ASPB and CIMSS Weekly Report
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ASPB AND CIMSS WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING JULY 28, 2012

IN THE PRESS:

ITEMS FOR THE ADMINISTRATOR:

ITEMS FOR THE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR:

ITEMS FOR THE OFFICE DIRECTOR, STAR:

Paper on Arctic Clouds Published: A manuscript titled “Arctic Cloud Macrophysical Characteristics from CloudSat and CALIPSO” was published in Remote Sensing of Environment. The paper provides a new cloud macrophysical cloud property climatology in the Arctic based on CloudSat and CALIPSO observations from 2006 to 2011. The co-authors are Yinghui Liu (Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies, CIMSS), Jeff Key (NOAA), Steven A. Ackerman (CIMSS), Gerald G. Mace and Qiuqing Zhang (University of Utah). (Y. Liu, CIMSS, 608-265-8620)

Manuscript on Use of Synthetic Satellite Observations During Hazardous Weather Testbed Published: A manuscript entitled “Synthetic satellite imagery for real-time high resolution model evaluation” by Bikos, et al. was published in the June issue of Weather and Forecasting. The paper described how participants at the NOAA 2011 Hazardous Weather Testbed Spring Experiment used synthetic satellite observations from the real-time National Severe Storms Laboratory - Weather Research and Forecasting (NSSL-WRF) model forecasts as an aid when producing convective forecasts and to evaluate model performance. (J. Otkin, CIMSS, 608-265-2476)

ITEMS FOR THE DIVISION CHIEF, CoRP:

TORERO Science Team and JCSDA Summer Colloquium: Brad Pierce presented a talk titled “Validation of RAQMS Chemical Analyses and Cloud Predictions using airborne insitu and satellite data during TORERO” at the 2nd National Science Foundation (NSF) Tropical Ocean tRoposphere Exchange of Reactive halogen species and Oxygenated VOC (TORERO) Science team meeting on 23-25 July 2012 in Boulder, CO. Following the TORERO Science team meeting he presented a lecture entitled “Constituent and Aerosol Assimilation” at the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation (JCSDA) Summer Colloquium on Data Assimilation in Santa Fe, NM. During the Colloquium he was able to discuss his work with colleagues as well as students from the University of North Dakota and the University of Arizona. Overall, 5 of the 19 student participants in the JCSDA Summer Colloquium are pursuing graduate studies in chemical and aerosol data assimilation ((R.B. Pierce, E/RA2, 608-890-1892, brad.pierce@noaa.gov)

Training Session on GOES-R Fog/Low Cloud Products: M. Pavolonis (NOAA/NESDIS) hosted a teletraining session with several National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Offices from the Central Region on the next generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R) fog/low cloud products developed by the GOES-R Algorithm Working Group (AWG). The GOES-R AWG fog/low cloud products are being provided to the NWS Central Region via the GOES-R Proving Ground. Training material is available at http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/~mpav/GOES-R_FLS_training_07232012.pptx and daily examples of product performance are posted to http://fusedfog.blogspot.com. (M. Pavolonis, E/RA2, 608-263-9597, Mike.Pavolonis@noaa.gov, C. Calvert, CIMSS, S. Lindstrom, CIMSS)

CIMSS VISIT Activities: The Virtual Institute for Satellite Integration Training (VISIT) lesson "Mesoscale Convective Vortices" was led by S. Lindstrom on July 24, 2012. Staff from the National Weather Service forecast office at Indianapolis, Indiana participated in the training session. In addition, the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) Satellite Blog (http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/blog/) was updated with new posts covering topics including Saharan dust over Florida, ice floes in Hudson Bay, warm waters in the Great Lakes, and a major flooding event in the Beijing, China area. (S. Lindstrom, CIMSS, 608-263-4425, S. Bachmeier, CIMSS, 608-263-3958, T. Schmit, E/RA2, Timothy.J.Schmit@noaa.gov)

  (Click image to enlarge)

Figure caption: Suomi NPP VIIRS 11.45 µm IR channel image showing the development of two strong thunderstorms with cold cloud tops just to the southwest (upstream) of Beijing, China (station identifier ZBAA) at 05:16 UTC on July 21, 2012.

VISITORS:

Cherubini Discusses Forecasting for Mauna Kea Weather Center: Tiziana Cherubini (University of Hawaii's Department of Meteorology) gave a seminar at the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) on 25 July 2012 describing the Mauna Kea Weather Center and the need for custom forecasts. The Mauna Kea Weather Center (MKWC) is a joint project between the Department of Meteorology and the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii. The primary task of the MKWC is to provide guidance on the expected state of the atmosphere to the community of astronomers who operate the observatories on the summit of Mauna Kea. An overview of the products made available to the astronomers through the MKWC web pages was presented along with the latest achievements in modeling optical turbulence. (M. Vasys, CIMSS, 608-263-7435)

Shane Hubbard on Forecasting Flood Hazards: Shane Hubbard from the University of Iowa gave a seminar at the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) on 26 July 201 on "Tracking spatiotemporal patterns of building vulnerabilities and evacuations during flood hazards." Building evacuations for a university campus were forecasted based upon flood predictions and building properties. A model was presented that captured the spatiotemporal ordering of building vulnerabilities and building content evacuations, providing decision makers with advance notice about which buildings were vulnerable, and when evacuations were recommended to begin. The evacuation model was applied to the 2008 historical flood for the University of Iowa campus demonstrating how the model supported spatiotemporal evacuation planning. (M. Vasys, CIMSS, 608-263-7435)

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