Atmospheric Sciences Commons^™

Getting Students Excited About Science With High Altitude Ballooning, Charles F. Niederriter, Steven H. Mellema

2017 Academic High Altitude Conference

Many of us dream of exploring space, but there are not many ways to do so. Although it is difficult to get into deep space, near space is within our grasp. High altitude balloons are released into the stratosphere, generally reaching between 60,000 to 120,000 feet before they burst and their payload is returned to earth by parachute. Modern balloon systems generally contain electronic equipment such as radio transmitters, cameras, and GPS receivers, as well as a variety of scientific instruments. Not only is high altitude ballooning a great way to introduce the electronics and programming skills needed to collect …

Modeling And Satellite Remote Sensing Of The Meteorological Impacts Of Irrigation During The 2012 Central Plains Drought, Clint Aegerter

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

As irrigation is increasingly needed for agricultural production, it is becoming progressively more important to understand not only how irrigation impacts water availability, but how the introduction of this water into the soil impacts weather and climate through land-atmosphere interactions. In the summer of 2012, the Central Plains of the United States experienced one of its most severe droughts on record. This study examines the meteorological impacts of irrigation during this drought through observations and model simulations using the Community Land Model (CLM) coupled to the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. A simple parameterization of irrigation processes is added …

Searching For Troposphere-Mesosphere Connections Using The Alo-Usu Rayleigh-Scatter Lidar, David K. Moser, Vincent B. Wickwar, Joshua P. Herron

Posters

The paucity of whole-atmosphere data introduces significant challenges that hinder the study of atmospheric couplings. The mesosphere in particular is a low-information void between the lower and upper atmosphere, which may prevent us from a complete realization of vertical interactions. The Rayleighscatter lidar at Utah State University’s Atmospheric Lidar Observatory (ALO-USU; 41.74° N, 111.81° W), operated with little interruption from 1993 to 2004, providing a valuable temporal and spatial (45 – 90 km) resource in this realm. When studied alongside a multitude of other atmospheric data sources, possible unforeseen connections or insights may result. In this study, an adaptive fit …

Simultaneous, Collocated Rayleigh And Sodium Lidar Temperature Comparison, Leda Sox, Vincent B. Wickwar, Tao Yuan, Neal Criddle

Posters

There are relatively few instruments that have the capabilities to make near continuous measurements of the mesosphere-lower-thermosphere (MLT) region. Rayleigh-scatter (RS) and resonance lidars, particularly sodium (Na) resonance lidar, have been the two dominant ground-based techniques for acquiring mesosphere and MLT vertical temperature profiles, respectively, for more than two decades. With these measurements, the dynamics and long-term temperature trends of the MLT region can be studied. For the first time, we will present simultaneous, night-time averaged temperatures acquired from the same observational site, on the campus of Utah State University (USU), using these two lidar techniques. This comparison is also …

Reestablishing Observations Throughout The Mesosphere With The Alo-Usu Rayleigh-Scatter Lidar, Shayli Elliott, Bryant Ward, Benjamin Lovelady, Jessica Gardiner, Lucas Priskos, Matthew T. Emerick, Vincent B. Wickwar

Posters

In the last few years, the Rayleigh-scatter lidar at the Atmospheric Lidar Observatory at Utah State University (ALO-USU; 41.74° N, 111.81° W) has been upgraded to extend observations from 70 km up to 115 km. This project describes a student project to build and use a complementary Rayleigh-scatter lidar to go from 40 to 90 km, from the upper stratosphere to the upper mesosphere. At the upper end, this new lidar overlaps with the high-altitude lidar. This was done in a period of just over two months. This lidar shares the same lasers, but introduces a 44-cm mirror and a …

Seasonal Temperatures From The Upper Mesosphere To The Lower Thermosphere Obtained With The Large, Alo-Usu, Rayleigh Lidar, Vincent B. Wickwar, Leda Sox, Matthew T. Emerick, Joshua P. Herron

Posters

Observations have been made with the large, Rayleigh-scatter lidar at the Atmospheric Lidar Observatory at Utah State University (ALO-USU; 41.74° N, 111.81° W) from summer 2014 to summer 2015. During this first operational year, the lidar acquired nearly 100 nights of observations between 70 and 115 km altitude, i.e., from the upper mesosphere, through the mesopause, and into the lower thermosphere. This was possible because of the large 4.9 m2 collecting area of the mirrors and the 42 W of 532 nm emission at 30 Hz. These two factors produce a figure of merit, the power-aperture-product, of 206 Wm2, making …

Obtaining Continuous Observations From The Upper Stratosphere To The Lower Thermosphere Using The Alo-Usu Rayleigh-Scatter Lidar., Jonathan L. Price, Vincent B. Wickwar, Leda Sox, Matthew T. Emerick, Joshua P. Herron, Shayli Elliott, Bryant Ward, Benjamin Lovelady

Posters

The Rayleigh-scatter lidar at the Atmospheric Lidar Observatory at Utah State University (ALO-USU; 41.74° N, 111.81° W) started observations in 1993. In 2012 the original lidar system was upgraded with an array of larger mirrors and two lasers to enable observations of the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere from 70 km to about 115 km in altitude. (Continued refinement should provide data to above 120 km.) Recently, the original system was reconfigured [Elliott et al., 2016] to again observe the lower mesosphere between 40 km and 90 km. Initial data collected by these two parts of the Rayleigh system have …

Investigating The Potential Of Land Use Modifications To Mitigate The Respiratory Health Impacts Of No2: A Case Study In The Portland-Vancouver Metropolitan Area, Meenakshi Rao

Dissertations and Theses

The health impacts of urban air pollution are a growing concern in our rapidly urbanizing world. Urban air pollutants show high intra-urban spatial variability linked to urban land use and land cover (LULC). This correlation of air pollutants with LULC is widely recognized; LULC data is an integral input into a wide range of models, especially land use regression models developed by epidemiologists to study the impact of air pollution on human health. Given the demonstrated links between LULC and urban air pollution, and between urban air pollution and health, an interesting question arises: what is the potential of LULC …

Aqueous Photochemistry Of Glyoxylic Acid, Alexis J. Eugene, Sha-Sha Xia, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Aerosols affect climate change, the energy balance of the atmosphere, and public health due to their variable chemical composition, size, and shape. While the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) from gas phase precursors is relatively well understood, studying aqueous chemical reactions contributing to the total SOA budget is the current focus of major attention. Field measurements have revealed that mono-, di-, and oxo-carboxylic acids are abundant species present in SOA and atmospheric waters. This work explores the fate of one of these 2-oxocarboxylic acids, glyoxylic acid, which can photogenerate reactive species under solar irradiation. Additionally, the dark thermal aging …

Umphlett Qci June 2016, Natalie Umphlett

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

Highlights for the Basin

Temperature and Precipitation Anomalies

Snowpack and Streamflow

Limited Frost Damage to Crops this Spring

Wet Conditions Cause Mixed Impacts

3-Month Precipitation and Temperature Outlooks

U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook

Comparison Of Combustion Efficiency To In-Situ Atmospheric Ammonia Measurements From A Miniature Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer In The La Basin, Taylor Krause, Barry L. Lefer, Timothy H. Betram, Steven R. Schill

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Atmospheric ammonia (NH₃) has been shown to impact the environment and threaten both human and animal health, especially in heavily populated urban areas, yet to date there remains a paucity of direct measurements. Recent studies have suggested that ammonia may be generated as a byproduct of fossil fuel emissions due to highly active catalytic converters in light-duty gasoline vehicles. To investigate this relationship, an airborne miniature Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer (miniCIMS) was used to directly measure atmospheric ammonia and combustion reaction products in the Southern California LA Basin, during the 2015 NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP). The …

Dynamical Characteristics Of Atmospheric Aerosols Over Ig Region, Manish Sharma, Ramesh P. Singh, Rajesh Kumar

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The dynamical characteristics of atmospheric aerosols over the Indo-Gangetic (IG) region are primarily dependent on the geographical settings and meteorological conditions. Detailed analysis of multi satellite data and ground observations have been carried out over three different cities i.e. Kanpur, Greater Noida and Amritsar during 2010-2013. Level-3 Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) terra daily global grid product with spatial resolution of 1° × 1° shows the mean AOD at 500 nm wavelength value of 0.73, 0.70 and 0.67 with the standard deviation of 0.43, 0.39 and 0.36 respectively over Amritsar, Greater Noida and Kanpur. Our detailed analysis shows characteristic behavior …

Connection Between The Midlatitude Mesosphere And Sudden Stratospheric Warmings As Measured By Rayleigh-Scatter Lidar, Leda Sox, Vincent B. Wickwar, Chad Fish, Joshua P. Herron

Faculty publications

While the mesospheric temperature anomalies associated with Sudden Stratospheric Warmings (SSWs) have been observed extensively in the polar regions, observations of these anomalies at midlatitudes are much more sparse. The Rayleigh-scatter lidar system, which operated at the Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences on the campus of Utah State University (41.7°N, 111.8°W), collected a very dense set of observations, from 1993 to 2004, over a 45–90 km altitude range. This paper focuses on Rayleigh lidar temperatures derived during the six major SSW events that occurred during the 11 year period when the lidar was operating and aims to characterize the …

Influence Of Topography On Convective Patterns Across The Greater Capital Region Of New York, Rachel O’Donnell

Atmospheric & Environmental Sciences

The greater Albany region is unique in regards to its terrain. The various mountain ranges and river valleys play a significant role in convective patterns due to modification of flow. The purpose of this research is to compare the days of convection, both severe and non-severe, to the large scale flow pattern. Lightning data from the National Lightning Detection Network was used to analyze the role terrain plays in organizing convection and the associated lightning. The greater Capital Region was divided into 0.1° grid boxes, and the number of total lightning strikes (both cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground) was recorded within that …

Differing Roles Of The Great Plains Low-Level Jet In Producing Warm Season Precipitation Over The Central United States In 2002, Mengyuan Shang

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this research is to describe and compare different roles of the Great Plains low-level jet (GPLLJ) in producing warm season precipitation over the central United States by model simulation. After going through 35 years’ (from 1979- 2013) NCEP North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) data, year 2002 was selected for model simulation as it contained a “wet period” (May- June) and a “dry period” (July- August). The model simulation was done by using Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Regional Model. In this study, the GPLLJ was defined by the low-level wind at 925 hPa. The results showed the …

Investigation Into Regional Climate Variability Using Tree-Ring Reconstruction, Climate Diagnostics And Prediction, Daniel A. Barandiaran

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This document summarizes research conducted to develop and apply climate analysis tools toward a better understanding of the past and future of climate variability in the state of Utah. Two pilot studies developed analysis tools through the investigation of natural variability in precipitation systems in Africa, and research into long-term changes and trends in spring rainfall over the U.S. Great Plains. Our third study used tree-ring data to estimate snowpack in the state of Utah to 1850, doubling the length of record and offering a better understanding of the history of snowpack in the state. Our final study looked at …

Modeling The Hydrogen-Proton Charge-Exchange Process In Global Heliospheric Simulations, Anthony Destefano

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

The Deep Propagating Gravity Wave Experiment (Deepwave): An Airborne And Ground-Based Exploration Of Gravity Wave Propagation And Effects From Their Sources Throughout The Lower And Middle Atmosphere, David C. Fritts, Ronald B. Smith, Michael J. Taylor, James D. Doyle, Stephen D. Eckermann, Andreas Dörnbrack, Markus Rapp, Bifford P. Williams, Pierre-Dominique Pautet, Katrina Bossert, Neal R. Criddle, Carolyn A. Reynolds, P. Alex Reineke, Michael Uddstrom, Michael J. Revell, Richard Turner, Bernd Kaifler, Johannes S. Wagner, Tyler Mixa, Christopher G. Kruse, Alison D. Nugent, Campbell D. Watson, Sonja Gisinger, Steven M. Smith, James J. Moore, William O. Brown, Julie A. Haggerty, Alison Rockwell, Gregory J. Stossmeister, Et Al. Et Al.

Publications

The Deep Propagating Gravity Wave Experiment (DEEPWAVE) was designed to quantify gravity wave (GW) dynamics and effects from orographic and other sources to regions of dissipation at high altitudes. The core DEEPWAVE field phase took place from May through July 2014 using a comprehensive suite of airborne and ground-based instruments providing measurements from Earth’s surface to ∼100 km. Austral winter was chosen to observe deep GW propagation to high altitudes. DEEPWAVE was based on South Island, New Zealand, to provide access to the New Zealand and Tasmanian “hotspots” of GW activity and additional GW sources over the Southern Ocean and …

Energy Transfer From Wind To Wave Groups: Theory And Experiment, Andrei Ludu, Shahrdad G. Sajjadi

Publications

Three major unresolved problems that remain in oceanography are studied in depth, namely (a) unsteady waves, where waves are allowed to grow or decay in time and space; (b) sharp-crested waves (also known as fully nonlinear Stoke waves), which are note characteristic in oceans; and (c) group of waves, which can often become sharp crested as they propagate downstream, as demonstrated here experimentally in a wave tank. The ultimate aim of such investigation is to improve the parameterization of the energy input from wind to waves. In this paper, we (i) present results on the simplest approximation to wave groups …

Technique Comparisons For Estimating Fragility Analysis In The Central Mid-West, Kimberly Ann Walker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Climate change studies and examinations of increasing sea levels and temperatures show storm intensity and frequency are increasing. As these storms are increasing in intensity and frequency, the effects of these storms must be monitored to determine the probable damages or impacts to critical infrastructure [2, 35]. These storms suddenly create new demands and requirements upon already stressed critical infrastructure sectors [1]. A combined and interdisciplinary effort must be made to identify these stresses and to mitigate any failures. This effort is needed so that the 21st Century Smart Grid is robust and resilient enough to ensure that the grid …