A Visit to the National Center For Atmospheric Research

 

This past year my husband and I, along with a group of friends, visited the National Center for Atmospheric Research also known as "NCAR," located in Boulder, Colorado. NCAR was established by the National Science Foundation in 1960 to provide the university community with world-class facilities and services beyond any individual institution's reach. It was the National Science Foundation's first federally funded research and development center, managed by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, "UCAR". a nonprofit consortium of more than 120 colleges and universities. This building was their headquarters, with additional facilities located in Wyoming and Hawaii.

*All photos on this blog spot will be enlarged for easier viewing by right-clicking on them.

We were a group of 9, so we had an NCAR member as a guide for our visit who explained their mission, showed us the exhibits in the visitor's center, and answered our questions.

She explained the NCAR Mission:

• To understand the behavior of the atmosphere and related Earth and geospace systems
• To support, enhance, and extend the capabilities of the university community and the broader scientific community, nationally and internationally
• To foster the transfer of knowledge and technology for the betterment of life on Earth

One of the first exhibits we saw was a model of the NCAR building and its location. The Mesa Laboratory the headquarters of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, is considered by many to be an architectural masterpiece. The NCAR site was designed by world-renowned architect M.I, Pei  

Pei was greatly influenced by the Colorado landscape and other architectural marvels to create his design. He considered the NCAR Mesa building to be one of his favorite designs and a major turning point in his illustrious career.

There were many exhibits to observe and read in the visitor's center.

An explanation of Meteorological Optics. They consist of varied atmospheric optics such as the phenomena of rainbows, halos, atmospheric corona, mirages, and sundogs (Parhelia).

We saw actual webcam images of the sun...

...as well as many other fascinating sun exhibits.

We saw many informational placards about weather...

...as well as many hands-on weather exhibits

There was information about the growing concern about air quality and ozone and pollutants.

Did you know that in the US one can go to the website airnow.gov, enter your zip code and the reading of your local air quality will be revealed?

This exhibit of a car fender with a giant icy hailstone on it made us chuckle, as Colorado and other areas of the US can get significant and damaging hailstorms.

More interactive weather displays.

Our tour guide told us that the hundreds of scientists who work in NCAR research all things atmospheric — which includes everything from the microphysics of cloud formation and the chemistry of air pollution to large-scale planetary waves and the impact of increased greenhouse gases on our climate.

Upstairs we viewed a long corridor of exhibits mainly pertaining to the study of the effects of Climate Change

Click on to enlarge to read the topics being studied

We saw example models of weather balloons and satellites that are adding to the knowledge of the atmosphere, weather formations, and warning systems.

An example of a dropsondes and what it is used for.

A dropsonde is an expendable weather reconnaissance device created by NCAR, designed to be dropped from an aircraft at altitude over water to measure and therefore track storm conditions as the device falls to the surface. The sonde contains a GPS receiver, along with pressure, temperature, and humidity (PTH) sensors to capture atmospheric profiles and thermodynamic data. It typically relays this data to a computer in the aircraft by radio transmission.

Many areas of atmospheric science are being studied and explored ...

Much is being learned about the impacts of our modern environment on our atmosphere...

...and causes and effects of those changes.

Our atmosphere is a blanket around our earth and all of life depends on it! Let's all do our part in caring for and preserving it as best we can.  

As the NCAR site states:

"We believe this work is more important than ever. As society struggles to deal with rapidly changing environmental conditions, the need for relevant information and services continues to grow. The hazards of long-term atmospheric and climate changes, air pollution episodes, extreme weather, geomagnetic storms, and related impacts such as drought, storm surges, and wildfires take a significant toll in terms of human life and economic loss."

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