VISIT TO NCAR

I had the chance to see one of the countries most impressive and technologically advanced weather research lab in America. I took a field trip to NCAR during the AMS Broadcasters Conference in Denver. NCAR located in Bolder, CO, is the National Center for Atmospheric Research. I toured both the NOAA research center and the MESA lab that is situated high up on a hill in a preserve at the base of the Flatiron range.

In the NOAA research center, leading scientists are working on monitoring sea ice melting rates in the Arctic, and researching how to predict climate change. Over 120 Ph.D.'s are working on how we can better forecast the weather. In fact here at First Coast News we routinely use a forecast model called the WRF. Both at NCAR and NOAA researchers study how weather and climate change affects people and environments around the globe. It was here at this lab that scientists discovered how aerosol pollutants had made the ozone hole bigger. They worked on solutions and reduced the effect of harmful radiation passing through the ozone gap with the help of the Montreal Protocol.

Some of these pictures are from the stunning 3D visualization center. 4 stereoscopic projectors display weather data and graphical images in a 3D perspective. I was amazed watching detailed structure of a tornado and the mesoscale dynamics of wildfire simulations.

The NOAA Research Center in Bolder is also the headquarters of the Space Weather Prediction Center. It is like the National Hurricane Center but instead of monitoring tropical cyclones and predicting their movement the SWPC monitors and issues alerts for solar flairs to protect satellites and plane flying over the north pole.

























I had a chance to meet Bob Henson, the author to
The Rough Guide to Climate Change
He was instrumental to making the first weather hiking trail in this country. It is a path right behind the Mesa Lab.