prediction systems work and discuss several examples including Florida’s recent catastrophic flooding events due to Hurricane Ian.Learn more: https://edec.ucar.edu/events/ensemble-prediction-systems
Connecting Youth to STEM Career Pathways NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-05-31 | This video highlights youth, educator, and community partner voices describing the STEM Career Connections (STEMCC) career readiness model and their various experiences with the project. The STEMCC readiness model aims to deepen technology-rich curricula through community partnerships by supporting youth through personally relevant experience with local STEM and computing occupations. The STEM Career Connections project is a partnership between the UCAR Center for Science Education, the University of Colorado, Boulder, Vail Valley Foundation's YouthPower365, Eagle County School District, and Walking Mountains Science Center. This project aims to develop an innovative career readiness model for both in and out of school settings that will profoundly increase the knowledge of and interest in STEM and computing careers for middle school youth in rural, economically disadvantaged mountain state communities. To achieve this goal, we have three integral components of the project: 1) a community partnership working together to support youth engagement in STEM and computing career pathways, 2) a STEM curriculum where youth use advanced sensor technologies to engage in science and engineering investigations, and 3) integrated career experiences that encourage youth to make personally-relevant connections with local STEM and computing occupations. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF#12948709), this project aims to advance the efforts of the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program.
Preview How ensemble prediction systems can tell us what we know (and don’t know) about the future NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-05-23 | In this NCAR Explorer Series Lecture, NCAR scientists Drs. Moha Gharamti and Jeff Anderson will demonstrate how ensemble prediction systems work and discuss several examples including Florida’s recent catastrophic flooding events due to Hurricane Ian.Learn more: https://edec.ucar.edu/events/ensemble-prediction-systems
2023 Introduction to Scientific Writing Workshop Series NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-05-16 | Join us as Dr. Amanda Kis leads a discussion on developing and testing a scientific writing workshop series for undergraduate interns and the best practices to include!
La formación de los huracanes en el Océano Atlántico y su importancia NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-05-11 | En esta Conversación de la Serie del Explorador, platicamos con la Dra. Kelly Núñez Ocasio, ella nos responderá estas preguntas y nos compartirá cómo sus estudios investigativos han contribuido al entendimiento de cómo se forman los huracanes. La Dra. Kelly Núñez Ocasio también conversará sobre la importancia de las investigaciones de campo en los trópicos y su experiencia volando dentro de un huracán con los cazadores de huracanes, y dentro de tormentas tropicales acopladas a ondas del este africanas.Aprender más: https://edec.ucar.edu/events/ciclogenesis-tropical
2023 Supporting Neurodiverse Students in Your Internship Programs NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-05-09 | Join us as Dr. Siva priya Santhanam, Dr. Frank J Marsik and Dr. Valerie Sloan lead a discussion on issues and support strategies surrounding neurodiverse students in internship projects. They are joined by special guests, Dr. Cole Kingsbury and Ms. Akilah Alwan.
Meet the Experts: Youth Action for Collective Climate Justice (Maya Beauvineau & Phoebe Dominguez) NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-05-05 | Youth around the globe have stepped into leading roles in the climate movement. On April 5, 2023 we highlighted three young experts from elementary to college who are plugging their passions into climate and justice action. Learn about their current and past projects, from Friday strikes for climate action to setting a recycling record with Guinness World Records to driving change at their schools to fighting for youth and LGBTQ+ voices in the climate movement. Discover how they have found and built community to tackle climate and justice issues, even when it feels the odds are not in their favor. By being persistent and taking collective action on climate and justice issues that are impacting our communities, we can make a difference. This event is part of Bard College’s Worldwide Teach-in on Climate and Justice.The event featured Maya Beauvineau & Phoebe Dominguez.
Meet the Experts: Youth Action for Collective Climate Justice (featuring Madhvi Chittoor) NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-05-05 | Youth around the globe have stepped into leading roles in the climate movement. On April 5, 2023 we highlighted three young experts from elementary to college who are plugging their passions into climate and justice action. Learn about their current and past projects, from Friday strikes for climate action to setting a recycling record with Guinness World Records to driving change at their schools to fighting for youth and LGBTQ+ voices in the climate movement. Discover how they have found and built community to tackle climate and justice issues, even when it feels the odds are not in their favor. By being persistent and taking collective action on climate and justice issues that are impacting our communities, we can make a difference. This event is part of Bard College’s Worldwide Teach-in on Climate and Justice.The event featured Madhvi Chittoor. Please visit www.madhvi4ee.com for all her up-to-date Climate work.
Avance: La formación de los huracanes en el Océano Atlántico y su importancia NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-05-05 | ¿Cómo se forman los huracanes en el Océano Atlántico? ¿Por qué es importante entender la formación de los huracanes? ¿Qué influencia tiene el vapor de agua en la formación de huracanes y sistemas tropicales? En esta Conversación de la Serie del Explorador, platicamos con la Dra. Kelly Núñez Ocasio. Ella nos ayudará a contestar estas preguntas utilizando sus estudios investigativos y sus experiencias en investigaciones de campo en los trópicos y volando dentro de un huracán con los cazadores de huracanes.Aprender más: https://edec.ucar.edu/events/ciclogenesis-tropical
UCARConnect at NCAR NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-04-19 | UCARConnect seeks to bring education-focused videos to you on state-of-the-art science and STEM topics from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), and UCAR's member Universities throughout North America. Our expertise is in the Earth and computational sciences, especially in the areas of weather, climate, the Sun-Earth connection, and high performance computing. Together with our member Universities and international affiliates throughout the world, we comprise a robust collection of institutions interested in engaging, exploring, and inspiring learners of all ages about Earth system science. Explore us online at UCARConnect.ucar.edu.
From numbers to images: Visualizing space weather NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-03-31 | How can we see what happens far beyond what our eyes can process? Scientists are able to use data to paint a picture of massive eruptions on the Sun propagating through interplanetary space and their impact on Earth. The effects of space weather on our society are far reaching and can range from producing beautiful phenomena such as the aurora as well as disruptions in our communications and power grids.Listen to an NCAR Explorer Series conversation with NCAR scientist and Center for Geospace Storms Deputy Director Dr. Michael Wiltberger to discuss how we can take enormous amounts of data produced by space weather simulations and convert them into images and visualizations that help us understand the dynamics of the near Earth space environment.
How weather and wildfires interact: Insights from aerosols in Sub-Saharan Africa NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2023-02-24 | Did you know that not only can the weather impact wildfires, but that wildfires can also impact the weather? Hot and dry air, combined with a lack of moisture in trees, grasses, or shrubs, are prime conditions to fuel wildfires. Once they begin to burn, wildfires emit gases and particles from the burning biomass, known as aerosols, directly into our atmosphere. Here, these aerosols can then interact with other gases and particles in ways that can affect cloud formation, precipitation, and our climate system. This complex dynamic between wildfires and weather is an active area of research, resulting in different weather pattern changes for different regions worldwide.In this NCAR Explorer Series Conversation, Dr. Osinachi Ajoku of Howard University and Dr. Rebecca Buchholz of NCAR’s Atmospheric Chemistry Observations and Modeling (ACOM) Laboratory discuss the intersection between weather and wildfires. Join us to learn how particulate matter from wildfires in Sub-Saharan Africa can determine the amount of cloud and rainfall in the region and beyond.Learn more on the NCAR Explorer Series website: https://edec.ucar.edu/public/ncar-explorer-series
Atmospheric rivers in a changing climate: How rivers in the sky could change NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education 2022-11-08 | Atmospheric rivers can be thought of as “rivers in the sky” because they are long, narrow, often meander like rivers on land, and carry a lot of water! A typical atmospheric river transports more than double the flow of the Amazon river through our atmosphere, and when they make landfall, can produce heavy rain or snow. As the climate continues to warm, atmospheric rivers will change. Figuring out how global warming will alter this important part of Earth’s water cycle is a key challenge not only for weather scientists, but also for local communities who need to plan for their future water resources. In this Explorer Series lecture, Christine Shields of NCAR’s Climate & Global Dynamics Lab will talk about what atmospheric rivers are, their importance in the climate system, and how they may change in the future.
