Semi-Annual Performance Report for Cooperative Agreement...

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Semi-Annual Performance Report for Cooperative Agreement #:NA11SEC4810003 Reporting Period: March 1, 2012 to August 31, 2012 The NOAA Educational Partnership Program Cooperative Science Center THE NOAA CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES Dr. Vernon R. Morris Director and Principal Investigator Participating Institutions Howard University (Lead Institution) Jackson State University University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez University of Texas at El Paso State University of New York at Albany University of Maryland College Park

Transcript of Semi-Annual Performance Report for Cooperative Agreement...

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Semi-Annual Performance Report for

Cooperative Agreement #:NA11SEC4810003

Reporting Period: March 1, 2012 to August 31, 2012

The NOAA Educational Partnership Program

Cooperative Science Center

THE NOAA CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES

Dr. Vernon R. Morris

Director and Principal Investigator

Participating Institutions

Howard University (Lead Institution)

Jackson State University

University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez

University of Texas at El Paso

State University of New York at Albany

University of Maryland College Park

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NCAS Semi Annual Report

(March 1, 2012– August 31, 2012)

Vernon R. Morris, Principal Investigator & Director

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Table of Contents

A. Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………............2-4

I. Overview………….…………………………………………………………………………..2

II. Highlights and Major Accomplishments……………………………………………………3

III. Student Success Stories……………………………………………………………………...4

B. Performance Report.....................................................................................................................5-25

I. Cooperative Research Activities…………………………………...…………………..... 5-18

1. Climate and Weather Analyses and Prediction .............................................................. 5

2. Air Quality Analyses and Forecasting ............................................................................ 7

3. Observational Program in Support of NCAS Research in Training ............................. 13

4. Social, Behavioral and Economics (SBE) Sciences Component .................................. 16

II. Education & Outreach Efforts……………………………………………….....……….…18

1. Degree Programs and Training ..................................................................................... 18

2. Informal and Community Outreach .............................................................................. 19

3. K-12 Outreach………………………………………………………………………...19

III. Photo Gallery……………………………………………………………………………. 21

C. Appendix………………..…………………………………………………………………………..24-35

1. Detailed Breakdown of NCAS Leveraged Funding..................................................... 24

2. NCAS Calendar of Activities....................................................................................... 25

3. Publication/Presentation List ........................................................................................ 26

4. Acronyms ...................................................................................................................... 29

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NCAS Semi Annual Report

(March 1, 2012 – August 31, 2012)

Vernon R. Morris, Principal Investigator & Director

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A. Executive Summary

Howard University’s NOAA Center for Atmospheric Sciences (NCAS) has been awarded $2.625M for

year one in 2011 and up to $15 million over the next five years by the Department of Commerce and the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Educational Partnership Program (EPP) to

conduct research and educational efforts in weather, climate, air quality, and environmental literacy.

NCAS, a consortium of six educational institutions led by Howard University, has been supported by the

core funding from the Department of Commerce since 2001. The partner schools are Jackson State

University, the University of Maryland College Park, the University of Texas El Paso, State University

of New York Albany and the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez.

NCAS expands the Centers research into the Social & Behavioral and Economics Sciences. Joining in

this new area of research are four new faculty members from Howard University with extensive social

science research expertise that will enable the Center to extend its research to include the societal

dimension of environmental change, its measurement and its prediction. NCAS welcomes: Dr. Carolyn

Stroman (Associate Professor of Communication and Culture), Dr. Tia Tyree (Assistant Professor of

Journalism), Dr. Cynthia Winston (Associate Professor of Psychology) and Dr. Terri Adam-Fuller

(Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology).

The following semi-annual report details the activities conducted during March 1, 2012 – August 31,

2012 As NCAS enters its second year of its third five-year cycle, we are pleased to report achievements

in both education and research. The Center maintains robust collaborations and educational partnerships

with the NOAA National Weather Service (National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP),

Office of Operational Service (OOS), and various Weather Forecast Office (WFOs)), OAR (Atlantic

Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) and Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL)

scientists), and National Environmental Satellite, Data & Information Service (NESDIS) (research and

joint publications). Several of the highlights from this reporting period are listed below.

NCAS performance is primarily evaluated on the basis of the following measures:

A. Number of students from underrepresented communities who are trained and graduate in

NOAA‐mission sciences annually [33, 3 graduated]

B. Number of students who are trained and graduate in NOAA‐mission sciences annually; [41

trained, 3 graduated]

C. Number of students completing experiential opportunities at NOAA facilities; [9]

D. Number of EPP funded students who are hired by NOAA, NOAA contractors and other

environmental, natural resource, and science agencies at the Federal, State, local and tribal levels,

in academia and the private sector; [2]

E. Number of collaborative research projects undertaken between NOAA and MSI partners in

support of NOAA operations; [23]

F. Number of students and faculty who participate in and complete postdoctoral level research

programs in support of the NOAA mission; [7]

G. Number of peer reviewed papers published in NOAA‐mission sciences by scientists (faculty,

postdoctoral fellows, and students) sponsored by NOAA EPP; [9]

H. Funds leveraged with NOAA EPP funds (including student support); and,

I. Number of outreach participants engaged in NOAA mission relevant learning opportunities.

[5000]

The performance in each category for this reporting period is listed above in the emboldened brackets.

NCAS continues to be a leader on the national stage in the production and training of African Americans

and Hispanics in the atmospheric sciences at all levels of education. NCAS is developing a model for

public school interaction through the Adopt-a-school program and has established a national model for

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NCAS Semi Annual Report

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Vernon R. Morris, Principal Investigator & Director

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summer camp exposure and training in atmospheric sciences through the CAREERS middle school and

high school camps. The undergraduate programs supported at JSU (Meteorology), the University of

Puerto Rico Mayaguez (Atmospheric Sciences), and UTEP (Atmospheric Physics) lead the nation in the

number of African American and Hispanic students exposed to NOAA mission relevant learning within

academic degree programs. The HUPAS graduate program at HU is the national leader at the PhD level.

During this reporting period, NCAS conducted a comprehensive suite of training and outreach events.

NCAS sponsoring 5 summer camps, 4 Science Fests, participated in 4 science fairs, hosted 6 tours to

NOAA facilities, conducted 9 interactions with public schools, conducted 2 training seminars, and

presented 1 seminar at a NOAA facility. These events reached over 5000 students across thirteen states,

the District of Columbia, and two US territories (Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands). Co-sponsored

events (the CAREERS affiliate camps in New York, North Carolina, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Houston,

Texas) reached an additional 70 students in an additional four states.

HIGHLIGHTS AND MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

EDUCATIONAL MILESTONES

Three NCAS supported students completed their degrees during this period, while another three students

were recruited to the HUPAS programs to begin their graduate education in NOAA mission relevant

disciplines. The graduates are listed below.

NCAS Doctoral Recipient:

Dr. Rufus White (Advisor: Dr. Vernon R. Morris). HU NCAS student Rufus White

successfully defended his doctoral dissertation titled: A Statistical and Theoretical

Investigation of the Chemistry of the Formation of Atmospheric Particles in Beltsville,

Maryland via Observations of Physical Properties on October 27, 2011. Dr. White was

awarded the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Chemistry in May 2012. NOAA employee,

Ariel Stein served on the dissertation committee. Dr. White started June 18, 2012 as a

Physical Scientist with the Department of Defense.

NCAS Master Recipients

Mariana Guereque (Advisor: Drs. Rosa Fitzgerald and Thomas Gill).

UTEP NCAS student Mariana Guereque successfully defended her

master thesis titled: Aerosol Particle Size Distributions Observed during

AEROSE V Campaign on May 4, 2012. Ms. Guereque was awarded the

Master of Science in Geological Sciences in May of 2012.

NCAS Bachelor Recipient:

Keyaara Robinson (Advisor: Dr. Vernon R. Morris). HU NCAS student Keyaara Robinson

an active member of Dr. Morris research group received her Bachelor of Science degree in

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Chemistry in May of 2012. Keyaara performed her undergraduate research on the flux of

particulate matter at street level inside the Washington, DC urban canopy.

Success Stories:

The University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez student Ana Patricia Torres participated in a nine-

week summer internship at NOAA Headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. This year she was

awarded a NOAA EPP Undergraduate Scholarship. This award is in recognition of her

accomplishments as an undergraduate student in areas pertinent to NOAA’s mission. Ms. Torres

participated in the Puerto Rico Weather Camp in 2009 and is currently pursuing a bachelor

degree in Theoretical Physics at UPRM. She is also completing the course work for the

certification in Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology at UPRM. Ana is an active member of

the American Meteorological Society (AMS) student Chapter and received a NOAA Center for

Atmospheric Sciences Travel Award to participate in the AMS 2012 annual meeting in New

Orleans

Angel Esparza, who graduated on December 2011 under the supervision of Dr. Fitzgerald, was

hired to head a division at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, TX.

NCAS hosted 23 students and faculty to attend the 2011 EPP Forum and returned with three first place

and two second place awards in the PhD oral presentation and poster presentations.

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NCAS Semi Annual Report

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Vernon R. Morris, Principal Investigator & Director

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1. Cooperative Research Activities

1.1 Climate and Weather Analysis and Prediction

The NCAS research activities in the area of climate and weather analysis and prediction include: (A)

Surface-atmosphere interaction and PBL processes, the emphasis of this research being on understanding

roles of aerosols and clouds in land-atmosphere exchange; (B) Convection, microphysics, and cloud-

aerosols radiative effects, with the research being focused on investigating direct effects of aerosols in

NCEP GFS-GOCART Model, and process studies of aerosol-cloud indirect effects; (C) Model

development for climate, with an emphasis on improving the physics representation and prediction at

regional scale; and (D) Enabling greater decision support applications of satellite data and improved

radiative transfer treatment in NOAA’s Community Radiative Transfer Model (CRTM). The research

activities in (D) entails forward modeling and closure studies to improve CRTM, and remote sensing

studies of vegetation states.

1.1.1 Surface-Atmosphere Interactions and PBL Processes

Research activities in this subsection were descoped due to budget constraints.

1.1.2 Convection, Microphysics, and Cloud-aerosols Radiative Effects – Investigate Direct Effect of

Aerosols in New NCEP GFS-GOCART Model

Lead PI: Dr. Everette Joseph (HU)

Total

Number

Name/Affiliations (Locations)

NOAA Partner(s)

Involved

3 Jeffery McQueen (NWS/EMC/MMB), Cheng Lu (OAR/ESRL/PSD),

Nick Nalli(NESDIS/STAR/SMCD/SCDAB)

NCAS Partner(s)

Involved

2 Qilong Min (SUNYA),Vernon Morris (HU)

Other

Collaborator(s)

Involved

0 N/A

Students Trained NCAS-Supported by Activity Leveraged by Activity

Undergraduate 0 0 0

Graduate 2 Mayra Oyola Adrian Flores

Post-Doctoral 0 0 0

NOAA Mission

Relevance

From Proposal and NGSP

Student Thesis 0 N/A

Publications 1 See Appendix

Presentations 0 N/A

Other Milestones

Percent Completion Relative to Implementation Plan: 20%

Acquisition and analysis continued with respect to the collection of aerosol data for this study from

HUBC and AEROSE. In the case of AEROSE data analysis continued and a collaboration is being

forged among NCAS, NESDIS/STAR and NCEP/EMC. A journal article involving NOAA and NCAS

authors was recently published. The title of the article is: On the Effect of Dust Aerosols on AIRS and

IASI Operational Level 2 Products E. S. Maddy, S. G. DeSouza-Machado N. R. Nalli3, C. D. Barnet4,

L. L Strow,W. W. Wolf, H. Xie,4, A. Gambacorta T. S. King E. Joseph, V. Morris, S. E. Hannon, P.

Schou. NCEP/EMC has recently implemented the GFS-GOCART (NGAC). NCAS/EMC/NESDIS had

a recent meeting to develop further details on the project. NCAS graduate student Mayra Oyola

continues to conduct background research on this project. Also NCEP is working on logistics that will

allow Ms. Oyola to work at NCEP and access computing resources for the project.

1.1.3 Model Development for Climate - Improving the Physics Representation and Prediction at

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Regional Scales

Lead PI: Dr. Xin-Zhong Liang (UMD)

Total

Number

Name/Affiliations (Locations)

NOAA Partner(s)

Involved

1 Julian Wang (OAR/ARL)

NCAS Partner(s)

Involved

2 Vernon Morris, Everette Joseph, and Tsann-Wang Yu (HU)

Other

Collaborator(s)

Involved

0 N/A

Students Trained NCAS-Supported by Activity Leveraged by Activity

Undergraduate 0 0 0

Graduate 1 Adam Greeley 0

Post-Doctoral 0 0 0

NOAA Mission

Relevance

Weather and Water

Student Thesis 0 N/A

Publications 1 See Appendix

Presentations 4 See Appendix

Other Milestones The CWRF, incorporating the most comprehensive ensemble of alternative physics

representations, facilitates seamless applications for regional weather forecast and

climate prediction.

Percent Completion Relative to Implementation Plan: 40%

We have focused on preparing articles to document several major achievements in the development of

CWRF. First we have published the fundamental paper to provide a general description and model

performance for the CWRF, which has been developed for the last 9 years under the support of NCAS

along with numerous other federal grants. This paper is highly appreciated by both the editor and

reviewers, and has appeared with a cover page illustration in the September issue of the Bulletin of the

American Meteorological Society (Liang et al. 2012). We have also completed the first draft for two

manuscripts intended for publication in Journal of Climate. They are part of my Ph.D. graduate student

thesis research under the NCAS support, and address the effects of cumulus parameterization closures on

CWRF precipitation prediction over the continental U.S. and coastal oceans All these works demonstrate

the necessity of incorporating advanced physics representation for realistic precipitation and climate

prediction at regional-local scales.

1.1.4 Forward Modeling and Closure Studies to Improve CRTM and Process Studies of Aerosol

Cloud Indirect Effect

Lead PI: Dr. Qilong Min

Total

Number

Name/Affiliations (Locations)

NOAA Partner(s)

Involved

1 Felix Kogan (NESDIS/STAR/SMCD/EMB)

NCAS Partner(s)

Involved

2 Everette Joseph (HU), and Tsann-Wang Yu (HU)

Other

Collaborator(s)

Involved

1 Jiwen Fan (DOE/PNNL)

Students Trained NCAS-Supported by Activity Leveraged by Activity

Undergraduate 0 0 0

Graduate 2 Matthew Gibbons, Hanisha Hirani (SUNYA) 0

Post-Doctoral 0 0 0

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NOAA Mission

Relevance

From Proposal and NGSP

Student Thesis 0 N/A

Publications 0 N/A

Presentations 0 N/A

Other Milestones

Percent Completion Relative to Implementation Plan: 35% (Activity 1); 65% (Activity 2)

Activity 1. Forward modeling and Closure Studies to Improve CRTM

We are conducting closure studies by comparing CRTM calculations using in-situ observed aerosol and

cloud properties to satellite and surface radiometers at the ARM SGP site. These include three sub-tasks:

1) We are testing the implementation of CRTM within WRFDA package, in which CRTM has been

coupled with the atmosphere properties simulated by WRF. With proper 3Dvar data assimilations

(through WRFDA), we are able to simulate radiation at both TOA and surface with a “real” atmosphere;

2) We are also testing the optical-microphysical conversion schemes cross wavelength spectrum (visible,

infrared, and microwave) in the CRTM; and 3) We will compare with both measured radiation and in-

situ cloud and aerosol properties at the ARM site to assess the performance of CRTM.

Activity 2. Process Studies of Aerosol-Cloud Indirect Effect

We are testing the newly coupled WRF-SBM (Spectral-Bin-Microphysics) model. Our WRF-SBM can

deal with both CCN and IN nucleation processes (most WRF-SBMs don’t have homogeneous and

heterogeneous ice nucleation and droplet freezing processes). Graduate student Matthew Gibbons uses

the WRF-SBM simulating dust effects on deep convection systems and the effect of partition of CCN

and IN on clouds. The preliminary results are very good. We expect to complete writing two papers in

the near future. We just finished the revision of the VOCALS field campaign paper on aerosol-cloud

interaction.

1.2 Air Quality Analyses and Forecasting

During this reporting period, NCAS research activities include : (A) Formation and fate of air pollutants

for air quality forecasting, (B) Mineral dust observations and characterization, (C) Satellite algorithm

development for aerosols, and (D) Estimating societal economical and health impacts of air quality and

air quality forecasting. In topic (A) research activities include: understanding of Ozone and aerosols

formation, evaluation and development of atmospheric chemistry mechanisms, atmospheric chemistry

sensitivity and process analyses, and air pollution effects on visibility. In topic (B) research activities

include: AEROSE data analyses, chemical characterization of crustal aerosols, optical characterization of

dust, and climate change and historical records of Saharan dust trends. In topic (C) research activities

include: algorithm development for improved satellite retrieval, and development of Saharan dust index

and new satellite products. In topic (D) research activities include: economic value of air quality forecast

information, development of modeling tools for the direct assessment of toxic air pollutant effects, and

exploring airborne biodiversity.

1.2.1 Understanding of Ozone and Aerosol Formation

Lead PI: Dr. William Stockwell

Total

Number

Name/Affiliations (Locations)

NOAA Partner(s)

Involved

2 Jeffery McQueen (NWS/EMC/MMB), Jianping Huang (NWS/EMC)

NCAS Partner(s)

Involved

4 Rosa Fitzgerald (UTEP), Duanjun Lu, Loren White, Remata S. Reddy

(JSU), Vernon Morris (HU), Roy Armstrong (UPRM)

Other

Collaborator(s)

Involved

2 Wendy Goliff (University of California, Riverside), James. V. Cizdziel

(University of Mississippi, MS)

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Vernon R. Morris, Principal Investigator & Director

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Students Trained NCAS-Supported by Activity Leveraged by Activity

Undergraduate 2 Willaim Parks and Jessica

Foxworth (JSU)

N/A

Graduate 2 N/A Charlene Lawson , Tamil Maldonado-

Vega (HU),

Post-Doctoral 0 N/A N/A

NOAA Mission

Relevance

This activity addresses NOAA’s strategic objectives: “Healthy people and

communities through improved air and water quality. Key to the development of

models for air quality is knowledge of the chemical mechanisms of ozone and particle

formation. New and updated chemical mechanisms are being developed through this

activity.

Student Thesis 0 N/A

Publications 0 N/A.

Presentations 4 See Appendix

Other Milestones

Percent Completion Relative to Implementation Plan: 30%

Activity 1. Understanding of Ozone and Aerosol Formation

The Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism, Version 2 (RACM2) has been completed and a

publication has been submitted to the journal Atmospheric Environment and is now under review.

Graduate student Charlene Lawson continues her research to examine the processes that affect gas-phase

nighttime chemistry and how they affect ozone formation over multi-day periods. Graduate student

Tamil Maldonado-Vega is completing research on the aqueous-phase that affects cloud chemistry and

cloud formation.

1.2.2. Evaluation and Development of Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanisms, and Atmospheric

chemistry sensitivity and Process Analysis

Lead PI: Dr. William Stockwell

Total

Number

Name/Affiliations (Locations)

NOAA Partner(s)

Involved

2 Jeffery McQueen (NWS/EMC/MMB), John Lewis (OAR/NSSL)

NCAS Partner(s)

Involved

2 Rosa Fitzgerald (UTEP), Duanjun Lu (JSU)

Other

Collaborator(s)

Involved

1 Wendy Goliff (University of California, Riverside)

Students Trained NCAS-Supported by Activity Leveraged by Activity

Undergraduate 0 N/A N/A

Graduate 1 N/A Charlene Lawson (HU)

Post-Doctoral 0 N/A N/A

NOAA Mission

Relevance

This activity addresses NOAA’s strategic objectives: “Healthy people and

communities through improved air and water quality. Assimilation methods are

critical for meteorological forecasting. Assimilation methods for chemical species are

not yet well developed. Key to the development of data assimilation methods for air

quality is knowledge of the response of forecasts to small perturbations to model

constants, parameters or to the initial state (such as the three dimensional

concentration fields). This activity examines the use of sensitivity and process for the

development of chemical data assimilation methods.

Student Thesis 0 N/A

Publications 0 N/A.

Presentations 2 See Appendix

Other Milestones

Percent Completion Relative to Implementation Plan: Activity 2: 20%; Activity 3: 5%

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Activity 2. Evaluation and Development of Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanisms

The Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism, Version 2 has been completed and a publication has

been submitted to the journal Atmospheric Environment and is now under review. Graduate student

Charlene Lawson is evaluating the performance of the Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism,

Version 2 (RACM2) for modeling the nighttime chemistry of nitrogen oxides

Activity 3. Atmospheric Chemistry Sensitivity and Process Analyses Chemical box model simulations are now being made to generate a large number of cases for analysis.

1.2.3. AEROSE Data Analyses

Lead PI: Dr. Vernon Morris

Total

Number

Name/Affiliations (Locations)

NOAA Partner(s)

Involved

5 Nicholas Nalli (NESDIS-STAR), Dan Wolfe (OAR-ESRL), Chris Barnet

(NESDIS-STAR), Claudia Schmid (OAR-AOML), Claude Lumpkin

(OAR-AOML)

NCAS Partner(s)

Involved

1 Everette Joseph (HU)

Other

Collaborator(s)

Involved

2 Tegoh Augustiadi (Indonesian National/ AOML Visitor)

Sasha Smirnov (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

Students Trained NCAS-Supported by Activity Leveraged by Activity

Undergraduate 0 N/A N/A

Graduate 4 Elsa Castillo(UTEP), Mayra

Oyola(HU)

Christopher Spells (NOAA CREST),

Adrian Flores (HU)

Post-Doctoral 1 Ebony Roper (NCAS) N/A

NOAA Mission

Relevance

From Proposal and NGSP

Satellite Validation, Model Verification for Climate and Weather

Student Thesis 4 All are to be determined. Students are in the process of advancing to

candidacy.

Publications 0 N/A

Presentations 0 N/A

Other Milestones The cruise that was scheduled to take place in summer 2012 was postponed.

Instruments were calibrated and prepared for the 2013 mission and data analysis

continues.

Percent Completion Relative to Implementation Plan: 50% (Activity 1)

Activity 1. AEROSE Data Analyses

The PNE/AEROSE research cruise originally scheduled for August 31 – Sep 30, 2012 was postponed

due to mechanical challenges with the NOAA RHB propulsion systems.

1.2.4. Chemical Characterizations of Crustal Aerosols and Exploring Airborne Biodiversity

Lead PI: Dr. Vernon R. Morris

Total

Number

Name/Affiliations (Locations)

NOAA Partner(s)

Involved

1 Ariel Stein (OAR/ARL)

NCAS Partner(s)

Involved

0 N/A

Other

Collaborator(s)

Involved

3 Courtney Thomas and Broderick Eribo (HU), Priscilla Chaverri (UMD),

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Students Trained 4 NCAS-Supported by Activity Leveraged by Activity

Undergraduate 1 N/A Meghna Ramaswamy (UMD)

Graduate 3 Maria Velez, Jose Tirado

(HU)

Esther Effiong (HU)

Serenella Linares (UMD)

Post-Doctoral 0 N/A N/A

NOAA Mission

Relevance

From Proposal and NGSP

Student Thesis 1 Physico-chemical characterization of Airborne Saharan Dust during

AEROSE

Publications 1 N/A

Presentations 0 N/A

Other Milestones Phylogenetic and genomic analysis nearly completed. MALDI-TOFS analysis

preliminary studies completed. Three manuscripts are in preparation.

Percent Completion Relative to Implementation Plan: 25% (Activities 2 and 3)

Activity 2. Chemical Characterization of Crustal Aerosols

This study examines the physicochemical characterization and trend in major dust outbreaks of the

AEROSE samples obtained during the month of July during the 2006 and 2009 campaigns,. This data set

is being examined for the purpose of gaining insights on the microphysical evolution of mineral dust

during transport across the tropical North Atlantic.

Activity 3. Exploring Airborne Biodiversity Aerobiological samples have been collected during the AEROSE cruises between 2006-2010 and in

Washington, D.C. since 2007. Preliminary analysis of these samples has indicated the presence of

enhanced fungal counts coincident with high mass regions of the advected air masses (e.g. dust storms,

pollution events). Additionally, these studies have revealed a significant flux of plant pathogens that

may be harmful for major crop types and indigenous species in the Caribbean and the eastern US.

1.2.5. Algorithm Development for Improved Satellite Retrieval, and Air Pollution Effect on Visibility

Lead PI: Dr. Rosa Fitzgerald

Total

Number

Name/Affiliations (Locations)

NOAA Partner(s)

Involved

4 Joe Michalsky (OAR/ESRL/GMD), Dave Novlan

(NWS/SR/WFO/SANTA TERESA NM), Joe Rogash

(NWS/SR/WFO/SANTA TERESA N), Paul Ginoux (OAR/GFDL)

NCAS Partner(s)

Involved

1 Thomas Gill (UTEP)

Other

Collaborator(s)

Involved

7 Dave Dubois (NMSU), Alexei Maradudin (UC Irvine), Joseph Prospero,

(University of Miami), N.C. Hsu (NASA- Goddard), Sergio Cabrera

(UTEP), Matthew Baddock (Griffith University), Miguel Dominguez

(Univ. Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez)

Students Trained NCAS-Supported by Activity Leveraged by Activity

Undergraduate 1 N/A Celia Garcia (UTEP)

Graduate 7 Mariana Guereque, Elsa

Castillo, Richard Medina,

Mohammad Alkhatib (UTEP)

Javier Polanco, Fernando Becerra-

Davila, Juan Gustavo Arias (UTEP)

Post-Doctoral 0 N/A N/A

NOAA Mission

Relevance

From Proposal and NGSP

Student Thesis 1 “Aerosol Particle Size Distributions Observed During AEROSE V

Campaign:-(Mariana Guereque M.S Thesis).

Publications 5 See Appendix

Presentations 3 See Appendix

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Other Milestones

Percent Completion Relative to Implementation Plan: 30%

Activity 1. Algorithm development for improved satellite retrieval

The aim of this project is first to implement an empirical model that has the purpose of predicting PM2.5

ground concentrations from satellite values of aerosol optical thickness (AOT) and subsequently to

develop new algorithms for improved satellite retrievals of air pollution. A complete correlation between

satellite and ground-level measurements will provide a solid basis to sense remotely events of high

particulate matter concentrations. It has been successfully shown that an empirical model can create a

regression between daily PM2.5 concentrations and AOT values from a satellite. This study relies on

satellite and ground instruments information. Thus, the data collection and its proper processing is an

indispensable joint operation that determines the accuracy of the results. Satellite data is provided by the

MISR level 2 aerosol data collection, which is processed at the Atmospheric Sciences Data Center at

NASA Langley Research Center. We propose to implement this methodology for the El Paso-Juarez

Airshed and to subsequently apply to AEROSE.

Activity 4. Air Pollution Effect on Visibility

Poor visibility is a subject of growing public concern throughout the U.S, and an active area of research

within NOAA. Its societal impacts in air quality, aviation transport and traffic are enormous. It is well

known that air pollutant concentrations influence visibility. The underlying phenomenon is the light

scattering by the aerosol particles, which is responsible for the major visibility degradation.

We are using the El Paso-Juarez Airshed as a test-bed to study the effect of size, chemical composition

and concentration of aerosols on the impairment of visibility. In addition, we are studying the effects of

aerosol coating in the light extinction results. The models have been developed and subsequently they

will be validated against experimental data.

1.2.6. Development of Saharan Dust Index and New Satellite Products, and Optical Characterization of

Dust

Lead PI: Dr. Roy Armstrong

Total

Number

Name/Affiliations (Locations)

NOAA Partner(s)

Involved

4 Jim Hendee (OAR/AOML), Robert Warner (NOS/NCCOS/COASTB),

Ernesto Morales (NWS/SR/WFO/CAROLINA PR), Odalys Martinez

(NWS/SR/WFO/CAROLINA PR)

NCAS Partner(s)

Involved

2 Tom Gil (UTEP)

Qilong Min (SUNYA)

Other

Collaborator(s)

1 Hector Jimenez (UPRM – Physics Dept.)

Students Trained NCAS-Supported by Activity Leveraged by Activity

Undergraduate 3 Gyan Villamil, Joanna Coronado, Lizandra

Flores(UPRM)

N/A

Graduate 6 William Hernandez, Cynthia Ramos, Myrna Santiago, Maria Cardona, Melissa

Melendez (UPRM)

Ali Amirrezvani

(UPRM)

Post-Doctoral 0 N/A N/A

NOAA Mission

Relevance

Climate Mission Goal: Understand climate variability and changes to enhance

society’s ability to plan and respond. NOAA’s Technology and the Mission’s

Support Goal: Provide critical support for NOAA’s mission.

Student Thesis 2 Remote sensing of benthic habitats in SW Puerto Rico (William

Hernandez)

Hurricane forcing of phytoplankton biomass in the Sargasso Sea

(Myrna Santiago)

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Vernon R. Morris, Principal Investigator & Director

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Publications 0 N/A

Presentations 6 See Appendix

Other Milestones AERADNET upgrades – See Technical Report

Percent Completion Relative to Implementation Plan: 10%

Activity 2. Development of Saharan Dust Index and New Satellite Products

The main objectives of this activity are: (1) to quantify the effects of dust aerosols on incident levels of

solar UV and PAR radiation reaching Puerto Rico; (2) to analyze CREWS radiation data to generate a

Saharan Dust Index (SDI) as a NOAA/CREWS operational product, (3) once this relationship is

established using field radiation measurements, a similar approach will be tested using satellite-based

data (e.g. OMI), and 4) generate PAR and UV attenuation coefficients (Kd) as an index of water quality.

Activity 3. Optical Characterization of Dust

African dust and volcanic ash particles are transported by the trade winds and affect the air quality,

visibility, weather and climate, and carry contaminants that affect human and ecosystem health.

Visibility is also negatively affected when south-east winds bring volcanic ash from the Soufriere Hills

(Montserrat) to the island. We are using an MFRSR, EKO Sun-Tracker, and Inductively coupled plasma

mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for optical and chemical characterization of these dust sources. We are also

developing spectroscopic techniques for quantitative relationships between the concentration of iron in

filtered samples (as determined by the ICP-MS) and the spectral response using visible reflectance

spectroscopy.

1.2.7. Economic Value of Air Quality Forecast Information, and Development of Modeling Tools for

Assessment of Toxic Air Pollutant Effects

Lead PI: Dr. William Stockwell

Total

Number

Name/Affiliations (Locations)

NOAA Partner(s)

Involved

1 Jeffery McQueen (NWS/EMC/MMB)

NCAS Partner(s)

Involved

2 Rosa Fitzgerald (UTEP)

Duanjun Lu (JSU)

Other

Collaborator(s)

Involved

0 None

Students Trained NCAS-Supported by Activity Leveraged by Activity

Undergraduate 0 N/A N/A

Graduate 1 Tasha Anderson N/A

Post-Doctoral 0 N/A N/A

NOAA Mission

Relevance

Potential societal economic benefits of numerical AQF in public and private sectors

are driving NOAA’s expansion of its portfolio of services. This research area

focuses on the estimation of the societal - economic baseline impacts of using

observational and numerical air quality and meteorological information.

Student Thesis 0 N/A

Publications 0 N/A

Presentations 0 N/A

Other Milestones

Percent Completion Relative to Implementation Plan: Activity 1: 15%; Activity 2: 5%

Activity 1. Economic Value of Air Quality Forecast Information

HU graduate student, Tasha Anderson, has collected model forecasts and observational data of ozone

and particulate matter. The data are being used to evaluate the air quality forecasts. These metrics

include: (1) The number of times that an unhealthy event is correctly forecasted, (2) the number of times

that an unhealthy event is forecasted when it does not occur and (3) the number of times when the air

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Vernon R. Morris, Principal Investigator & Director

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quality forecast predicts healthy air when the air was observed to be unhealthy. These comparisons will

be the basis for Tasha Anderson’s Master’s degree thesis.

Activity 2. Development of Modeling Tools for Direct Assessment of Toxic Air Pollutant Effects

The publically available modeling software, “Neuron” was acquired, installed and tested at HU. HU

students are now being recruited for this project. Duanjun Lu (JSU) collaboratively worked with faculty

of University of Mississippi to study mercury dispersion. In this work, HYSPLIT model was used to

track the dispersive route of mercury. The results indicated that air masses during plume events generally

originated either from northern continental (dominated by terrestrial sources) or, less frequently, from

the south (e.g., the Gulf of Mexico). Mercury originating from northern continental region accounted for

the majority of the highest plume events. It was suggested that unpolluted air from the Gulf of Mexico

was not a primary source of mercury in Oxford, MS.

1.3. Observational Program in Support of NCAS Research in Training

Since 2001, with the support of NCAS funding, the Howard University Beltsville Campus (HUBC) has

grown into a world-class mesoscale observation site. Building upon this success and capacity and in

support of research and education, NCAS will continue to conduct six research activities for the

emerging NWS operational observing technology testbed at HUBC: (A) All-weather ground-based

LIDAR for NWS, (B) Extending decision support based application of NWS Ceilometer network, (C)

Global Climate Observation System (GCOS) Upper Air Network (GUAN), (D) Microwave radiometer

profiling and nowcasting, (E) Washington D.C. lightning mapping array demonstration project, and (F)

Demonstration of Real-Time Mesoscale Analyses (RTMA) of PBL information

1.3.1. All Weather Ground Based Lidar for NWS, and Extending Decision Support Based Application

of NWS Ceilometer Network

Lead PI: Dr. Belay Demoz

Total

Number

Name/Affiliations (Locations)

NOAA Partner(s)

Involved

4 Micheal Hicks, Joseph Facundo (NWS/OOS/FSOC/OSB), Dennis

Atkinson (NWS/OST/PPD/PMB), David Turner (OAR/NSSL)

NCAS Partner(s)

Involved

2 Demetrius Venable and Everette Joseph (HU)

Other

Collaborator(s)

Involved

6 Activity-1: Kevin Vermeesch (SSAI), Tim Berkoff (UMBC-SSAI),

Ruben Delgado (CREST),

Activity-2: Scott Spuler and Tammy Weckwerth (NCAR), Mike

Repasky (Montana University)

Students Trained NCAS-Supported by Activity Leveraged by Activity

Undergraduate 1 N/A Khalil Dixon (HU)

Graduate 3 Shadya Sanders (HU) Lorenza Cooper, Monique Walker (HU)

Post-Doctoral 0 N/A N/A

NOAA Mission

Relevance

From Proposal and NGSP

High – See TPT workshop

Student Thesis 0 N/A

Publications 0 N/A

Presentations 0 Workshop report forthcoming.

Other Milestones Supplemental Funding acquired; A major workshop in collaboration with NWS

completed

Percent Completion Relative to Implementation Plan: Initiation stage.

Activity 2. Extending Decision Support Based Application of NWS Ceilometer Network

Given the many important applications that the ceilometer can be put to use, saving and

archiving of the data is a game-changing idea. At the TPT workshop in Boulder, CO and later at

the follow-up ASOS Ceilometer Workshop meeting on March 28, 2012 at Sterling, VA, a

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Vernon R. Morris, Principal Investigator & Director

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consensus was reached to plan a method that would demonstrate the archival and analysis of the

full profiler backscatter data from the ASOS CL31 for real-time data exploitation. At both

places a limited area ceilometer network was discussed. Howard University (lead by PI Belay

Demoz) was charged with the demonstration work in collaboration with the NOAA/NWS

personnel at Sterling and other partners.

1.3.2. Global Climate Observational System (GCOS) Upper Air Network (GRUAN)

Lead PI: Dr. Belay Demoz

Total

Number

Name/Affiliations (Locations)

NOAA Partner(s)

Involved

4 Joseph Facundo, Micheal Hicks (NWS/OOS/FSOC/OSB),

Antony Reale (NESDIS/STAR/SMCD/OPDB), Howard Diamond

(NESDIS/NCDC)

NCAS Partner(s)

Involved

2 Everette Joseph and Demetrius Venable (HU)

Other

Collaborator(s)

Involved

1 David Whiteman (NASA/GSFC)

Students Trained NCAS-Supported by Activity Leveraged by Activity

Undergraduate 0 N/A N/A

Graduate 2 N/A Sium Tesfay, Lorenza Cooper

Post-Doctoral 0 N/A N/A

NOAA Mission

Relevance

From Proposal and NGSP

Student Thesis 0 N/A

Publications 1 See Appendix

Presentations 0 N/A

Other Milestones NOAA Supplemental funding started.

Percent Completion Relative to Implementation Plan: 20%

Activity 3: Global Climate Observational System (GCOS) Upper Air Network (GUAN) The reliable detection of the vertical structure of changes in climate variables in the atmosphere requires

very high quality atmospheric observations with well-characterized measurement uncertainties. While

the GRUAN provides upper air measurements over large regions of the globe, these are primarily for

operational weather forecasting and as a result seldomly include quality control systems to guarantee

data quality so that the data are suitable for long-term trend detection. This was formalized between

2005 and 2007 when a reference upper-air network consisting of eventually 30-40 sites worldwide was

planned. HUBC was selected as part of the initial set of seven sites and is involved in the formulation of

the implementation and data flow documentation. The network, known as GCOS Reference Upper-Air

Network (GRUAN; GCOS-112, GCOS-134) is being led by the NOAA Climate office. Profile

measurements from HU Beltsville campus are contributing to the long-term data quality and formulation

of the network.

1.3.3. Microwave Radiometer Profiling and Nowcasting

Lead PI: Dr. Belay Demoz

Total

Number

Name/Affiliations (Locations)

NOAA Partner(s)

Involved

4 Micheal Hicks, Joseph Facundo (NWS/OOS/FSOC/OSB), Antony Reale

(NESDIS/STAR/SMCD/OPDB), David Turner (OAR/NSSL)

NCAS Partner(s)

Involved

2 Demetrius Venable, Everett Joseph (HU)

Other 5 Torreon Creekmore (NGIA), Scott Spuler and Tammy Weckwerth

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Vernon R. Morris, Principal Investigator & Director

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Collaborator(s)

Involved

(NCAR), Randolph Ware (Radiometrics Inc)

Mike Repasky (Montana University)

Students Trained NCAS-Supported by Activity Leveraged by Activity

Undergraduate 0 N/A N/A

Graduate 3 Shadya Sanders (HU) Monique Walker , Lorenza Cooper (HU)

Post-Doctoral 0 N/A N/A

NOAA Mission

Relevance

From Proposal and NGSP

High - See TPT workshop

Student Thesis 0 N/A

Publications 0 N/A

Presentations 1 See Appendix

Other Milestones A publication led by Cooper is in progress. Comparison with Lidar/DIAL made; A 1-

month experiment planned and executed.

Percent Completion Relative to Implementation Plan: 20 % (Activity 4)

Activity 4. Microwave Radiometer Profiling and Nowcasting NCAS has started evaluation of the MWR operation with respect to the recommendations of the

Thermodynamic Profiling Techniques (TPT) workshop recommendations; compared the MWR

temperature data with radiosonde values for GRUAN; and has evaluated the feasibility of the instrument

vis-a-vis the derivation of storm potential indicators. The results were presented at AMS and at the EPP

forum by a graduate student Lorenza Cooper. As a follow up to this meeting, we have organized and

prepared, in collaboration with NCAR and Montana University, to evaluate the active DIAL lidar that

has the best potential for a network instrument.

1.3.4. Demonstration of Real-Time Mesoscale Analysis (RTMA) of PBL Information

Lead PI: Dr. Everette Joseph

Total

Number

Name/Affiliations (Locations)

NOAA Partner(s)

Involved

3 Micheal Hicks and Joseph Facundo (NWS/OOS/FSOC/OSB), Jeffery

McQueen (NWS/EMC/MMB)

NCAS Partner(s)

Involved

2 Demetrius Venable, and Belay Demoz (HU)

Other

Collaborator(s)

Involved

0 N/A

Students Trained NCAS-Supported by Activity Leveraged by Activity

Undergraduate 0 N/A N/A Graduate 0 N/A N/A

Post-Doctoral 0 N/A N/A NOAA Mission

Relevance

From Proposal and NGSP

Student Thesis 1 The Characterization of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Depth and

Turbulence in an Semi-Urban Convective Environment (Micheal Hicks)

Publications 0 Under development

Presentations 0 N/A

Other Milestones

Percent Completion Relative to Implementation Plan: 70 %

Activity 6. Demonstration of Real-Time Mesoscale Analysis (RTMA) of PBL Information.

The PBL work conducted during the reporting period focused on completion of algorithms to improve

the retrieval of PBL heights from HURL. The initial phase of testing and development of the

experimental algorithm was completed as part of completion of Micheal Hick's dissertation. During the

summer research efforts were focused on refinement of the algorithm and development of a publication

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to report this research. The algorithm is in transition to NWS/OOS. Discussions are underway to apply

this algorithm in Dr. Demoz's proof of concept study on ceilometers with NWS. Planning with

NCEP/EMC is pending on further application of this research in RTMA.

1.4. Social, Behavioral, and Economic (SBE) Sciences Component

Effective translation of NOAA sciences to the public and private sectors is essential for achieving the

vision articulated in the NOAA Strategic plan. In order to realize an informed society that understands

the ecosystem approach to management and the integration of science into social and economic decision-

making it is crucial for research to be performed that evaluates the economic impacts as well as societal

benefits, responses, and attitudes towards NOAA products and services. NCAS SBE research is

investigating human impacts of climate and weather events which is integrated within the air quality

working group activity with a focus on forecast value and social and behavioral research that spans

across working groups, and is focused on communication, public perceptions, and social attitudes toward

NOAA sciences. The proposed research projects will lead to the development of a new generation of

services, advances in sensors / sensor networks, and establishment of an improved understanding of

complex systems and their global interactions

1.4.1. Natural Disaster Risk Communication Basic Social and Behavior Research

Lead PI: Dr. Terri Adams

Total

Number

Name/Affiliations (Locations)

NOAA Partner(s)

Involved

3 Vankita Brown and Cindy Woods (NWS/OCWWS/ORD), Douglas

Young (NWS/OCWWS/RAD/PB)

NCAS Partner(s)

Involved

1 Carolyn Stroman, Tia Tyree, and Everette Joseph (HU)

Other

Collaborator(s)

Involved

0 N/A

Students Trained NCAS-Supported by Activity Leveraged by Activity

Undergraduate 2 Luann Edwards, Keith Sabala (HU) N/A

Graduate 4 Michelle Dovil, Crystal Adkisson

Shadya Sanders, Rita Jacobs (HU)

N/A

Post-Doctoral 0 N/A N/A

NOAA Mission

Relevance

From Proposal and NGSP

Student Thesis 2 Michelle Dovil- Identifying the Social Determinants used for Risk

Assessment in the Evacuation Responses during Hurricane Katrina:

Race, Class, and Gendered Analysis (In progress)

Shadya Sanders- Relationships Between Demographics and Protective

Actions During Severe Weather (In progress)

Publications 0 N/A

Presentations 1 See Appendix

Other Milestones Developed relationships with community representatives at 3 of the study sites for

focus group research. Provided technical assistance for the NOAA’s Office of

Climate, Water, and Weather Services.

Percent Completion Relative to Implementation Plan: 20%

Activity 1. Natural Disaster Risk Communication Basic Social and Behavioral Research The SBE component of NCAS has accomplished a number of goals towards meeting its research

objective of examining risk perceptions and motivations that impact response to emergency warnings

issued by NOAA. The major accomplishments during the reporting period include: (1) networking to

secure research opportunities at the various study sites; (2) working with NOAA partners to attain

contacts for the NWS offices at the study sites; (3) providing technical assistance to NOAA’s Office of

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Climate, Water, and Weather Services; (4) preparing students for professional conferences; and (5)

developing papers for publication.

1.4.2. Public Communication and Outreach

Lead PI: Dr. Terri Adams

Total

Number

Name/Affiliations (Locations)

NOAA Partner(s)

Involved

2 Vankita Brown and Cindy Woods (NWS/OCWWS/ORD)

NCAS Partner(s)

Involved

0 Carolyn Stroman and Tia Tyree (HU BSE faculty)

Other

Collaborator(s)

Involved

0 N/A

Students Trained NCAS-Supported by Activity Leveraged by Activity

Undergraduate 0 N/A N/A

Graduate 2 Michelle Dovil, Crystal Adkisson (HU) N/A

Post-Doctoral 0 N/A N/A NOAA Mission

Relevance

From Proposal and NGSP

Student Thesis 1 Examination of the impact of social media networks during weather

related disasters.

Publications 0 N/A

Presentations 0 N/A

Other Milestones

Percent Completion Relative to Implementation Plan: 5% (Activity 2)

Activity 2. Public Communication and Outreach The SBE NCAS team is in the beginning phases of this aspect of the project, as the goals of this phase

are dependent on the findings of the first phase of the project. When the data becomes available the team

will provide outreach and information services to the public for selected NCAS research findings. This

public outreach campaign uses multiple methods and media to expand the public’s knowledge about the

work of NCAS and NOAA. These methods and media include creating video, print and audio news

releases, and developing online content including web sites, blogs, Flickr photostreams, Twitter and

Facebook postings.

NCAS SBE faculty will involve the CapComm Lab, a student-run advertising and public relations

agency at Howard University, and graduate students to develop a comprehensive outreach plan to

disseminate and market the research findings and activities of NCAS.

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II. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ACTITIVIES

NCAS has adopted a four-tiered approach to developing a talent pipeline in atmospheric sciences from

underrepresented minorities and underserved communities. It is comprised of programs that address the

five key factors that have been attributed to attrition at the transition points along the education pathway;

Access, Mentoring and Motivation, Professional Development, Education, and Distinction (as indicated

by Degree or Career). NCAS has been leveraging the unique legacies of its MSI partners, the technical

capacities of its participating scientists in academia, government, and private sector, in consultation with

NOAA to build and strengthen successful outreach programs for a comprehensive pipeline development

and education strategy. NCAS is using the knowledge and experience gained over the past ten years to

buttress these efforts.

NCAS participates in numerous educational and outreach efforts that are aimed at enhancing student

enrollment in NCAS partner institutions at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, other minority-

serving institutions (MSIs), and in STEM fields, in general. This section presents examples of specific

accomplishments conducted during the March 1, 2012 to August 31, 2012 reporting period. NCAS

continues to strive to make its greatest investment in graduate education through direct financial support

(tuition, stipends, conferences/workshops, books, and travel) as well as indirect support through

entraining graduate students into seminars, courses, field experiences, and research via leveraged

funding.

2.10 Degree Programs and Training

Focus - Program - Institution March 1 – August 31, 2012 Activities

Undergraduate - 3+2 Undergraduate Scholarship - HU None during this performance period

Graduate - Multiple Disciplines – HU Stipend (13): Benjamin Albright, Shadya Sanders, Michelle Dovil,

Craig Battle, Henry Lovelace, III, Tasha Anderson, Yaitza Luna-

Cruz, Mayra Oyola, Crystal Adkisson, Jose Tirado, Maria Velez-

Quinones, Karretta Venable, Gino Davis

Atmospheric Sciences/Marine Sciences/Physics - UPRM Stipend (6): William Hernandez, Myrna Santiago, Cynthia Ramos,

Maria Cardona, Melissa Melendez, Gyan Villamil

Tuition (2): Myrna Santiago, Maria Cardona

Physics/Environmental Sciences - UTEP 1 PhD student supported in Environmental Sciences, 1 PhD student

supported in Computational Sc, 1 M.S student in Geology

Meteorology - JSU Conference travel & Books (5): Chelsae Fullilove, Caleb Johnson,

John Moore, Hope-Anne Weldon, Christopher Wilson

Books Only (4): Jessica Foxworth, Brittany Hailey, Marcus

Hereford, DeVondria Reynolds

Conference Travel only: Dereka Carroll

Stipend & Books: William Parks

Atmospheric Sciences – SUNYA Stipend &Tuition Waiver (2): Matthew Gibbons, Hanisha Hirani

Atmospheric Sciences – UMD Stipend & Tuition (1): Adam Greeley

NCAS Undergraduate Research Summer Internship:

Howard University hosted six (6) interns: John Bartlett (NCSU), Luanne Edwards (HU), Chelsae Fullilove (JSU), Caleb Johnson

(JSU), Jeremy Mayo-Johnson (UMD), Zachery Zobel (PU) from June 4 – July 27. Internships location included NCEP and HU.

Technical Workshops:

UTEP conducted two (2) Teacher Workshops to increase public awareness towards Atmospheric Sciences in the community and

with High School students. Roy Armstrong (UPRM-NCAS) presented a NOAA Brown-bag seminar at the NOAA Central

Library on August 9, 2012 entitled: The use of autonomous underwater vehicles in studies of mesophotic and deep water

corals.

HU sponsored NCAS STEM Career day the HU Upward Bound/TRIO HS program. Concurrent science demonstrations

conducted by STEM professionals for approximately 90 metropolitan-area high school students. The areas of focus were:

Weather satellites, hands-on Marine Ecology, Robotics and Engineering, and Pentagon’s IT Infrastructure.

Conference Travel: NCAS annual meeting was held on June18-19, 2012 by means of video and teleconferencing. The

Videoconference portion of the meeting was hosted by EPP NOAA in downtown Silver Spring, MD.

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Vernon R. Morris, Principal Investigator & Director

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Graduate Focus: NCAS graduated three (3) students during this reporting period. Mariana Guereque received a M.S from

UTEP. Rufus White received a Ph.D. and Keyaara Robinson received a B.S. from HU.

NCAS Graduate Student Support:

UPRM: 6; UTEP: 3; SUNYA: 2; JSU: N/A; UMD: 1; HU: 13

2.11 Informal and Community Outreach Conference Mentorship

UPRM: Provided travel support for two (2) faculty members to attend/participate in the Sixth Biennial NOAA Education and

Science Forum held on the campus of Florida A&M University from March 26-28, 2012

SUNYA: Provided travel support for one (1) faculty member to attend AOGS-AGU (WPGM) Joint Assembly

JSU: Provided travel support for Dereka Carroll (student) to attend NCUR at Weber State University from March 29-31,

2012. Provided travel support for three (3) faculty members to attend/participate in the Sixth Biennial NOAA Education and

Science Forum held on the campus of Florida A&M University from March 26-28, 2012

HU: Provided travel support for 32 students (17 from HU; 5 from JSU; 3 from UTEP; 4 from UPRM, 1 from UMD, and 1

from UVI) and five (5) HU faculty to attend/participate in the Sixth Biennial NOAA Education and Science Forum held on

the campus of Florida A&M University from March 26-28, 2012

UTEP: Provided travel support for two (2) faculty members to attend/participate in the Sixth Biennial NOAA Education and

Science Forum held on the campus of Florida A&M University from March 26-28, 2012. Two (2) UTEP students (Juan

Gustavo Arias, Angel Esparza) participated at SACNAS using leverage funding. Travel support for two (2) UTEP students

(Elsa Castillo and Javier Polanco) and one (1) faculty member (Rosa Fitzgerald) to attend/participate in PECS-X: 10th

International Symposium on Photonic and Electromagnetic Crystal Structures in Santa Fe, New Mexico on June 3, 2012 –

June 8, 2012.

No applications were made center wide for other fellowships during this performance period.

Colour of Weather Networking Mixers: None during this performance period

2.12 K-12 Outreach High School Camps:

UPRM: 15 participants Gabriela Alicea (PR), Keishaly Cabrera (PR), Angélica Colon (PR), Anthony Crespo (PR), Darimar Davila (PR), Jordan P.

Ferguson (St. Thomas, USVI), Zoe A. Garcia (PR), Jonathan M. Mendez (PR), Alex Montenegro (PR), Victor A Negron (PR ),

Paola del Mar Nieves (PR), Shane K Ramsey (Milwaukee, WI), Ada M Rios (PR), Nayrobie L Rivera (PR), Wilnelly Ventura

(PR)

Immersive summer experience (June 24-29, 2012) in which high school students from Puerto Rico, USVI and continental USA

learn about basic concepts of atmospheric sciences and meteorology, complex tropical weather, climate change, atmosphere and

ocean connections, coastal weather, and ocean observing systems, among many other relevant topics. Participants meet experts in

these fields and learn about the diverse academic and professional opportunities.

JSU: 8 participants

Aaron Ayers (Huntsville, AL), Patrick Cajandig (Davis, CA), Victor Flores, Jr. (Fort Worth, TX), Maggie Klug (Tuscaloosa,

AL), Abbey McGilvrey (Noblesville, IN), MaaLiik McMorris (Houston, TX), Christian Williams (Southlake, TX), Reagan

Williams (Tyrone, GA)

The JSU Weather Camp was held on June 25-29, 2012. Participants took part in lectures, hands-on demonstrations, field trips,

and interactive activities relating to weather processes, atmospheric science careers, and personal skills development. The camp

was based on the campus of JSU, using a residential paradigm, over a period of one week. The activities were facilitated by JSU

faculty, alumni chaperones, and guest professionals from within the community.

UTEP: 12 participants

Carla Cos, Michelle Carrasco, Isidro Melchor, Abril Raygosa, Aby Gonzalez, Karol Balderrama, Crystal Fino, Rosie Moreno,

Bitania Hernandez, Pamela Fierro, Jessica Reyes, Karian Estrieve

The UTEP Weather Camp was held on July 9-13, 2012 and it was very successful. 12 high school students from the city of El

Paso participated.

HU: 12 participants

Julien Benjamin (Acworth, GA), Shellianne Booth (Laurel, MD), Matthew Cappucci ( Plymouth, MA), Joseph Ghianni

(Nashville, TN), Gabriella Ibanez-Alers (Aldie,VA), Kyle Jordan-DeDaux (Florissant, MO), Amber Ligett (Beaver, PA), Malik

Means (Philadelphia, PA), Rachel Pyfron (Davidsonville, MD), Laurel Robert-Rivera (Aguadilla, PR), Marin Satrio (Plano, TX),

Laura Searles (Gaithersburg,MD).

The HU Weather camp was held on July 8-12, 2012. 12 high school students from across the country participated.

Adopt A School Program:

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HU: Cleveland Elementary (K-5)

Provided - judges for school science fair on March 6, 2012, and tour of Beltsville Research Facility on May 23, 2012.

Howard University Middle School for Mathematics and Science (6-8) – provided a weather camp for 19 HU middle school

students on July 23-27 culminating with a hot air balloon launch by the students.

Initiated talks Columbia Heights Educational Campus and Hardy Middle School.

UPRM: School name: Alejandro Tapia y Rivera (K-6).

Facilitated the participation of two (2) Science teachers from school in the NASA sponsored workshop: “The Biosphere

Interactions: An Ineludible Connection of Events”.

JSU: Planning meetings with Piney Woods Country Life School in Braxton, MS.

Facility tours:

HU provided a tour of the NCAS Beltsville Research Facility for 35 fifth graders from adopt-a-school Cleveland Elementary on

May 23, 2012 and 55 Howard University Upward Bound Math and Science students on June 22, 2012.

HU provided a tour of the NWS Sterling Facility for approximately 70 Howard University High School Upward Bound students.

Science Fests:

UPRM: AMS (UPRM Student chapter) Weather Fest – UPR Mayaguez (Aprox. 500 students)

Hurricane hunter visit – Isla Grande Airport – Sponsored by UNIVISION PR (Over 1,000 students)

HU: USA Science and Engineering Festival, Washington Convention Center, DC. Total participation at the festival was

approximately 3,000+ families on April 28-29, 2012. DCPS STEM Fair & Expo (grades 6-12) at Wilson High School on Macrh

26-28, 2012.

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Vernon R. Morris, Principal Investigator & Director

21

UTEP Weather Camp2012

HU Weather Camp 2012 JSU Weather Camp 2012

III. PHOTO GALLERY

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UPRM Weather Camp 2012

HU Adopt School Cleveland Elementary Visit with Nano Express 2012

AMS (UPRM Student Chapter) Weather Fest 2012

HU Upward Bound visit NWS Sterling, VA

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Vernon R. Morris, Principal Investigator & Director

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NCAS USA Science and Engineering Festival 2012

HU Undergraduate Summer Internship 2012

NCAS STEM Careers Day with HU Upward Bound-Trio Programs

HU Adopt a School Cleveland

Elementary visit to Beltsville Facility

2012

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Appendix 1 – Detailed Breakdown of NCAS Leveraged Funding

March 1, 2012 to August 31, 2012

Institution Funding Agency / Sponsor Awarded Amount Status / Comments

HU OAR/OARO/OWAQ $114,000.00 2 year full support student award

HU Cooperative Institute for Climate

and Satellites (CICs)

$33,000 Established July 2009

HU NASA $1M/yr 2008-2013

HU Maryland Department of the

Environment (MDE), ARL, &

UMCP

$60,000/yr Regional Air Quality Network Site

at Beltsville (renewed annually)

HU Various External Sources 3 students x

$38,000/student

International Students working on

NCAS projects

In-kind sources of leveraging

HU NOAA $40,000/day x 55 days Ronald H. Brown Ship Allocation

AEROSE06

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Appendix 2 - NCAS Calendar of Activities

March 1, 2012 to August 31, 2012 March

o NCAS co-sponsor with Howard University Graduate School – Morehouse Hopps Scholars

Visitation (Presentation and Tour ) – March 6

o Cleveland Elementary School Science Fair

o NCAS co-sponser with HU Department of Biology – GENEWIZ for a DNA Sequencing Lunch

Seminar – March 7

o Visit to discuss partnerships with Columbia Heights Educational Campus (CHEC), Washington,

DC – March 8

o NCAS Outreach presentation to Science Department of CHEC (Washington, DC)

o NCAS participated in the DC Public schools STEM Fair at Wilson High School – March 24

o NCAS Participated in Capitol College Juniors STEM Expo, Laural, MD – March 16

o AEROSE Day Beltsville, MD – March 16

o NCAS Participated in NOAA Cooperative Institutes Meeting, Silver spring, MD – March 20-21

o NCAS participated in the Sixth NOAA Education and Science Forum, Tallahassee, FL – March

26-28

April

o ScienceFest, Washington, DC

o NOAA Day with Howard University Upward Bound Trio Program – April 21

o NCAS participated in the USA Science and Engineering Festival, National Mall – April 28-29

May

o EPP CSC Directors Spring Meeting, Silver Spring, MD – May 3

June

o NCAS Summer Internship Program – June 4-July 23

o NCAS Participated in the World Science Festival, Governor’s Island, New York, NY – June 4

o UPRM High School Weather Camp, Lajas, PR - June 24-30

o JSU High School Weather Camp, Jackson, MS - June 25-29

July

o HU High School Weather Camp, Washington, DC – July 9-23

o UTEP High School Weather Camp, El Paso, TX = July 9-13

August

o Roy Armstrong (UPRM-NCAS) presented a NOAA Brown-bag seminar at the NOAA

Central Library entitled: The use of autonomous underwater vehicles in studies of

mesophotic and deep water corals – August 9

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Vernon R. Morris, Principal Investigator & Director

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Appendix 3 – Publication, Presentation, Press Release and Web Links

March 1, 2012 to August 31, 2012

Publications:

Liang, X.-Z., M. Xu, X. Yuan, T. Ling, H.I. Choi, F. Zhang, L. Chen, S. Liu, S. Su, F. Qiao, Y. He,

J.X.L. Wang, K.E. Kunkel, W. Gao, E. Joseph, V. Morris, T.-W. Yu, J. Dudhia, and J.

Michalakes, 2012: Regional Climate-Weather Research and Forecasting Model (CWRF). Bull.

Amer. Meteor. Soc., doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00180.1.

Maddy, E.S., S. G. DeSouza-Machado, N. R. Nalli, C. D. Barnet, L. L Strow, W. W.Wolf, H. Xie, A.

Gambacorta, T. S. King, E. Joseph, V. Morris, S. E. Hannon, and P. Schou, 2012: On the Effect

of Dust Aerosols on AIRS and IASI 1 Operational Level 2 Products, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39,

L10809, doi:10.1029/2012GL052070

Polanco, J., R. M. Fitzgerald, and A.A. Maradudin, 2012: Propagation of S-Polarized Surface

Polaritons Circumferentially Around a Locally Cylindrical Surface, Physics Letters A, Volume

376, Issue 18, 2 April 2012, Pages 1573-1575, ISSN 0375-9601, 10.1016/j.physleta.2012.02.061.

Collins, T.W., S. E. Grineski, P. Ford, R. Aldouri, M.L R. Aguilar, G. Vela´zquez-Angulo, R.

Fitzgerald, and D. Lu, 2012: Mapping vulnerability to climate change-related hazards: children

at risk in a US–Mexico border metropolis, Popul. and Environ., DOI 10.1007/s11111-012-0170-

8.

Lu, D., R. Fitzgerald, W. R. Stockwell, R.S. Reddy, and L. White, 2012: Numerical Simulation for a

Wind Dust Even in the US/Mexico Border, Air Qual. Atmos. and Health, DOI

10.1007/s11869-012-0174-7, 2012.

Alkhatib, M.Q., D. C. Sergio, and T. E. Gill, 2012: Automated Detection of Dust Clouds And Sources

in NOAA-AVHRR Satellite Imagery. Proceedings of the 10th Southwest Symposium on Image

Analysis and Interpretation, IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), April 2012,

Santa Fe, NM, pp. 97- 100, doi:10.1109/SSIAI.2012.6202462

Ginoux, P., J.M. Prospero, T.E. Gill, N. C. Hsu and M. Zhao, 2012: Global scale attribution of

anthropogenic and natural dust sources and their emission rates based on MODIS Deep Blue

aerosol products, Rev. Geophys 50:RG3005, 36 pp., doi:10.1029/2012RG000388

Thorne, P.W., H. Vömel, G. Bodecker, F. Immler, M. Sommer, 2012: GCOS Reference Upper Air

Network (GRUAN): Steps Towards Assuring Future Climate Records. Proceedings of the

9th International Temperature Symposium, American Institute of Physics: Temperature: Its

Measurement and Control in Science and Industry, Volume 8, Los Angeles, CA on March 19 -

23, 2012.

Kim, Y-J., Kim, B-G., Miller, M., Min, Q., and Song, C-K, 2012: Enhanced Aerosol-Cloud

Relationships in More Stable and Adiabatic Clouds , Asia-Pacific J. Atmos. Sci., 48(3), 283-

293, 2012, DOI:10.1007/s13143-012-0028-0.

V. Morris, V., T.-W. Yu, H. M. Mogil, 2012: A Growing Network of Weather Camps with a CAREER

Focus, Eos, Vol. 93, No. 15, 10 April 2012.

Morris, V., E. Joseph, S. Smith, and T-W. Yu, 2012; The Howard University Program in Atmospheric

Sciences (HUPAS): A Program Exemplifying Diversity and Opportunity, Journal of Geoscience

Education 60, 45-53, 2012.

Presentations:

Liang, X.-Z.: CWRF Advances for Water Management (Chesapeake Bay). Invited talk at the

Chesapeake Bay Program Modeling Quarterly Review Meeting, Annapolis, Maryland, July 11.

Liang, X.-Z., F. Qiao, and L. Chen: CWRF Improved Rainfall Prediction by Ensemble Cumulus

Parameterization. Oral presentation at the 13th Annual WRF User’s Workshop, Boulder, CO, June

25-29.

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Vernon R. Morris, Principal Investigator & Director

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Liang, X.-Z.: CWRF Advances for NCEP Operational Use. Oral talk (1 hour) to brief the NOAA

National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) management team, Maryland, June 22.

Liang, X.-Z.: Regional Climate-Weather Research and Forecasting Model Development and Application.

Seminar at the China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, March 21.

Anderson, T., W.R. Stockwell, C.V. Lawson. The Economic Value of Air Quality Forecasting, NOAA-

EPP Sixth Education and Science Forum, “Developing STEM Talent: Increasing Innovation and

National Competitiveness”. Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL. March 26-28, 2012.

Lawson, C.V., W.R. Stockwell, W.S. Goliff. The Effect of Nighttime Chemistry on Air Quality

Forecasts, NOAA-EPP Sixth Education and Science Forum, “Developing STEM Talent:

Increasing Innovation and National Competitiveness”. Florida A&M University, Tallahassee,

FL. March 26-28, 2012.

Lu, D., R. Fitzgerald, W.R. Stockwell, R.S. Reddy, L. White. Numerical Simulation for a Wind Dust

even in the US/Mexico Border, NOAA-EPP Sixth Education and Science Forum, “Developing

STEM Talent: Increasing Innovation and National Competitiveness”. Florida A&M University,

Tallahassee, FL. March 26-28, 2012.

Reddy, R. S., D. Lu, L. White, R. Armstrong, and V. Morris. Impacts of Saharan Dust on Atlantic

Hurricanes and Climate Change, NOAA-EPP Sixth Education and Science Forum “Developing

STEM Talent: Increasing Innovation and National Competitiveness”. Florida A&M University,

Tallahassee, FL. March 26-28, 2012.

Stockwell, W. R., C.V. Lawson, W.S. Goliff. Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanisms for Air Quality

Forecasting, NOAA-EPP Sixth Education and Science Forum, “Developing STEM Talent:

Increasing Innovation and National Competitiveness”. Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL.

March 26-28, 2012.

Stockwell, W. R., W. S. Goliff, C. V. Lawson. The Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism, 22nd

International Symposium on Gas Kinetics, Boulder, CO, June 18 – 22, 2012.

Polanco, J. The Scattering of Surface Plasmon Polaritons by One-dimesional Surface Defects, PECS-X:

10th International Congress on Photonic and Electromagnetic Crystal Structures, June 3-8, 2012,

Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Acosta, M.D., T.E. Gill, and M. Baddock. The White Sands as a Dust Emission Hotspot, White Sands

Science Symposium, sponsored by the National Park Service, Las Cruces, NM, June 2012.

Gill, T.E. Health Impacts: Can Desert Dust Really Make You Sick? NOAA- National Weather Service

/Arizona Department of Transportation Dust Storm Workshop, Casa Grande, AZ, March 6, 2012

Santiago, M.J., and R.A. Armstrong. Hurricane forcing of phytoplankton biomass in the Sargasso Sea.

NOAA-EPP Sixth Education and Science Forum “Developing STEM Talent: Increasing

Innovation and National Competitiveness”. Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL. March

26-28, 2012.

Detrés, Y. and R.A. Armstrong. Contribution of the Puerto Rico Weather Camp to the Recruitment of

Underrepresented Students in STEM Careers. NOAA-EPP Sixth Education and Science Forum

“Developing STEM Talent: Increasing Innovation and National Competitiveness”. Florida A&M

University, Tallahassee, FL. March 26-28, 2012.

Flores, L., Y. Detrés, and R.A. Armstrong. Monitoring of African Dust Intrusions to the Eastern

Caribbean During the Summer of 2011. NOAA-EPP Sixth Education and Science Forum

“Developing STEM Talent: Increasing Innovation and National Competitiveness”. Florida

A&M University, Tallahassee, FL. March 26-28, 2012.

Coronado, J. Detrés, Y. and Armstrong, R. A. Source Frequency of African Dust Storms Reaching the

Island of Puerto Rico. NOAA-EPP Sixth Education and Science Forum “Developing STEM

Talent: Increasing Innovation and National Competitiveness”. Florida A&M University,

Tallahassee, FL. March 26-28, 2012.

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Hernández, W. J. and Armstrong, R. A. Benthic Habitat Mapping for La Parguera Marine Reserve,

Southwest Puerto Rico, using Passive and Active Remote Sensing Data. NOAA-EPP Sixth

Education and Science Forum “Developing STEM Talent: Increasing Innovation and National

Competitiveness”. Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL. March 26-28, 2012.

Cooper, L., and B. Demoz. Microwave Radiometer and its use in the Atmospheric Thermodynamic

Analysis of the 27 April 2011 Tornado Event in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area.

NOAA-EPP Sixth Education and Science Forum “Developing STEM Talent: Increasing

Innovation and National Competitiveness”. Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL. March

26-28, 2012.

Sanders, S.J., T. Adams, and E. Joseph. Relationships Between Demographics and Protective

Actions During Severe Weather Outbreaks: 2011 Super Outbreak, Tuscaloosa, AL. NOAA-EPP

Sixth Education and Science Forum “Developing STEM Talent: Increasing Innovation and

National Competitiveness”. Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL. March 26-28, 2012.

Press Releases: None to report during this performance period

Web Links:

a. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz2D4uT1XFA (video)

b. http://www.facebook.com/pages/NOAA-Puerto-Rico-Weather-Camp/126994785756

(video)

c. http://www.rtbot.net/Puerto_Rico_Weather_Camp (video)

d. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIjmzwLP8VU (video)

e. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfhAjzjnBtY (video)

f. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w0yoztB-Hs (video)

g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BsE9vdgQJY (video)

h. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUX0TLbhu58 (video)

i. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQMgPvWziw4 (video)

j. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsBjoDWzf8o (video)

k. http://www.lib.noaa.gov/about/news/archivebrownbags.html#2012

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Appendix 4 – NCAS Acronyms

March 1, 2012 to August 31, 2012

3DVAR Three-Dimensional Variation

AAAR American Association for Aerosol Research

ACARS Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System

ACS American Chemical Society

ADP Automated Data Processing

AERADNET AErosols and RADiation Observing NETwork

AEROSE AERosols and Oceanographic Science Expedition

AFWA Air Force Weather Agency

AG Access Grid

AGL Above Ground Level

AGU American Geophysical Union

AHPCRC Army High Performance Computing Research Center

AIRS Atmospheric Infrared Sounder

AL Alabama

AMMA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis

AMS American Meteorological Society

AMSU Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit

AOML Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory

AOT Aerosol Optical Thickness

ARL Air Resources Laboratory

ARM Atmospheric Radiation Measurement

ARW Advanced Research WRF

ASL Atmospheric Surface Layer

ASLO American Society of Limnology and Oceanography

ASOS Automated Surface Observing System

AUV Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

AVHRR Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer

AWIPS Advanced Weather Interactive Prediction System

AWOS Automated Weather Observing System

BAMP Howard University Beltsville Atmospheric Measurement Program

BBSS Balloon Borne Sounding System

BLH Boundary Layer Heights

BSRN Baseline Surface Radiation Network

CAFAS Careers in Fisheries, Aquatics, and Atmospheric Sciences

CAMx Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions

CAREERS Channeling Atmospheric Research into Educational Experiences Reaching

Students

CAPE Convective Available Potential Energy

CASTNET Clean Air Status and Trends Network

CB4 Carbon Bond IV model

CBL Convective Boundary Layer

CCBay Corpus Christi Bay

CCN Cloud Condensation Nuclei

CE-CERT Center for Environmental Research and Technology (University of

California Riverside)

CGD Climate and Global Dynamics

CGU Canadian Geophysical Union

CICS Cooperative Institute for Climate and Satellites

CISM Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling

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CLM Common Land Model

CM3

Coordinated Mesoscale Measurements in Mississippi

CMAQ Community Multi-scale Air Quality model

CMM5 Climate MM5 Model

CMP Conference Mentorship Program

COAMPS Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System

CONFRRM Cooperative Network for Renewable Resource Measurements

CoZOBs Coastal Marine Zone Observations

CPAS Cooperative Program in Atmospheric Sciences (UPRM)

CPC Climate Prediction Center

CPS Cumulous Parameterization Schemes

CPU Central Processing Unit

CREST Cooperative Remote Sensing Science and Technology Centers

CREWS Coral Reef Early Warning System

CRTM Community Radiative Transfer Model

CSC Cooperative Science Center

CSWR Center for Severe Weather Research

CTD Conductivity/Temperature/Depth Instrument

CUNY City University of New York

CVS Concurrent Version Systems

CWRF Climate WRF

D Democrat

DC District of Columbia

DDR Direct to Diffuse Irradiance Ratio

DEQ Department of Environmental Quality

DISORT Discrete Ordinate Radiative Transfer

DCRM Detailed Cloud Resolving Model

DIAR-BAR Differential O2 Absorption Barometric Pressure Radar

DMR Division of Marine Resources

DOD SMART Department of Defense Science Mathematics & Research for

Transformation Scholarship

DOE Department of Energy

DOW Doppler-on-Wheels

DRI Desert Research Institute

ECSU Elizabeth City State University

EF Enhanced Fujita scale

EMC Environmental Modeling Group

ENSO El Nino/Southern Oscillation

EOC Expanding Opportunities Conference

EOS Earth Observing System

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

EPIC Equatorial Processes including the Coupling

EPP Educational Partnership Program (NOAA)

EPPMSI Educational Partnership Program (NOAA) with Minority Serving

Institutions

EPIRM Environmental Physics Inverse Reconstruction Model

EQB Environmental Quality Board

ERDC Engineering Research and Development Center

ESA European Space Agency

ESE Environmental Sciences and Engineering

ESRL Earth System Research Laboratory

FAMU Florida A & M University

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FGSEE Future Geoscientists for a Sustainable Earth Environment

FL Florida

FRRF Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometry

FSIRP Faculty and Student Internship Program

FTE Full time employee

GCOS Global Climate Observing System

GDAS Global Data Assimilation

GFDL Geographical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory

GIS Geographic Information Systems

GLAS Global Laser Altimeter S

GOCART Georgia Tech/Goddard Global Ozone Chemistry Aerosol Radiation Transport

Model

GOES Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites

GoHFAS Goddard Howard University Fellowship in Atmospheric Sciences

GFS Global Forecasting System

GLOW Goddard Lidar Observatory for Winds

GPCP Global Precipitation Climatology Project

GPI Global Precipitation Index

GPS Global Positioning System

GRUAN GCOS Reference Upper-Air Network

GSFC Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA)

GSM Global Spectrum Model

GUFMEX GUlF of Mexico EXperiment

HBCU Historically Black Colleges and Universities

HF High Frequency

HU Howard University

HUBRF Howard University Beltsville Research Facility

HURL Howard University Roman Lidar

HUPAS Howard University Program in Atmospheric Sciences

HYSPLIT Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated

IAMA International Aerosol Modeling Algorithms Conference

IAMAS International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric

Sciences

ICCM Canary Institute of Marine Sciences

ICE Informal Science Education

ICodEM Icod Environmental Model

ICON Integrated Coral Observing Network

IDAS-RAP Diversity in Atmospheric Science through Research Application

and Partnership

IDV Integrated Data Viewer

IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc

IEO Spanish Institute of Oceanography

IGARSS International Geosciences & Remote Sensing Symposium

IGRA Infrared Gas Analyzer

IHOP International H2O Project

INTEX Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment

IOAS-AOLS Integrated Observing and Assimilation Systems for the Atmosphere.

Oceans, and Land Surface

IOPs Intensive Observational Periods

IR Infrared

ISCS International Solar Cycle Studies

ISO International Standards Organization

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ISWS Illinois State Water Survey

IUGG International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics

JCSDA Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation

JISAO Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean

JPL NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory

JSU Jackson State University

JSUMP JSU Meteorology Program

LA Louisiana

LA-MS Louisiana/Mississippi

LAPS Local Analysis and Prediction System

LEAD Linked Environment for Atmospheric Discovery

Lidar Light detection and ranging

LSM Land Surface Model

LST Local Solar Time

LPASF Laboratory of Atmospheric Physics Siméon Fongang

LW Longwave

LWS Living With a Star

MADIS NOAA’s Meteorological Assimilation Data Ingest System

MAST Mississippi Academy for Science Teaching

MCC Mesoscale Convective Complex

Met Meteorological

MD Maryland

MDE Maryland Department of the Environment

MEA Malt Extract Agar

MFRSR Multi-Filter Rotating Shadowband Radiometer

MHD Magneto Hydro Dynamics

MISR Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer

MS Mississippi

MMCR Millimeter Cloud Radar

MM5 Mesoscale Model 5

MODIS Moderate Imaging Spectrometer

MODTRAN MODerate resolution atmospheric TRANsmission

MP Micro Physics

MSI Minority Serving Institution

MWR Microwave Radiometer

NAAPS Navy Automated Aerosol Prediction System

NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards

NAM North American Model

NAME North America Monsoon Experiment

NAQFS National Air Quality Forecast System

NARR North American Regional Reanalysis

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NAVO Naval Oceanographic Office

NCAR National Center for Atmospheric Research

NCAS NOAA Center for Atmospheric Sciences

NCDC National Climatic Data Center

NCDDC National Coastal Data Development Center

NCEP National Center for Environmental Prediction

NCO NOAA Computing Office

NCUR National Center on Undergraduate Research

NDBC National Data Buoy Center

NESDIS National Environmental Satellite, Data & Information Service

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NHC National Hurricane Center

NIS Network Infrastructure & Administrations

NMM Non-hydrostatic Mesoscale Model

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOBCChE National Organization of Black Chemists & Chemical Engineers

NoN Nationwide Network of Networks

NOS National Ocean Service

NRCS National Resources Conservation Service

NREL National Renewable Energy Lab

NRL Naval Research Laboratory

NSF National Science Foundation

NSTA National Science Teachers Association

NWA National Weather Association

NWS National Weather Service

OAR Office of Atmospheric Research

OD Optical Depth

OES Oceanic Engineering Society

OGP Office of Global Programs

OLR Outgoing Longwave Radiation

OOS Office of Operational Service

ORA Howard University Office of Research Administration

ORA Office of Research & Applications (NESDIS)

ORAD Office of Research Applications and Development

ORISE Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Optical Depth

PAR Photosynthetically Active Radiation

PASCoR Partnership for Spatial and Computational Research

PBL Planetary Boundary Layer

PCR Polymerase Chain Reaction

PDAS-RAP Promoting Diversity in Atmospheric Sciences through Research Applications

Partnership

PI Principal Investigator

PIERS Progress in Electromagnetics Research Symposium

PM Particulate Matter

PNE PIRATA Northeast Extension

PPM Piecewise Parabolic Method

PSM Ponce School of Medicine (Puerto Rico)

PSU Pennsylvania State University

QBO Quasi-Biennial Oscillation

QEM Quality Education for Minorities

QPF Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts

RAC Research Advisory Council

RACM2 Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism, Version 2

RASS Radio Acoustic Sounding System

RASS Reference Ambient Air Sampler

RAMS Regional Atmospheric Modeling System

REBS Radiation and Energy Balance Systems

Rep. Representative

RFC River Forecast Center

RHB Ronald H. Brown

Rn Net radiation

RMS Root Mean Square

RS Remote Sensing

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NCAS Semi Annual Report

(March 1, 2012 – August 31, 2012)

Vernon R. Morris, Principal Investigator & Director

34

RSM Regional Spectrum Model

RSMS University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric

Science

RSS Rotating Shadowband Spectrometer

RTMA Real-Time Mesoscale Analysis

SAR Semi-Annual Report

SACS Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

SACNAS Society of Associated Chicanos, Native Americans in Science

SAHRA Center for Sustainability of Semiarid Hydrology and Riparian

Areas (University of Arizona)

SAL Saharan Aerosol Layer

SAQM SARMAP Air Quality Model

SARMAP SJVAQS/AUSPEX Regional Modeling Adaptation Project

SCEP Student Career Experience Program

SeaWiFS Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor

SEC Space Environment Center

SGP Southern Great Plains

SLP Sea Level Pressure

SMOKE Sparse Matrix Operator Kernel Emissions model

SOARS Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research & Science

SOSVRT Successive Order of Scattering Vector Radiative Transfer model

SOW Statement of Work

SRL Scanning Raman Lidar

SSM/I Special Sensor Microwave Imager

SSRB Solar Surface Radiation Branch

STC Science and Technology Center

STEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

STP-M Solar-Terrestrial Physics and Meteorology

SUW Subtropical Underwater

SURFRAD Surface Radiation Budget Network

SUNYA State University of New York at Albany

SW Shortwave

TCEQ Texas Commission for Environmental Quality

TDL Techniques Development Laboratory

TNRCC Texas National Resource Conservation Commission

TOA Top of the Atmosphere

TRMM Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission

TRMM PR Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Precipitation Radar

TUV Tropospheric Ultraviolet and Visible model

TX Texas

UCAR University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

UIUC University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

UMBC University of Maryland Baltimore County

UMCP University of Maryland College Park

UMES University of Maryland Eastern Shore

UMET Universidad Metropolitana de San Juan

UND University of North Dakota

UPRH University of Puerto Rico Humacao

UPRM University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez

URC University Research Center

US United States

USA United States of America

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NCAS Semi Annual Report

(March 1, 2012 – August 31, 2012)

Vernon R. Morris, Principal Investigator & Director

35

USDA United States Department of Agriculture

USDA SCAN United States Department of Agriculture Soil Climate Analysis Network

UTC Coordinated Universal Time

UTEP University of Texas at El Paso

UV Ultraviolet

UW/APL University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory

VALIDAR Validation LIDAR

Vis5d Visualization of Large 5-d Grided Data Sheets

VOC Volatile Organic Compounds

VRS Visible Reflectance Spectroscopy

WBTP Weather Broadcast Training Program

WFO Weather Forecast Office

WMO World Meteorological Organization

WRF Weather Research and Forecast

WTA Western Tropical Atlantic

XBT Expendable Bathythermographs