NSF NCAR Earth Observing Laboratory

03/17/2026

✈️ Registration for the 2026 AVAPS Users Group Meeting closes next week!

Don’t miss your chance to join the community advancing atmospheric observations and severe weather research.

📅 April 28–29, 2026

📍 NCAR Foothills Lab | Boulder, CO

🌐 Hybrid: in-person + virtual option

Following a strong 2025 meeting with participants from NOAA, the U.S. Air Force, and international research teams, this year’s meeting will continue the conversations that drive real-world impact.

Did you know the NSF NCAR dropsonde program dates back to 1965? Originally designed to collect atmospheric data from aircraft, dropsondes remain a critical tool today—helping scientists better understand and predict severe weather around the globe.

That impact was evident as recently as Hurricane Melissa, where an NSF NCAR AVAPS dropsonde system confirmed record-breaking hurricane-force winds, providing crucial in situ validation of storm intensity.

The meeting will focus on in situ observations using dropsondes and related techniques, their role in forecasting and science, and the evolving needs of the atmospheric science community — exemplified by real-world cases like Hurricane Melissa.

🔗 Learn more and register: https://www.eol.ucar.edu/2026-AVAPS-Group-Meeting

We hope to see you there—register before the deadline!

02/11/2026

Final reminder for our February 19th virtual teacher professional development session "Innovations in Road Weather Science!"
Hosted by the National Science Teaching Association, this session dives into how scientists use weather data, modeling, and emerging technologies to better understand road conditions and improve traffic safety. We'll also explore free K-12 teaching resources designed to help students connect science with real-world scenarios beyond the classroom. Participants will receive a certificate of participation and NSTA activity points.
📅 Feb. 19, 2026
🕔 5:00–6:00 pm MST
💻 Virtual
To learn more or register for this session https://scied.ucar.edu/educators/teacher-professional-development/road-weather-science?utm_source=sm

02/03/2026

✈️Registration is now open for the 2026 AVAPS® Users Group Meeting! 🌤️

Following a successful 2025 meeting last year — where 80+ participants from NOAA, the U.S. Air Force, and national and international research teams shared real-world operational lessons, science insights, and technology updates — we’re excited to welcome the AVAPS community back in 2026.

The importance of these conversations was underscored just this past October, when an NSF NCAR AVAPS dropsonde system confirmed record-breaking hurricane-force winds in Hurricane Melissa. That measurement provided critical, in situ validation of extreme storm intensity — exactly the kind of capability this community advances through shared science, operations, and technology.

Last year at the meeting, attendees especially valued:
• Practical discussions on dropsonde operations and data quality
• Direct exchange between forecasters, engineers, and researchers
• Updates on the NSF NCAR AVAPS dropsonde system
• Open conversations on future measurement needs and platforms within the larger severe weather enterprise

🗓 April 28–29, 2026
📍NCAR Foothills Lab | Boulder, CO
🖥 In-person with a Zoom option for virtual participation

The meeting will focus on in situ observations using dropsondes and related techniques, their role in forecasting and science, and the evolving needs of the atmospheric science community — exemplified by real-world cases like Hurricane Melissa.

🔗Learn more and register: https://www.eol.ucar.edu/2026-AVAPS-Group-Meeting

We look forward to another productive and collaborative AVAPS meeting—hope to see you there!

National Science Foundation (NSF)

01/28/2026

Only 24 days until registration closes for the NSF NCAR Radar Technology Community Workshop! 📡📶

Join us March 10–12, 2026, in Boulder, Colorado

What is it? A community-driven workshop bringing together scientists, engineers, federal partners, and industry leaders to:
♦ Assess the state of atmospheric radar systems
♦ Identify priority measurement needs
♦ Explore emerging technologies
♦ Develop actionable recommendations to advance radar capabilities, operations, software, data integration, and workforce development.

Shape the Future🎯 Participate in presentations and breakout sessions to influence community priorities for ground-based, airborne, and shipborne weather radar technologies.

Attendance Options: In-person and virtual attendance is available.

Agenda Available in the Registration System

Register Now! https://www.eventsquid.com/event.cfm?id=30111

Questions?
Contact the Workshop Co-Chairs:
Dr. Brad Klotz ([email protected])
Dr. Pavlos Kollias ([email protected])

Hosted by the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research.

03/10/2026 — Boulder - Check out all event details and attendee registration right here.

01/07/2026

📢 Just 46 days left to register!

The NSF NCAR Radar Technology Community Workshop closes registration on February 20, 2026.

Join us March 10–12, 2026, in Boulder, Colorado (or virtually!) for a community-driven workshop hosted by the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

This event brings together scientists, engineers, federal partners, and industry leaders to:

🔹Assess the current state of atmospheric radar systems
🔹Identify priority measurement needs
🔹Explore emerging technologies
🔹Develop actionable recommendations for future radar capabilities, operations, software, data integration, and workforce development

Participants will engage in presentations and breakout sessions that help shape community priorities and influence the future of ground-based, airborne, and shipborne weather radar technologies.

🎓 Limited US-based student funding is available.

Don’t miss your chance to take part—register now to help shape the future of atmospheric radar technology.

Link to registration site: https://www.eventsquid.com/event.cfm?id=30111
Link to EOL website: https://www.eol.ucar.edu/Radar-Technology-Workshop

10/16/2025

MAIRE25: Advancing Methane Monitoring Capabilities

In September 2025, EOL’s Research Aviation Facility supported the Methane Emissions Quantification at scale using the MethaneAIR Imaging Spectrometer (MAIRE25) project, based in Austin, Texas. Using the NSF NCAR Gulfstream V (GV) research aircraft, the campaign demonstrated how advanced airborne sensing can map methane concentrations across wide domains with remarkable precision.

MAIRE25 is designed to refine how methane is detected and quantified— revealing where emissions originate and how they vary across different regions. Equally important, the project demonstrates how next-generation airborne instrumentation can inform the design and calibration of future methane-sensing satellite measurements, expanding what’s possible in environmental research.

For more information: https://www.eol.ucar.edu/news/mowing-lawn-gulfstream-v-airborne-remote-sensing-methane-quantification

10/06/2025

We are proud to recognize Dr. Patrick Veres, scientist at the NSF NCAR Research Aviation Facility, as part of the multi-institutional research team honored with NOAA’s 2025 Outstanding Scientific Paper of the Year Award!

Their groundbreaking 2023 study revealed how industrial halogen emissions drive significant ozone depletion and winter air pollution along Utah’s Wasatch Front—findings that not only advanced atmospheric science but also directly informed new Utah state legislation regulating halogen emissions (HB420) for the first time.

A true example of science driving policy and protecting public health. 👏

Access the full publication and related news coverage: https://lnkd.in/gu4BCVr5

09/02/2025

Fukue Island, strategically located upwind of Kyushu’s flood-prone river basins, served as ​a​ stepping stone for ​the ongoing U.S. – Japan technology transfer effort led by NSF NCAR. For the last three months the Earth Observing Laboratory partnered with EKO Instruments to deploy advanced lidar technology designed to measure water v***r, temperature, and aerosols in real time.

This collaboration not only showcased the innovation behind NSF NCAR’s MicroPulse DIAL systems but also tested how such research instruments can be refined for operational storm prediction and resilience planning. By pairing scientific advances with commercial expertise, the project moves one step closer to making next-generation atmospheric monitoring tools widely available.

To read the full article: https://www.eol.ucar.edu/news/building-bridges-nsf-ncar-and-eko-instruments-partner-lidar-technology

Breadcrumb Home Building Bridges: NSF NCAR and EKO Instruments Partner on Lidar Technology Aug 29, 2025 Publisher NSF NCAR Earth Observing Laboratory Lidar measurement site on Fukue Island, Japan (Photo: Ben Crane) Unless you’re a Japan aficionado or a migratory bird specialist, you’ve probably ...

08/13/2025

EOL Engages with the Earth Science Data Community at ESIP Summer 2025

EOL data management experts attended the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) Summer 2025 Meeting, held in late July in Seattle, Washington. Centered on the theme Innovation to Impact, the event convened a broad range of Earth science data professionals from academia, non-profits, and research institutions.

Key discussion topics included ongoing challenges with data interoperability, preparing repositories for AI-driven search and discovery, and strategies for ensuring archive resilience amid funding and infrastructure uncertainty. Participants also explored the respective benefits of domain-specific versus generalist repositories in managing the full data lifecycle.

For EOL, the meeting was a valuable opportunity to share ideas, learn about emerging technologies, and engage in broader conversations around data stewardship and organizational resilience. With increased participation from educational and non-profit organizations this year, the event fostered rich cross-sector dialogue on how to protect and make the most of Earth science data.

EOL’s continued engagement with ESIP, a nonprofit organization NSF NCAR has partnered with since 2012, helps ensure our data practices stay aligned with community needs and remain at the forefront of innovation in Earth data science.

ESIP’s mission is to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, share technical expertise, and empower the innovative use and stewardship of Earth science data to help solve some of the planet’s greatest challenges. Learn more at esipfed.org. 🌏 🔭

NSF NCAR EOL Data Management & Services: https://www.eol.ucar.edu/data-software

08/07/2025

Each summer, the Earth Observing Laboratory’s Summer Undergraduate Program for Engineering Research (SUPER) brings talented students to NSF NCAR to work alongside staff mentors on applied research and development projects. This year, EOL hosted two outstanding interns who made meaningful contributions to our data visualization and monitoring capabilities. 💻 ⚙️ 🧠

Ameen Hussain, a Computer Science and Mathematics major at Colorado State University, worked with ISF software engineer Gary Granger on the “DSM Dashboard: A Web-based Interface for Real-time NIDAS Data Quality Monitoring and Visualization.” Ameen modernized the user interface and improved backend functionality, allowing field engineers and researchers to more efficiently assess instrument health and data quality from the Integrated Surface Flux System (ISFS) during deployments.

Kevin McMahon, a Computer Science major at the University of Colorado Boulder, was mentored by ISF software engineer Rick Brownrigg. Kevin developed the “AVAPS Dashboard for Dropsonde Mission Overview,” a web-based interface that provides synoptic visualizations of the data collected during an AVAPS mission. The Dashboard presents the entire collection of soundings at once as a series of thumbnail plots, from which a viewer can "drill down" to reveal more detailed plots and metadata.

Both students presented their work in July 2025, at the UCAR-organized Summer Student Conference. Their efforts reflect the value of the SUPER program in developing practical engineering skills while supporting EOL’s mission to advance atmospheric science through high-quality observational tools. We’re proud of Kevin and Ameen’s contributions and thank their mentors for their guidance throughout the summer.

NSF NCAR Earth Observing Laboratory SUPER Intern Program: https://www.eol.ucar.edu/who-we-are/career-and-internships/internships/summer-undergraduate-program-engineering-research

07/28/2025

Advancing Storm Forecasting with Dropsonde Innovation ✈️🌤️

NSF NCAR continues to lead the way in storm observation technology with its evolving dropsonde systems—developed over 50 years ago and still critical for understanding extreme weather like hurricanes. At the 27th AVAPS® Users Group Meeting (April 8–9, 2025), 80+ participants from NOAA, the U.S. Air Force, and global research teams gathered to share insights, operational successes, and the latest in hardware/software innovation.

Highlights included the successful transition to the advanced NRD41 dropsonde, expanded use across the Pacific and Atlantic, and ongoing efforts to ensure high-quality in situ atmospheric data. As storms grow more unpredictable and destructive, NSF NCAR's dropsonde innovations are delivering the real-time atmospheric intelligence that forecasters, emergency managers, and communities depend on to stay ahead of danger.

https://www.eol.ucar.edu/news/avaps-users-group-meeting-april-2025

07/16/2025

GOTHAAM is cleared for takeoff!

In partnership with Stony Brook University and six other institutions, NSF NCAR’s Earth Observing Laboratory (EOL) is ready to conduct the Greater New York Oxidant, Trace Gas, Halogen, and Aerosol Airborne Mission (GOTHAAM) over New York City, one of the most densely populated and chemically dynamic regions in North America.

The GOTHAAM campaign will provide valuable data to better understand how urban emissions, industrial activity, and natural processes interact, and how these interactions impact air quality and the environment.

Stay tuned as we take atmospheric chemistry to new heights—literally.

Read more about the campaign: https://www.eol.ucar.edu/news/skimming-skyline-scientists-track-urban-emissions-over-new-york-city