{"id":3211,"date":"2007-04-11T13:21:49","date_gmt":"2007-04-11T18:21:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ssec.wisc.edu\/news\/?p=3211"},"modified":"2013-06-18T14:58:00","modified_gmt":"2013-06-18T19:58:00","slug":"monthly-news-summary-april-2007","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ssec.wisc.edu\/news\/articles\/3211","title":{"rendered":"Monthly News Summary – April 2007"},"content":{"rendered":"

PAW on your desktop<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Russ Dengel and Bill Bellon created a Google Gadget for the PAW. Here is a screenshot of the gadget incorporated in a web site.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Weather lovers can now easily access the latest meteorological information on their desktops with a\u00a0new adaptation of a PDA-friendly weather Web service<\/a>\u00a0created by SSEC\u2019s\u00a0Russ Dengel<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Dengel\u2019s free\u00a0PDA Animated Weather service<\/a>, known simply as PAW, provides access to real-time radar and satellite weather images and forecasts whenever and wherever.\u00a0 Using thePAW Google Gadget<\/a>, anyone can plop a personalized version of tool onto a desktop or incorporate it into a web site.\u00a0 Dengel worked with SSEC webmaster\u00a0Bill Bellon\u00a0<\/strong>to create the gadget.<\/p>\n

The new PAW gadget has already received praise. Nat Adcock of\u00a0Pocket PC Magazine<\/em>\u00a0commented on the gadget in an April 10 post<\/a>. \u201cOf course, there are a \u2018plethora\u2019 of mobile weather tools available BUT PAW is my favorite! (sic<\/em>)\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>Great Lakes from space<\/strong><\/p>\n

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ERSC contributed three maps and scientific expertise to an exhibit of Great Lakes maps at UW-Madison\u2019s Memorial Library.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Original maps of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region from 17th-century drawings concocted from travelers\u2019 accounts to 21st-century images captured by satellites are on display through June 29 in the Department of Special Collections in Memorial Library at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.Read the full UW-Madison news release<\/a>.<\/p>\n

SSEC\u2019s\u00a0Environmental Remote Sensing Center<\/a>contributed satellite images to this exhibit.Jonathan Chipman<\/strong>\u00a0also discusses the images in the podcast that accompanies the maps and images.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>Data and Imagery<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Chris Velden and Dave Stettner contributed to the development of this simulated hurricane as it descends on Florida.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Hurricane help<\/strong>\u2014CIMSS\u2019s Tropical Cyclones research group<\/a>\u00a0provided prompt assistance with a hurricane simulation for the\u00a0National Hurricane Center<\/a>.\u00a0Chris Velden<\/strong>and\u00a0Dave Stettner<\/strong>supplied data sets that were crucial to the development of a piece of an emergency management exercise. The data sets contributed to an animation that simulated landfall of a hurricane near West Palm Beach, FL. \u201cWithout their (UW-CIMSS\/SSEC) prompt and quick help, this landfall simulation would not be possible,\u201d says a programmer with the hurricane center.<\/p>\n

Balloons for forecasts<\/strong>\u2014The\u00a0Milwaukee Journal Sentinel\u00a0<\/em>printed\u00a0a story about weather balloons<\/a>\u00a0in the paper\u2019s March 15 edition.\u00a0Chris Velden<\/strong>, leader of the\u00a0CIMSS Tropical Cyclones group<\/a>, contributed to the article. Velden explained that observations collected by weather balloons are important for weather prediction models because these data contribute to the starting point from which the model creates a forecast. He also said that satellites will likely replace weather balloons completely in the near future, but, currently, weather balloons gather critical data about meteorological conditions and phenomena.<\/p>\n

A cloudy view of clouds<\/strong>\u2014The World Climate Report, a climate change blog, recently\u00a0posted a summary and analysis of\u00a0Amato Evan<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Andy Heidinger<\/strong>\u2019s recent paper published in\u00a0Geophysical Research Letters<\/em><\/a>. The paper detailed results from a study indicating that the large decrease in the amount of clouds covering the Earth likely results from a change in satellites\u2019 perspective. The study delves into a record compiled over several decades by the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP). According to the blog post, the \u201cWisconsin researchers take a very critical look at exactly how these well-regard and well-used ISCCP data are computed and the problems inherit in using such data.\u201d The author of the post concludes \u201cit is very hard to reach good, viable conclusions about climate change when the basic input data are inherently bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the roof to WeatherUnderground<\/strong>\u2014Since mid-2006,\u00a0data from SSEC\u2019s Rooftop Instrument Group (RIG) has had its own place on WeatherUnderground<\/a>. The RIG provides information about the temperature, dew point, pressure, wind speed and direction, and rainfall rate from the top of the Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences building on the UW-Madison campus.<\/p>\n

New AWIPS addition<\/strong>\u2014CIMSS researchers have integrated a new satellite data product into the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS), which the National Weather Service uses to process and analyze weather data. NWS forecasters now have access to cloud images derived from the sounding instrument aboard Geostationary Operational Weather Satellites. Forecasters can use these Effective Cloud Amount Derived Product Images to assess the accuracy of sky cover forecasts or to aid in predicting high and low temperatures.<\/p>\n

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The CIMSS Wildfire ABBA detected the fire in California’s Hollywood Hills.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

From the satellite blog<\/strong>\u2014On March 30,Scott Bachmeier<\/strong>\u00a0posted satellite images of a fire in California\u2019s Hollywood Hills<\/a>. Allegedly set by arsonists, the CIMSS Wildfire Automated Biomass Burning Algorithm (ABBA) detected the fire. Images from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) clearly showed the smoke plume as it developed.<\/p>\n

Recently, an avid follower of the\u00a0CIMSS Satellite Blog<\/a>\u00a0e-mailed Bachmeier with praise. This reader is part of the space flight hardware industry. \u201cIt’s nice to see real-world applications for some of our hardware, and I just wanted to let you know that I’ve been really enjoying the blog …especially the animations! Keep up the good work!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Wisconsin Week\u00a0recently featured a profile of Allen Huang.<\/em><\/p>\n

Photo: Aaron Mayes<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

CIMSS scientist profiled<\/strong>\u2014The March 28 edition of\u00a0Wisconsin Week<\/em>, a campus newspaper, featured a profile of CIMSS\u2019sAllen Huang<\/strong>. Research scientist Allen Huang is at the forefront of preparations for new satellite instruments and the predicted data deluge. Huang\u2019s contributions will improve severe weather forecasts and environmental monitoring and lead to a better understanding of the Earth\u2019s changing climate.\u00a0Read the full article<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Find our imagery in Wikipedia<\/strong>\u2014SSEC data and imagery appear often in various media. Over the last few years, several articles in Wikipedia have used SSEC images to illustrate a variety of concepts and have referenced SSEC data. For example,\u00a0an image of Tropical Cyclone Monica accompanies an article on tropical cyclones<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>Education and Outreach<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Visitors explored the atmosphere at SSEC\u2019s Science Expeditions booth.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Science Expeditions<\/strong>\u2014On March 24, more than 1700 visitors visited UW-Madison\u2019s annualScience Expeditions<\/a>, a day of family-friendly science experiences. At the event, SSEC\u2019sMargaret Mooney\u00a0<\/strong>andJen O\u2019Leary<\/strong>\u00a0presented an exhibit called \u201cExplore the Atmosphere<\/a>.\u201d\u00a0 At this booth, participants used a variety of online educational tools to understand severe weather and other atmospheric concepts. SSEC\u2019s\u00a0Environmental Remote Sensing Center<\/a>\u00a0also had an exhibit, \u201cWisconsin from Space.\u201d Here, visitors used 3-D glasses to check out images of Wisconsin and engaged in activities to understand applications of remote sensing technology.\u00a0Tim Olsen\u00a0<\/strong>coordinated this booth.<\/p>\n

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ERSC showed visitors Wisconsin from space at Science Expeditions.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Science with coffee<\/strong>\u2014Steve Ackerman<\/strong>\u00a0spoke with community members about severe spring weather at Crossroads Coffeehouse on April 3.\u00a0 Ackerman gave an engaging presentation and then stayed to answer questions. \u201cSteve was great!\u201d organizer Terry Devitt says. \u201cHe was the perfect person to lead off the series.\u201d University Communications hopes that this type of event will help bring science to the public in informal settings.<\/p>\n

Polar presentation at library<\/strong>\u2014An audience at Mount Horeb Public Library learned about weather and research on the planet\u2019s coldest, driest and windiest continent\u2013Antarctica.\u00a0Matthew Lazzara<\/strong>\u00a0discussedmeteorology<\/a>, the network of\u00a0Automatic Weather Stations<\/a>\u00a0on the continent, and how scientists use weather satellites to\u00a0track and monitor Antarctic icebergs<\/a>. Lazzara brought with him a sample ice core and a set of Extreme Cold Weather gear. The librarian had a chance to try on the gear, which together weighs about 30 pounds.<\/p>\n

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Students launched \u201cweather balloons\u201d after a presentation on Wild Weather Saturday.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Wild Weather Saturday<\/strong>\u2014Also on March 24th,\u00a0Rosalyn Pertzborn<\/strong>, director of SSEC\u2019s\u00a0Office of Space Science Education<\/a>, and Professor Michael Morgan from UW-Madison\u2019s Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences gave a presentation for \u201cWild Weather Saturday.\u201d This event is a part of a Saturday lecture series organized by the African American Ethnic Academy Science and sponsored by Madison\u2019s BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute (BTCI). Pertzborn explained some basic information about the weather to more than thirty students representing most of the city\u2019s elementary schools.\u00a0 Prof. Morgan then shared some of his own personal wild weather experiences, including a tornado ripping through his backyard and a trip to the New Orleans area to observe conditions leading up to and during Hurricane Katrina.<\/p>\n

Following a lively discussion with many excellent questions, students had the opportunity to conduct a weather experiment of their own.\u00a0 After viewing animated real-time US composite satellite images, each student used a map of the upper Midwest to predict where their own \u201cweather balloon\u201d and payload would likely be recovered.\u00a0 As of April 11, BTCI has received several of the payloads and are anticipating more as the April snow melts.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>Also of Note<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The CIMSS High School Summer workshop includes an Earth science field trip to Devil’s Lake.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Calling all high school students<\/strong>\u2014If you know a high school student with an interest in science, CIMSS has the\u00a0ideal summer workshop<\/a>. From July 22 -26, participants will enjoy an exciting four-day agenda in meteorology, astronomy, land remote sensing and geology. Students will have a unique opportunity to learn directly from research scientists through hands-on activities and educational adventures. Applications are available\u00a0online<\/a>\u00a0and are due on April 27.<\/p>\n

Elected to federal climate change committee<\/strong>\u2014CIMSS research scientistJim Kossin<\/strong>\u00a0has started his appointment to the United States Climate Change Science Program, which integrates federal research on climate and global change. Kossin contributes his expertise and research on tropical cyclones and long-term trends of this type of storm.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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