Atmospheric System Research

SPLASH Campaign also featured in issue

In its December 2024 print issue, the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS) spotlighted the recent Surface Atmosphere Integrated Field Laboratory (SAIL) campaign conducted in Colorado by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility.

DOE’s Atmospheric System Research (ASR) program supported campaign scientists.

The cover photo, taken by scientist Gijs de Boer in March 2022, features uncrewed aerial system pilot Jonathan Hamilton wearing an ARM-branded beanie at the snow-covered Kettle Ponds site. In the photo, Hamilton looks at data from a rotary-wing HELiX hexacopter while ground-based instruments collect measurements nearby for NOAA’s Study of Precipitation, the Lower Atmosphere and Surface for Hydrometeorology (SPLASH).

Led by de Boer, SPLASH ran in conjunction with the SAIL campaign, which operated from September 2021 to June 2023 in the East River Watershed near Crested Butte. Scientists are using data from SAIL, SPLASH, and other partner campaigns and projects in the region to improve understanding and modeling of processes that affect mountain hydrology.

In that vein, the BAMS cover features the words “Mile Highdrology” and “SPLASH and SAIL Tackle Challenges of the Upper Colorado River Watershed” underneath.

Hamilton, an associate scientist from the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder, was on the SPLASH team. Data collected by the HELiX provided details on the spatial distribution of surface reflectivity and surface characteristics during spring melt.

The issue features abridged versions of previously published SAIL and SPLASH campaign overview papers. BAMS published both papers early online in 2023.

Learn more about both campaigns in ARM’s June 2024 article looking back at SAIL a year after operations ended.

Three members of the Atmospheric System Research (ASR) research and Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility communities were honored at the 2024 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

New AGU Fellow

Robert “Rob” Wood, a professor of atmospheric and climate science at the University of Washington, was one of 54 researchers chosen as a 2024 AGU Fellow. Each year, AGU selects no more than 0.1% of its members for fellowship honors, which are awarded to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to earth and space science through a breakthrough, discovery, or innovation in their field.

Wood’s research explores the complex physics of clouds, particularly low clouds, and the intricate cloud-aerosol interactions that influence cloud properties. He has led past ASR projects studying low clouds over ocean and land.

In 2009 and 2010, Wood was the principal investigator for ARM’s Clouds, Aerosol, and Precipitation in the Marine Boundary Layer (CAP-MBL) field campaign. He also served as a co-investigator for ARM’s Aerosol and Cloud Experiments in the Eastern North Atlantic (ACE-ENA) field campaign, which operated in the summer of 2017 and winter of 2018.

Wood is now a co-chair of ASR’s Warm Boundary Layer Processes Working Group. Because of his ASR working group role, he also serves on the ARM-ASR Coordination Team, a constituent group that fosters communication between ARM and ASR.

Read more about Wood in this ASR profile.

Union Award

Jessica D. Lundquist, a snow hydrologist also at the University of Washington, was recognized as a 2024 AGU Ambassador Award recipient. The award is given annually to a small number of honorees whose outstanding contributions and achievements extend beyond those recognized by traditional scientific discipline awards.

Lundquist led a recent campaign that partnered with ARM’s Surface Atmosphere Integrated Field Laboratory (SAIL) campaign, which operated from 2021 to 2023 near Crested Butte, Colorado. The National Science Foundation-funded Sublimation of Snow (SOS) campaign operated concurrently with SAIL and sought to help researchers better understand snow sublimation, the process in which water molecules transfer directly from ice crystals to water vapor, bypassing the intermediate liquid state.

In November 2023, Lundquist joined with Daniel Feldman, SAIL’s principal investigator, and Gijs de Boer, who led another SAIL partner campaign—the NOAA-funded Study of Precipitation, the Lower Atmosphere and Surface for Hydrometeorology (SPLASH)—for a collaborative workshop. The three scientists brought together their respective campaign teams to talk data, find common ground on research themes, and learn about ongoing work and desired outcomes. In continuation of these ongoing collaborative efforts, a second session of the workshop was held in early January 2025.

Atmospheric Sciences Section Award

Manabu Shiraiwa, a chemistry professor at the University of California, Irvine, received a 2024 Ascent Award. Presented by AGU’s Atmospheric Sciences Section, the award is given annually to four midcareer scientists (who are within eight and 20 years of receiving their PhDs) for their excellence in research and leadership within the atmospheric and climate sciences.

Shiraiwa’s research focuses on kinetic modeling of multiphase processes of atmospheric organic aerosols. He delves into the physical properties and chemical processes of aerosols to better understand their effects on atmospheric chemistry, air quality, and human health.

Shiraiwa has led two ASR projects focused on secondary organic aerosols that analyzed data from ARM’s 2016 Holistic Interactions of Shallow Clouds, Aerosols, and Land-Ecosystems (HI-SCALE) campaign. Shiraiwa also served as an instructor at the 2019 Aerosol Summer School co-sponsored by ARM, ASR, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL).

Nominate Your Peers

AGU is now accepting nominations for 2025 section and union honors. The 2025 AGU Annual Meeting is scheduled for December 15 to 19 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

AGU24 Town Hall offers guidance on networking, funding, and proposal writing

Early career scientists represent a vibrant and essential segment of the atmospheric sciences community. They include students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career faculty or staff scientists poised to bring fresh perspectives and energy to the field.

At the 2024 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., a town hall provided a platform to address the challenges and aspirations of these scientists as they navigate the often-demanding early stages of their careers. The session featured candid discussions led by experienced federal science program managers, including the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Atmospheric System Research (ASR) Program Manager Shaima Nasiri.

Navigating a Path to Success

The town hall began with insights into the skills and strategies crucial for success in atmospheric science. Topics included mastering the intricacies of scientific funding, the art of proposal writing, and strategies for staying relevant in an evolving field. Panelists emphasized that understanding these elements can significantly influence career trajectories.

In a wide-ranging conversation, program managers fielded questions from the audience, addressing concerns about networking and professional development. Panelists shared tips on how early-career researchers can identify relevant funding opportunities, form collaborations, and seek support so that they write successful proposals in a time-efficient manner.

Building Networks with Purpose

A recurring theme was the importance of networking, though panelists encouraged attendees to approach it with intentionality. Nasiri shares practical advice: “Find individuals you genuinely want to work with and find the connection between their work and your areas of interest. As you develop your network, think of whether small and close or large and broad would work best for you and don’t forget to follow up with people.”

The panel also emphasized the power of volunteerism within professional societies and organizations. Nasiri highlighted this as a critical way to both expand networks and gain valuable experience. “Volunteer,” she says. “Create your own opportunities, and when you take them on, excel. These efforts can pay off by positioning you for success in both funding and career growth.”

Demystifying the Funding Process

A significant portion of the town hall addressed questions about funding—a constant concern for early-career researchers. Panelists outlined practical steps for identifying and applying to relevant funding opportunities. They stressed the importance of leveraging institutional resources to craft compelling proposals, whether as pre-proposals, letters of intent, or full submissions.

One federal program manager offered a critical piece of advice: “Ask. Once you’ve carefully read the proposal call, reach out to the program manager and ask questions. It’s our job to give you the right information, and the best outcome may be that you don’t waste your time writing a proposal that doesn’t fit what we are looking for.”

Another federal program manager recommends drafting a concise, one-page abstract outlining key research questions before engaging with program managers. This approach clarifies science questions and helps to ensure a productive conversation.

Nasiri underscored the importance of tailoring submissions to the appropriate programmatic area. “With DOE,” she noted, “you must ensure your proposal aligns with the right program. You don’t have to guess—reach out to us if you’re unsure.”

In closing, Nasiri offers a final piece of advice that was met with nods of agreement across the panel: “Your senior colleagues might not always be the best source of advice for proposal preparation,” she advises. “The landscape has evolved, and strategies that worked for them when they were starting out may not position you for success in today’s competitive environment. When in doubt about how to read a funding opportunity or what a program is looking for, don’t try to read between the lines. Ask the program manager.”

A confederation of experts considers the latest science on the workings of boundary layer processes

“All humans live there,” says University of Washington cloud physicist Rob Wood, explaining one of the main reasons scientists study the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL).

There are other reasons. The ABL, for instance, is where all weather happens.

It is also the portion of the atmosphere closest to the Earth’s surface. The exchange of heat, moisture, mass, and momentum in the ABL makes it the engine room of Earth’s water cycle, on which all planetary life depends.

The ABL “is in direct contact with the surface,” says Wood, and is heavily influenced by the surface over a longer time scale than are the upper regions of the atmosphere, where clouds form and precipitation initiates.

Wood co-chairs the Warm Boundary Layer Processes working group of the Atmospheric System Research (ASR) program at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). ASR funds observational research whose data go on to inform and improve predictive models of the atmosphere.

The group’s other co-chair is Colorado State University research scientist Christine Chiu, an expert on how clouds, precipitation, radiation, and aerosols interact.

Aerosols are the atmospheric particles that water condenses upon to form cloud droplets.

“Clouds respond to aerosol changes in many ways,” says Chiu, resulting in different precipitation characteristics and differences in cloud albedo. This measure of how much clouds reflect light impacts the Earth’s energy budget.

One Among Four

ASR sponsors three other working groups to encourage collaborative process-level research on aerosols, convection, and the Earth’s high latitudes.

Chiu and Wood coordinate the ASR working group devoted to processes in the warm boundary layer. This group focuses on the ABL in the tropics and midlatitudes, where clouds are dominated by liquid water instead of ice.

The areas of interest of the four working groups are separate, says Wood, though many scientists belong to more than one group.

“If we think about convection, shallow or deep, it starts from boundary layer processes,” says Chiu, pointing to storm activity as one among many ways that interests among all the ASR working groups cross over.

The warm boundary layer processes group is also the largest working group at ASR, she adds──a further sign that the ABL is a shared interest among atmospheric scientists.

As with any ASR working group, “membership” is a loose term, and depends any year on those who join with a warm boundary layer process in mind.

“The group kind of moves around,” says Wood, depending on where the latest science concerns lead.

To join the working group, create an account with ARM. Then, under “Subscriptions,” check “Warm Boundary Layer Processes.”

Lower Down, Higher Complexity

In the Earth-hugging ABL, atmospheric scientists must consider more than physics, which dominates studies of higher regions of the troposphere. About two additional miles extend above the ABL to the bordering stratosphere.

In the ABL, so many complex small-scale processes come into play, says Wood, that scientists have difficulty understanding the interacting processes.

One is evapotranspiration, the process of liquid water transforming into water vapor as it rises into the air. Understanding a land-atmosphere interaction like this requires mixing physics with “things like biology,” says Wood, since much of the evaporating water emits from plant matter.

To address the complexity of warm boundary layer issues, the group will begin holding bimonthly virtual meetings in January 2025.

Research Highlights

Chiu and Wood illustrate the growing complexity of warm boundary layer issues by naming a few recent papers submitted to ASR’s Research Highlights page. (Scientists with ASR-funded projects underway are encouraged to write these brief, understandable summaries of their work.)

They point to one paper that shows how machine learning neural networks can help simulate near-surface turbulence.

Chiu and Wood also name a study that uses conventional weather data as the basis for a deep neural network that estimates boundary layer height. That’s an important variable in the development of turbulence, which controls the transport of heat, moisture, and mass into the atmosphere.

Another study looks at “locally narrow” droplet size distributions in stratocumulus clouds, a nonuniform variability that models should reflect. Data were derived from a unique holographic instrument flown on a field campaign in the Azores funded by Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM).

The DOE user facility operates six atmospheric observatories in climate-critical regions across the world, including its Eastern North Atlantic (ENA) site just west of Portugal. ARM is frequently a rich data source for ASR work on the warm boundary layer.

A Wide ‘Range of Activities’

Other 2024 papers assess warm cloud albedo (reflectivity), discuss the role of aerosol size on computer-simulated cloud transitions from overcast to broken conditions near ENA, and track shallow cumulus cloud behavior at ARM’s Southern Great Plains observatory by modeling the effects neighboring clouds have on growth and dissipation. (For one, it seems that a growing cloud displays higher vertical velocity when surrounded by “decaying” clouds: those at the end of their life cycles.)

“It is important to think about how these processes collectively determine the energy flow in our Earth system,” says Chiu, mentioning another recent paper, on investigating a “more transparent infrared window” in the atmosphere. The authors use ARM long-term measurements to evaluate our knowledge of water vapor continuum absorption, an outstanding issue that matters to the Earth’s cooling.

In one window-like infrared spectral region, from 8.0 to 12.8 microns, thermal radiation from the Earth’s surface passes almost unimpeded through the atmosphere, a “transparency” that has a planetary cooling effect. Using ARM data, the authors found an increase in this atmospheric transparency, and therefore an enhanced cooling effect.

Papers like these, says Wood, illustrate the working group’s “range of activities and foci.”

Yearly Breakout Sessions

Like the other ASR working groups, the warm boundary layer group has both a science and communications mission. Throughout the year, Chiu and Wood inform DOE program managers and principal investigators about emerging issues and concerns.

The primary way of communicating these issues is through a working group breakout session on warm boundary layer processes at the annual Joint ARM User Facility/ASR Principal Investigators (PI) Meeting. (The next is scheduled for March 3 to 6, 2025, in Rockville, Maryland.)

At the last such meeting, in August 2023, Chiu and Wood moderated a session with Yunyan Zhang, a former co-chair of the working group and a cloud life cycle researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.

There were 15 talks, divided into the group’s traditional three main topic areas: boundary layer structure and interactions with land surface; aerosol-cloud interactions; and cloud dynamics and microphysics.

The quick presentations, backed with a slide or two, ranged from glimpses at the evolution of shallow cumulus clouds and moist downdrafts to biomass-burning aerosols and sea salt delivery to clouds.

“People can see what other people are doing,” says Wood.

Adds Chiu: “Through this kind of opportunity, we hope to promote the visibility of early-career scientists and to build a strongly connected and collaborative working group.”

The session’s key findings were published later in a 2023 breakout summary report.

Coming: Reports in Recent Research

The agenda for the 2025 breakout session is still being hammered out. Monthly planning meetings just started in November 2024.

Among other things, Chiu and Wood say they will decide which posters will be elevated to talks. Next will be soliciting presentations.

Following tradition, there will be updates from experts on ARM’s value-added products (VAPs), in which data are streamlined for easier use in models.

And, as always, there will be reports on recent or upcoming ARM field campaigns that have (or will) supply data relevant to warm boundary layer processes.

Likely entrants, says Chiu and Wood, include an update on the Bankhead National Forest (BNF) observatory in northern Alabama, where data collection started in October 2024.

BNF “obviously projects into more than one (ASR) working group,” says Wood. “There is considerable land-atmosphere exchange. There’s also deep convection evolving from shallow convection over the diurnal cycle──another boundary layer-related problem.”

Whatever the final agenda is, say Chiu and Wood, the main order of business, as always, will be to present new research and establish new collaborations. That’s the shared mission of every ASR working group.

Wood belongs to all of them.

“I like to see what they’re up to,” he says.