ASPB and CIMSS Weekly Report
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ASPB AND CIMSS WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING JUNE 11, 2011

IN THE PRESS:

ITEMS FOR THE ADMINISTRATOR:

ITEMS FOR THE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR:

ITEMS FOR THE OFFICE DIRECTOR, STAR:

GOES Sounder Near-casting Demonstrated at the Hazardous Weather Testbed:  R. Aune and R. Petersen, of the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS), supported the Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT) at the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center (SPC), Norman, Oklahoma. While there, they assisted participants with interpreting products generated by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) ) Sounder near-casting model running at the CIMSS (http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/model/nrc/). The near-casting model, based on GOES Sounder data, was used to estimate locations in the U.S. where severe convective storms were most likely to form and were not likely to form, up to nine hours in advance. Forecasters at the severe convective storms desk, the heavy precipitation desk, and the convective initiation desk found the products to be very useful throughout the exercise, citing numerous cases where the near-casting products added value to the forecast process. (R. Aune, E/RA2, 608-262-1071, robert.aune@noaa.gov ; R. Petersen, CIMSS, 608-263-4030, ralph.petersen@ssec.wisc.edu).

Real-time Tracking of Cordon Caulle Volcanic Ash Cloud: The Cordon Caulle volcano in Chile began erupting violently on June 4, disrupting air traffic over South America and beyond. The Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) and the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) provided near real-time satellite retrievals of ash cloud height, mass loading, and particle size to the volcanic ash operational and research community, through a web site (http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes_r/proving-ground/geocat_ash/loops/floater.html). STAR and CIMSS scientists developed the volcanic ash products in preparation for the next generation Geostationary Environmental Operational Satellite (GOES-R). The Spinning Enhanced Visible/Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) was used as a proxy for GOES-R data. (M. Pavolonis, E/RA2, 608-263-9597, Mike.Pavolonis@noaa.gov; J. Sieglaff, CIMSS)

ITEMS FOR THE DIVISION CHIEF, CoRP:

Science on a Sphere Collaborations in Madison Wisconsin: Patrick Rowley, Margaret Mooney and Steve Ackerman from the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) attended the opening of the Aldo Leopold Nature Center (ALNC) Climate Change Classroom, Monona, Wisconsin on June 2. Mooney and Rowley have been collaborating with and providing advice to the ALNC staff since January in the development of educator programs and plans for installation of a Science on a Sphere (SOS) exhibit. ALNC Chair, Terry Kelly, acknowledged CIMSS in his opening remarks before cutting the ribbon and ushering supporters into the new 11,000 square foot addition. Throughout the evening, Patrick Rowley staffed a small 3D spherical display system while answering questions about the pending 6-foot sphere soon to inhabit the large silo built specifically for an awe-inspiring SOS exhibit. (M. Mooney, CIMSS, 608-265-2123)

  (Click image to enlarge)

GEO-CAPE Science Working Group: Brad Pierce has been asked to Co-Chair the Air Quality Standards and Processes Science Working Group (SWG) for the NASA Geostationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE) satellite. GEO-CAPE is a National Research Council recommended mission identified in "Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond" that will provide information for air-quality assessment, forecasting and model validation to support air-program management and public health. The SWGs are responsible for preparation for the GEO-CAPE Mission Concept Review (MCR) tentatively scheduled for Fall 2013. The Air Quality Standards and Processes SWG activities will focus on design and execution of chemical Observation System Simulation Experiments (OSSE) designed to demonstrate the impact of GEO-CAPE trace gas measurements on Air Quality forecasts (R.B. Pierce, E/RA2, 608-890-1892, brad.pierce@noaa.gov)

CIMSS VISIT Activities: The Virtual Institute for Satellite Integration Training (VISIT) session "Mesoscale Convective Vortices" (http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/training/visit/training_sessions/mesoscale_convective_vortices/) was led by S. Lindstrom on June 9, 2011. Staff from the National Weather Service forecast office at Albuquerque, New Mexico participated in the VISIT lesson. In addition, the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) Satellite Blog (http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/blog) was updated with posts containing a variety of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), Polar Operational Environmental Satellite (POES), and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images of Hurricane Adrian, a heat burst in Wichita, Kansas, smoke from the Wallow fire in Arizona spreading across much of the central US, and an explosive eruption of the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcano in Chile. (S. Lindstrom, CIMSS, 608-263-4425, S. Bachmeier, CIMSS, 608-263-3958)

  (Click image to enlarge)

Figure caption: GOES-12 0.65 µm visible channel images showed a darker gray volcanic ash cloud from an eruption of the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcano in Chile punching above the meteorological cloud deck around 18:15 UTC, with the ash cloud quickly spreading southeastward and moving over Bariloche, Argentina (station identifier SAZS).

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