{"id":4281,"date":"1999-07-24T11:34:05","date_gmt":"1999-07-24T16:34:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ssec.wisc.edu\/news\/?p=4281"},"modified":"2013-07-25T15:13:45","modified_gmt":"2013-07-25T20:13:45","slug":"monthly-news-summary-july-1999","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ssec.wisc.edu\/news\/articles\/4281","title":{"rendered":"Monthly News Summary &#8211; July 1999"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1><em>Radiation Conference Honors Verner Suomi<\/em><\/h1>\n<h5><em>by Terri Gregory, SSEC Public Information Specialist<\/em><\/h5>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5><em>July 1999<\/em><\/h5>\n<p>CIMSS scientist Steve Ackerman appeared on Madison\u2019s WISC-TV\u2019s morning news show Friday, June 25, to talk about the 10th Conference on Atmospheric Radiation. The Conference, jointly sponsored by the American Meteorological Society and UW\u2013Madison\u2019s Space Science and Engineering Center, would feature tributes to Verner E. Suomi, SSEC\u2019s founding director. Steve told viewers of Professor Suomi\u2019s pioneering work with weather satellites. He amazed the news anchor with an account of Professor Suomi\u2019s visualizing a continuous display of satellite imagery while watching football instant replay on TV.<\/p>\n<p>A news release by AMS consultant Stephanie Kenitzer and UW\u2019s Terry Devitt went to regional news outlets, especially weather broadcasters on June 21. The release followed Terry\u2019s advisory explaining that the conference would \u201cportray some of the most important research from around the world into the influence of radiation from the sun and other sources on climate, clouds, tropical storms, snow cover and rainfall.\u201d Terry also noted that \u201cthe late Verner Suomi \u2026 conducted some of the first insightful measurements of the energy delivered to Earth from the sun.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Isthmus,<\/em>\u00a0Madison\u2019s free weekly newspaper, listed SSEC in its Conventions section. In\u00a0<em>Isthmus\u00a0<\/em>for June 25, UW Space Science and Engineering Center was listed as a group to meet at Monona Terrace.<\/p>\n<p>The conference was held June 28 through July 2 in Madison\u2019s Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center. It attracted 250 atmospheric radiation researchers who presented topics ranging from retrieving data \u201chiding between the lines\u201d in radiance spectra from SSEC\u2019s Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer to a climate atlas made from long wavelength infrared radiation data, both new research approaches. Paper abstracts are still available on the Web (as of July 13) and the Proceedings are published by the American Meteorological Society.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For more information, follow the links below.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ssec.wisc.edu\/media\/newcool.html\">Scientific Sunshine<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Invited talks highlighted the conference. Many of these were tributes to Verner Suomi which presented research grounded in his own pioneering work on Earth\u2019s heat budget, showcased new research which Professor Suomi surely would have championed, or included Suomi stories, some with Suomi one-liners. These have come to be known affectionately as \u201cSuomi-isms\u201d and include \u201cNo amount of planning can replace dumb luck,\u201d his exhorting cautious scientists to \u201ctake a bravery pill,\u201d and, \u201cIf man can build it, I can make it work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At Tuesday\u2019s banquet William L. Smith, former CIMSS director who now directs atmospheric research at NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center, gave a warm personal account of Verner Suomi\u2019s life based on their 30 years of work together. Master of Ceremonies Paul Menzel, NESDIS research scientist, told his own stories and opened the floor to others, including Suomi student Thomas Vonder Haar, who now directs the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University.<\/p>\n<p>For more information, follow the links below.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ssec.wisc.edu\/media\/suomi.html\">Suomi Retrospective<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Besides presentations of state-of-the-art research at UW and around the world, demonstrations of SSEC work were given, particularly of VISITView, a distance learning training tool to teach National Weather Service forecasters. SSEC presenters also previewed the Verner Suomi Virtual Museum to be open for business on the Web this fall.<\/p>\n<p>For more information, follow the links below.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ssec.wisc.edu\/visitview\/\">VISITview<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>ITT Industries used 2 images from SSEC\u2019s Web site on its poster advertising POES products\u2014the sea surface temperature composite and the global montage. Both are shown with the SSEC credit line.<\/p>\n<p>For more information, follow the links below.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ittind.com\/\">ITT Industries<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ssec.wisc.edu\/data\/\">SSEC Real-time Data<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><em>Timely Satellite Data Heralded<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>George Gallepp (with UW\u2013Madison\u2019s Agricultural and Consumer Press Service) reported the Soil Science and CIMSS Internet work which \u201creplaces the old University of Wisconsin Automated Weather Observation Network.\u201d Products on the Web sites are the combined work of SSEC\u2019s CIMSS, the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) and the Cooperative Extension Service with funding from NASA, the agriculture industry and UW\u2013Madison\u2019s Graduate School. Soil scientist Bill Bland, credited with the Internet approach, said that \u201cweather data is the backbone of most integrated pest management and integrated crop management programs.\u201d At SSEC, scientist George Diak developed 48-hour forecasts from the CIMSS numerical weather model, while soil physicist John Norman (CALS) applies his own model to specific agricultural uses. Growers visit the Web site about 1500 times a month during the growing season.<\/p>\n<p>For more information, follow the links below.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.soils.wisc.edu\/wimnext\/\">Coop.Ext.Ag.Weather<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/intrdisc\/ag\/ag.html\">CIMSS Agricultural Products<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><em>CIMSS Director Named<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>Steven Ackerman, AOS professor and SSEC scientist, has been named director of SSEC\u2019s Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies. Steve has been a CIMSS researcher since 1987 and a professor in UW\u2013Madison\u2019s Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences since 1992. Steve received a distinguished teaching award this year. He researches the transport of aerosols, and the effects of contrails and other clouds on the atmosphere. Versions of a news release are posted with details on UW\u2013Madison\u2019s home page under Milestones (left frame), in\u00a0<em>Wisconsin Week Wire<\/em>\u00a0for July 14, and on SSEC\u2019s media page.<\/p>\n<p>For more information, follow the links below.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"gopher:\/\/wiscinfo.wisc.edu\/00\/.data\/.news-rel\/.9907\/.990712-2\">Professor Leads CIMSS<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ssec.wisc.edu\/media\/ackcimss.html\">New CIMSS Director<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"print\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><em>In Print<\/em><\/h2>\n<p><strong>For More Information<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/sofia.arc.nasa.gov\/Science\/instruments\/instruments_hawc.html\">HAWC<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ssec.wisc.edu\/~davej\/adr.html\">SSEC ADR<\/a><\/p>\n<h3><em>Astronomical Refrigerator Noted<\/em><\/h3>\n<p><em>Space News<\/em>\u00a0(June 28) included SSEC\u2019s Adiabatic Demagnetized Refrigerator on its short features page. The piece focused on the ADR being made for the University of Chicago\u2019s High Resolution Airborne Wideband Camera (HAWC). Work on the HAWC ADR has just begun; it is not completed as reported in the headline. Otherwise the piece accurately represents the ADR\u2019s use: \u201cthe refrigerator cools the HAWC\u2019s detector[s] to a constant temperature near absolute zero \u2026 at which all molecular activity ceases.\u201d According to program manager Bob Paulos, the HAWC detectors (bolometers) count photons by measuring small individual temperature increases. HAWC will fly as a first payload (a first light instrument) on NASA\u2019s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) in 2001. Professor Dan McCammon, space physics group, is principal investigator for the ADR.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/\">CIMSS<\/a><\/p>\n<h3><em>Site Lauded<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>CIMSS and its GOES Gallery were touted as Web site of the day in Madison\u2019s\u00a0<em>Capital Times<\/em>\u00a0newspaper for June 25. Higher education reporter Gwen Carleton said that the CIMSS Web site \u201coffers a birds-eye view of the most dramatic weather events in the nation.\u201d Scott Bachmeier, CIMSS\u2019 GOES Gallery editor, has compiled interesting weather phenomena since 1996. He and others provide meteorological background and imagery for each weather event.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/goes\/burn\/abba.html\">GOES Burning<\/a>Elaine Prins, who leads the CIMSS NOAA group, was featured in the\u00a0<em>Stoughton News<\/em>\u00a0\u201cKnow Your Neigbor\u201d section. Reporter Dan Whelan asked Elaine probing questions about her duties and her interest in weather. As the article states, Elaine \u201cis studying and researching the impacts of climate changes and hazards caused by fires occurring in the Western Hemisphere.\u201d Learn more about her work with geostationary weather satellites on her group\u2019s Web site.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theice.org\/\">The Ice<\/a><\/p>\n<p>A\u00a0<em>Washington Post<\/em>\u00a0reporter interviewed Rob Holmes for information on the South Pole. Rob has visited the pole as part of his duties with Charles Stearns\u2019 Automatic Weather Station program. The story ran Thursday, July 8, and was related to an emergency air drop of medical supplies the previous weekend. Rob\u2019s information on weather conditions was used as background.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/cloud.ucsd.edu\/dscovr.html\">Triana\/DSCOVR<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>The New York Times<\/em>\u00a0(June 1) featured Triana and problems facing the proposed satellite. Brainchild of U.S. Vice President Al Gore, the simple little satellite would view Earth from an orbit (around L-1) keeping the planet\u2019s summer side up. Like a geostationary satellite, Triana would see the whole earth. However, its L-1 orbit would ensure that the earth was always in sunshine; the satellite would always view the tropics and the hemisphere currently experiencing summer.<\/p>\n<p>The satellite proposed by Scripps Institution of Oceanography would \u201csee\u201d light in a variety of wavelengths, \u201cfrom ultraviolet to near infrared to measure ozone, cloud height, aerosols \u2026 and other parameters.\u201d It could also take detailed measurements of the moon passing between Earth and the satellite. Since NASA\u2019s acceptance of the Scripps proposal, Triana has run into political and scientific opposition and may not survive the budget process. According to the<em>NYT,<\/em>\u00a0Donald R. Johnson, SSEC associate director who now directs the Universities Space Research Association\u2019s Division of Earth Sciences, thought that \u201ccontinued monitoring of Earth can attract attention to the planet\u2019s problems globally and be a useful educational tool.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"internet\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><em>On the Net<\/em><\/h2>\n<p><strong>For More Information<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/tropic\/tropic.html\">Tropical Cyclones<\/a><\/p>\n<h3><em>Winds Used in Hurricane Forecasting<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>CIMSS\u2019 Tropical Cyclone group\u2014Chris Velden, Tim Olander, Jason Dunion and Dave Stettner\u2014produce wind measurements which help describe hurricane tracks using water vapor imagery of the GOES weather satellite. NOAA\u2019s Hurricane Research Division has used the data since about 1997 (beginning with Hurricane Danny or before) in analyzing wind radii of tropical cyclones. The group got its start when Chris Velden helped take McIDAS to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in 1985.<\/p>\n<p>Since that time, the NHC has used McIDAS to show hurricanes approaching the U.S. coast, and has recently begun to use the CIMSS wind measurements. NHC reports that it is using CIMSS cloud drift winds again this year and mentions them regularly in online discussions. The NHC primarily utilizes wind shear and divergence products.<\/p>\n<p>The CIMSS wind measurements are mentioned regularly in the tropical cyclone discussion group of the Joint Typhoon Warning Center at Pearl Harbor, HI and other Navy forecast groups. The email list is one that meteorologists depend on for forecasts of weather events in the Pacific Ocean.<\/p>\n<p>An example of wind measurements made from water vapor imagery can be seen on the cover of the\u00a0<em>Proceedings of the Fourth International Winds Workshop.<\/em>\u00a0The workshop took place in Switzerland in October 1998; the proceedings were recently published. The field of water vapor wind measurements illustrates a paper by Holmlund and Velden.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"broadcast\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><em>Over the Air<\/em><\/h2>\n<p><strong>For More Information<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/uwamrc.ssec.wisc.edu\/\">Antarctic Meteorology Research Center<\/a><\/p>\n<p>SSEC\u2019s Antarctic Meteorology Research Center supplied NSF videotapes to NBC Nightly News. Reporters also interviewed AMRC researchers Matthew Lazzara and Rob Holmes. NBC also used a still from Rob\u2019s unofficial Web site. The interviews and tapes of Antarctic conditions and activities were part of a story on a medical emergency in Antarctica. Wisconsin Public Broadcasting sent taped material to NBC in New York from their satellite dish on Madison\u2019s South Beltline Highway.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"outreach\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><em>Outreach and Education<\/em><\/h2>\n<p><strong>For More Information<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.madisonastro.org\/\">Madison Astronomical Society<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/education\/education.html\">SSEC Outreach<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Madison Astronomical Society recognized Sanjay Limaye and Rosalyn Pertzborn of SSEC\u2019s outreach office at their annual banquet in April.\u00a0<em>Capitol Skies,<\/em>\u00a0the society\u2019s newsletter, noted in June that Rosalyn and Sanjay \u201cwere tireless in theier efforts to organize the 1998 Department of Planetary Sciences convention.\u201d The society especially appreciated the efforts expended to make the event meaningful for hundreds of Wisconsin school children who visited an exhibit held during the meeting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the News &#8211; July 1999<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-monthly-summary"],"acf":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ssec.wisc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ssec.wisc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ssec.wisc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ssec.wisc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ssec.wisc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4281"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.ssec.wisc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4281\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4387,"href":"https:\/\/www.ssec.wisc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4281\/revisions\/4387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ssec.wisc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ssec.wisc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ssec.wisc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}