SSEC aids severe storms study

Two university research centers will support a massive field experiment to better measure humidity, rainfall and overall moisture in the air and how it all changes.

The Space Science and Engineering Center and Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies are involved in the International H20 Project in Oklahoma and neighboring Plains states through June 25.

Scientists from agencies and universities in the United States, Canada and Europe will study the weather in the Southern Great Plains states of Kansas, Oklahoma, eastern Colorado and the Texas panhandle.

The region was chosen because instruments and other facilities are already in place, but especially because moisture in the air over the Plains varies widely and spawns many storms.

The National Center for Atmospheric Research, the lead organization, says the measurements will ultimately help in understanding when, where and how storms form. The work also should lead to better predictions of rainfall amounts associated with these storms.

Like other atmospheric scientists, SSEC researchers support many field experiments, test their instruments and collect data that will lead to better instruments, better atmospheric computer models and, in the long run, better weather forecasts.

SSEC has taken its AERIBAGO, a Winnebago converted to carry instruments, to the Oklahoma panhandle. Inside the AERIBAGO is the Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI for short), which profiles the atmosphere above it in high detail, much as a weather balloon (radiosonde) does, but from one station.

While weather balloons provide highly reliable data, they must be constantly replenished, and can be difficult to find. The AERI stays in one place.

A small group of AERIs currently is in place in Oklahoma as part of the Department of Energy’s long-term Atmospheric Radiation Program. Along with other instruments at the site, they will provide their input to IHOP, as will a whole fleet of instruments and scientists from U.S. agencies and universities.

From Oklahoma City, SSEC will fly its Scanning-High resolution Interferometer Sounder on a DC-8 outfitted for research. SSEC will also support NASA’s Atmospheric Sounder Testbed-Interferometer on the Proteus high-altitude research aircraft.

SSEC is also providing innovative high-resolution satellite imagery as well as numerical weather prediction support.