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SAIL is a 2-year federal study of the weather and climate in the area. We are studying the atmosphere: meteorology (particularly precipitation), climate, chemistry, and energy.
Data centers distribute data encompassing multiple disciplines, making it necessary to evaluate dataset applicability to applied research. Typically, these datasets are generated by specialized science teams and consist of single-discipline data, such as atmospheric temperature, pressure, and precipitation, leading to unique dataset formats and access services. However, in applied research, the utilization of datasets from multiple disciplines is commonly necessary. The increasing availability of research literature citing Earth Science datasets presents an opportunity to analyze the usage of datasets in multi-disciplinary research. This study proposes a novel approach wherein research publications citing datasets archived at the GES DISC (Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center) are collected, and each publication is associated with specific research topics through the application of Natural Language Processing (NLP), using the Term Frequency Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF) technique on the publication titles and abstracts. Through this analysis, we gain insights into the distribution of dataset disciplines as they are being used in various applied research areas. This knowledge is essential for the development of dataset tools and services tailored to effectively support applied research studies, as it enhances a data center's comprehension of how datasets from multiple disciplines are integrated into research endeavors.
The design concept of the NASA Geostationary Earth Observatory (GEO), which is the geostationary component of the NASA Mission to Planet Earth program, is discussed together with the science goals, the mission objectives, the platform concept, the data and information system, and the instrument complement of the GEO. The instruments proposed for GEO will include a geostationary microwave precipitation radiometer, a geostationary atmospheric profiler, a geostationary earth processes spectrometer, an advanced lightning mapper, a high-resolution earth processes imager, an operational instrument suite, a solar constant monitor and a spectrum monitor, a geostationary earth climate sensor, and a trace gas imager. Current technology and engineering studies indicate that GEO will be ready for launch by the year 2000.
The presentation will include an overview of leading Earth Science scientific problems that can be addressed using microwave remote sensing, including soil moisture, precipitation, sea salinity, sea surface winds, atmospheric profiling, etc. Using this basis of scientific measurement, the presentation will outline current technological impediments to implementing new measurement system, concentrating on a few example approaches to new technology, such as the conceptual design tradeoffs and capability improvements represented by a fleet of inexpensive nano-satellites, versus geostationary large aperture sensing systems. The outlook for measurement capabilities will be traded against the expected technological hurdles.
NASA’s Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) provides access to a wide range of global climate data from various satellite missions and models. However, the visualization and analysis of these data can be challenging due to their large volume, complex structure, and diverse formats. This study presents the implementation of interoperable map services (API-Maps) with performance tuning using API-Tiles and dynamic API-Styles. API-Maps is a standard for defining and exposing map services through RESTful (representational state transfer) APIs (application programming interfaces). API-Tiles is a technique for generating and delivering map tiles on demand from any data source. API-Styles is a method for dynamically applying styles to map tiles based on user preferences or data attributes. The use of API-Tiles and dynamic API-Styles enhances the performance and scalability of the map services, allowing for smooth and interactive visualization of large datasets. Two types of Earth Science data sources from the NASA GES DISC are used in the experiment: regularly gridded data, such as Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) precipitation data, and low processing level data, such as low-level data of atmospheric composite measurements from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) mission. Re-gridding of swath data (low level data - e.g. Level 2) of atmospheric composites (e.g. TROPOMI products, such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone and aerosol optical depth) is applied to enable the Web-based, interoperable, tiled, and styled mapping (rendering) services of such data. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in providing fast and efficient access to Earth science data through interoperable map services.
The baseline mission concept of the Geostationary Earth Observatory (GEO) calls for five Earth Science Geostationary Platforms (three by NASA, one by Europe, and one by Japan) to be deployed around the earth. This paper discusses the science goals of the GEO, the GEO platform concept, the instrument complement proposed for the GEO mission, and the various optical technology issues involved in the instrument operation. The instruments proposed include the Geostationary Microwave Precipitation Radiometer, the Geostationary Atmospheric Profiler, the Geostationary Earth Processes Spectrometer, the Advanced Lightning Mapper, and the High Resolution Earth Processses Imager. The instruments' design diagrams are included.
The third Convection And Moisture EXperiment (CAMEX-3) was conducted from 6 August - 27 September 1998. CAMEX is a series of field experiments sponsored by the Earth Science Enterprise of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The overall goal of CAMEX-3 was to study atmospheric water vapor and precipitation processes using a unique array of aircraft, balloon, and land-based remote sensors for research in tropical cyclone development, tracking, intensification, and landfalling situations using NASA-funded aircraft and surface remote sensing instrumentation. This project collected high spatial and temporal information of hurricane structure, dynamics, and motion. The ER-2 and DC-8 were the primary NASA aircraft used in the deployment flying at altitudes of 65,000 and 35,000 feet, respectively. In addition, coordinated flights with NOAA WP-3 and Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters C-130 aircraft were developed so that some missions involved as many as five to six aircraft. This presentation will highlight the CAMEX-3 research. It will focus primarily on the unique observations gained while studying Hurricane Georges during four missions: 1) near St. Croix, 2) over the Domican Republic, 3) over the Florida Keys, and 4) near landfall on the Mississippi coast. In particular, observations obtained through the use of the ER-2 of the orographically forced precipitation as it interacted with Hispaniola on 22 September 1998 will be shown.
The Tropical Rain Mapping Radar (Tramar) is proposed as an attached payload as part of the Space Station Earth Observing System Program. Tramar would measure rainfall rates, rain velocity, and rain cell areal extent in the latitude band from 30 deg S to 30 deg N for use in studies of large-scale atmospheric circulation, variations of latent heating, tropical hydrologic processes, and mesoscale precipitation systems. The Tramar science requirements, radar design, and ground data system architecture are examined, including the three-dimensional scan geometry, the radar system performance parameters, the production of earth-gridded maps, and the telemetry, sensor, radiometric, and geophysical data that would be obtained by Tramar.
Science issues, definition, instrument design studies, and hardware procurement for the multispectral atmospheric mapping sensor aircraft prototype, were all started and partially completed. The science issues for a shuttle atmospheric science experiment were defined around the precipitation processes question and results submitted and accepted for publication. Mission science objectives and payload definitions studies for the shuttle Earth observation experiment mission series were begun.
Abstract Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain why the isotope ratios of precipitation vary in space and time and why they correlate with other climate variables like temperature and precipitation. Here, we argue that this behavior is best understood through the lens of radiative transfer, which treats the depletion of atmospheric vapor transport by precipitation as analogous to the attenuation of light by absorption or scattering. Building on earlier work by Siler et al., we introduce a simple model that uses the equations of radiative transfer to approximate the two-dimensional pattern of the oxygen isotope composition of precipitation ( δ p ) from monthly mean hydrologic variables. The model accurately simulates the spatial and seasonal variability in δ p within a state-of-the-art climate model and permits a simple decomposition of δ p variability into contributions from gradients in evaporation and the length scale of vapor transport. Outside the tropics, δ p is mostly controlled by gradients in evaporation, whose dependence on temperature explains the positive correlation between δ p and temperature (i.e., the temperature effect). At low latitudes, δ p is mostly controlled by gradients in the transport length scale, whose inverse relationship with precipitation explains the negative correlation between δ p and precipitation (i.e., the amount effect). This suggests that the temperature and amount effects are both mostly explained by the variability in upstream rainout, but they reflect distinct mechanisms governing rainout at different latitudes. Significance Statement The isotopic composition of precipitation has long been used to make inferences about past climates based on its observed relationship with precipitation in the tropics and with temperature at higher latitudes. These relationships—known as the “amount effect” and “temperature effect,” respectively—have been attributed to many different mechanisms, most of which are thought to operate at either high or low latitudes but not both. Here, we present a unified framework for interpreting the isotope variability that can explain the latitude dependence of the temperature and amount effects despite making no distinction between high and low latitudes. Although our results are generally consistent with certain interpretations of the amount effect, they suggest that the temperature effect is widely misunderstood.
This dataset includes Quality Assessed and Quality Controlled (QA/QC) meteorological data from the Billy Bar field site in the East River Watershed, Colorado in order to inform watershed hydrobiogeochemical processes. The data includes 1-hour aligned time series of Solar Radiation, Wind Speed, Wind Direction, Air Temperature, Relative Humidity, Barometric Pressure, and Precipitation. For each parameter, the QA flags are given: 1 is for extreme (potential abnormal values), and 0 is for values in the expected range. The Rmarkdown document is a stand-alone file/notebook that preserves the text, code, and code results, as well as formatting contained in the original R script. The Data profiling report is a summary and graphical presentation of the data exploration process for data analysis and model building, so that users could focus on understanding data and extracting insights. The report provides a summary of each variable and does data profiling.
Understanding the relationship between tropical cyclone (TC) precipitation and sea surface temperature (SST) is essential for both TC hazard forecasting and projecting how these hazards will change in the future due to climate change. This work untangles how global TC precipitation is impacted by present-day SST variability (known as apparent scaling) and by long-term changes in SST caused by climate change (known as climate scaling). A variety of datasets are used including precipitation and SST observations, realistic climate model simulations, and idealized climate model simulations. The apparent scaling rates depend on precipitation metric; examples shown here have ranges of 6.1 to 9.5% per K versus 5.9 to 9.8% per K for two different metrics. The climate scaling is estimated at about 5% per K, which is slightly less than the atmospheric moisture scaling based on thermodynamic principles of about 7% per K (i.e., the Clausius–Clapeyron scaling). The apparent scaling is greater than the climate scaling, which implies that the relationship between TC precipitation and present-day SST variability should not be used to project the long-term response of TC precipitation to climate change.
The GOES-R (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R) Imager will be the fourth generation imaging radiometer flown in 40 years that observes the western hemisphere from geosynchronous orbit. The Imager is an international resource for information about unpredictable short-term mesoscale phenomena such as severe storms, precipitation, clouds and fog, fires and volcanoes. As such, it must provide: (1) continuity of service, (2) valuable new capabilities, and (3) synergy with the companion fleet of imaging radiometers. This combination of requirements lead to a suite of channels evolved from the generations of LEO (low Earth orbit) and GEO- (geosynchronous Earth orbit) and -sounders. To maximize the science and applications payoff from its unique viewpoint, the next generation GOES Imager should concentrate upon regional measurements of the chaotic atmospheric phenomena involving water and the diurnal cycle -- energy potential, moisture transport, phase changes, precipitation, and cloud climatology.
The Earth Observing System (EOS) is a space-based observing system comprised of a series of satellite sensors by which scientists can monitor the Earth, a Data and Information System (EOSDIS) enabling researchers worldwide to access the satellite data, and an interdisciplinary science research program to interpret the satellite data. During the last couple of years, seven EOS science missions were launched, representing observations of (i) total solar irradiance, (ii) Earth radiation budget, (iii) land cover & land use change, (iv) ocean processes (vector wind, sea surface temperature, ocean topography, and ocean color), (v) atmospheric processes (aerosol and cloud properties, water vapor, and temperature and moisture profiles), (v) tropospheric chemistry, (vi) sea ice concentration, and (viii) precipitation. In succeeding years many more satellites will be launched that will contribute immeasurably to our understanding of the Earth's environment. In this lecture I will describe how scientists are using NASA's Earth science data to examine land use and natural hazards, environmental air quality, including dust storms over the world's deserts, cloud and radiation properties, sea surface temperature, and tropospheric chemistry. This lecture will describe the Terra satellite, launched in December 1999 and still operating, and each of the five sensors onboard the spacecraft. This overview will highlight the goals and objectives of this mission, and describe the contributions and unique datasets provided by each sensor. This lecture will form the background for an extensive weeklong course on Terra and all the algorithms that have been developed and implemented to process the data from this spacecraft. This lecture will include a description of the Terra orbit, launch, data communication with the spacecraft, and data processing and archival of the data.
Observations of bremsstrahlung X-rays emitted by energetic electrons impacting the earth's atmosphere can be used for remotely sensing the morphology, intensity, and energy spectra of electron precipitation from the magnetosphere. Two auroral X-ray imagers, developed for future spaceflight, will be discussed. Polar Ionospheric X-ray Imaging Experiment is scheduled for launch on the NASA International Solar-Terrestrial Physics/Global Geospace Science program POLAR satellite in May, 1994. The POLAR orbit, with an apogee and perigee of 9 and 1.8 R(E) (earth radii), respectively, affords the opportunity to image the aurora from high altitude above the north pole continuously for several hours. The Magnetospheric Atmospheric X-ray Imaging Experiment is scheduled for launch aboard the NOAA-I satellite in late 1992. The 800-km polar orbit passes over both the northern and southern auroral zones every 101 minutes. The presentation emphasizes the experimental approaches used to exploit these very different orbits for remote sensing of the earth's auroral zones.
Texas Southern University (TSU) is strengthening its research program in atmospheric chemistry and physics with a climate science emphasis by leveraging partnerships with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Facility, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), and the Tracking Aerosol Convection Interactions ExpeRiment (TRACER). This RDPP-supported program focuses on secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) and reactive atmospheric species that influence cloud formation, precipitation processes, and radiative forcing. SOAs play a critical role in cloud microphysics and Earth’s energy balance, yet the chemical and physical mechanisms governing SOA–cloud interactions remain a significant source of uncertainty in predictive climate models. Through computational modeling, observational data analysis, and national laboratory collaboration, this program develops a skilled cohort of students trained in atmospheric science, environmental data analysis, and climate-relevant modeling. These research experiences build technical competencies that are transferable to careers in government laboratories, academia, and industry. By engaging students from historically underrepresented communities in high-impact climate research, TSU expands participation in the atmospheric sciences workforce while contributing meaningful scientific insights to DOE-supported ARM research activities. This partnership strengthens national capacity in climate science and supports the development of the next generation of atmospheric researchers.
Models from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 produce too much precipitation over the Andes but too little over the Amazon or the Wet Andes-Dry Amazon (WADA) bias pattern. Unlike the conventional view that convection parameterization and land model deficiencies can contribute to Amazonian rainfall biases, we approach this long-standing biased model behavior through the lens of Andean convection. Using Community Earth System Model v1.1 and focusing on the wet season, our mechanism-denial experiments demonstrate that Andean convection notably reduces precipitation over the Amazon during austral summer. The Andean forced Amazonian response operates on weather timescale. Furthermore, the reduction of Amazonian rainfall is detectable within a few hours after initial Andean forcing. The precipitation response is primarily driven by variations in the moisture budget and is moderated by changes in convective available potential energy over the Amazon. Changes in the total advection of moisture over the Amazon are dominated by the vertical advection term and can be attributed to discrepancies in the dynamic omega field. In the experiments, the Andean east flank region is scrutinized where the vertical velocity and moisture fields play an intermediary role for the Andean driven WADA connection. The Andean forcing induces descending anomalies on the Andean east flank. The disturbances of wind and geopotential fields over the Andean east flank propagate eastward via Kelvin waves. Over the Amazon, descending anomalies and advective drying lead to reduction of mid-to-high level cloud, increase of shortwave cloud forcing and surface net radiation, and enhancement of themodynamic stability and rainfall reduction.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) User Facility supports atmospheric science through an integrated network of fixed and mobile observatories. These facilities collect continuous and campaign-based observations of atmospheric properties, with the goal of improving the representation of clouds, aerosols, precipitation, and radiation in Earth system models. The Bankhead National Forest (BNF) site, established as an ARM Mobile Facility (AMF) on 1 October 2024, is situated in a forested region of northern Alabama. Its strategic location in a southeastern U.S. environment characterized by complex terrain, diverse land cover, and frequent convective storms provides a valuable opportunity to examine coupled land-atmosphere processes under natural variability.