In the News
PMEL atmospheric chemistry scientist, Dr. Patricia Quinn, was notified last week by American Geophysical President, Timothy Grove, that she was elected fellow of the AGU.
Please join everyone in congratulating Dr. Quinn on a well deserved recognition only given to one in 1000 AGU members
Recipients:
Arun Kumar (NWS), Martin Hoerling (OAR), Chad McNutt (USEC), Pedro Restrepo (NWS), Graham Feingold (OAR), Patricia Quinn (OAR), David Fahey (OAR), John Daniel (OAR), Stephen Montzka (OAR), V. Ramaswamy (OAR), Brian D. Keller (NOS), Isaac M. Held (OAR), Alice Gilliland (OAR), M. Daniel Schwarzkopf (OAR), Larry W. Horowitz (OAR), Stephen K. Gill (NOS), Christopher D. Miller (OAR), David H. Levinson (NESDIS), David M. Anderson (NESDIS), David R. Easterling (NESDIS), Eileen Shea (NESDIS), Glenn Tallia (OGC)
For outstanding dedication to developing U.S. CCSP Synthesis & Assessment Products integrating climate research for decision support.
The 39-day ICEALOT research cruise to the ice-free regions of the eastern Arctic, led by PMEL scientists Trish Quinn and Tim Bates, concluded on April 24. The purpose of the cruise was to study springtime sources and transport of pollutants, evolution of aerosols and gases, and climate impacts of short-lived pollutants in the Arctic region. This cruise was a NOAA contribution to the International Polar Year, in coordination with the ARCPAC and POLARCAT projects. Over thirty PMEL, ESRL, and university researchers were aboard the R/V Knorr for the cruise from Woods Hole to Tromso, Norway, to Reykjavik.
Several tasks were successfully completed during the cruise, including sampling of smelter emissions from the Kola Peninsula, using lidar to capture a high-altitude plume of biomass burning emissions transported from Eastern Europe to the Arctic, and sampling of arctic haze formed from the transport of pollutants from the northern mid-latitudes. Properties of aerosol particles and gaseous compounds within the haze were characterized with one of the most comprehensive instrument packages ever deployed to the Arctic. Additionally, the ship positioned beneath CALIPSO, a space-based lidar, during 5 satellite overpasses, to assist in calibration/validation studies. The Knorr hove to in the vicinity of the Zeppelin sampling station on Spitsbergen Island, collecting air samples for inter-comparison purposes for more than 12 hours. The Zeppelin station has one of the longest data records in the Arctic for many of the same properties that were measured on the ship.
Over the next 2 years, the data collected on the cruise will be processed, analyzed, presented at national and international meetings, and published in scientific journals all with the goal of furthering our understanding of the impact of these short-lived pollutants on the Arctic.
Dr. Tim Killeen, President of the American Geophysical Union, has notified both Dr. Tim Bates and Dr. Richard A. Feely that they have been elected Fellows of the American Geophyscial Union.
It is a great honor for PMEL to have two scientists elected to AGU Fellowship at the same time. This honor is bestowed on the top one tenth percent of the AGU membership each year.
Congratulations to PMEL's 2004 NOAA Administrator's Award winners:
Timothy S. Bates received the award "In recognition of leadership in national and international atmospheric chemistry programs."
Cynthia L. Loitsch received the award "For outstanding leadership of the OAR Financial Data Management System, which was critical in facilitating the transition from FIMA to CAMS."
Tim and Cindy's names have been added to the PMEL Awards Page of previous award recipients (see URL link below).
The Spring 2001 ACE-Asia intensive field study concluded this week with the international, interagency team of scientists extremely pleased with the sampling opportunities. ACE-Asia was the fourth in a series of
experiments, organized under the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC) Program, designed to quantify the spatial and vertical distribution of aerosol properties and their column integrated clear-skyradiative effect. The ACE-Asia intensive field study in March/April 2001 off the coasts of S. Korea, China, and Japan, involved coordinated
measurements aboard NOAA SHIP Ronald H. Brown, three aircraft (US NSF C-130, US Navy Twin Otter, and Australian ARA King Air), four satellites (Terra, SeaWiFS, AVHRR 14 & 16), and numerous ground stations by investigators from many countries. One regional and three global chemical transport/climate models were run in forecast mode at the
operations center in Iwakuni, Japan to help direct the daily
operations.
During the experiment researchers sampled two major dust storms that swept across China. Both storms were later observed over North America. With the dust came aerosols of industrial and combustion origin, evident from the high concentrations of sulfate, organic and elemental carbon. This was the first ACE that sampled a dust/pollutant aerosol mixture. The data set will be extremely valuable in determining the effect of the Asian aerosol on the Earth’s climate system
The Asian-Pacific Regional Aerosol Characterization Experiment (ACE-Asia) begins a 38 day cruise aboard the NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown on March 14. Three PMEL Scientists: Tim Bates, Trish Quinn,and Jim Johnson will participate on this cruise along with scientists from numerous university and research organizations.
Shipboard measurements during the 2001 ACE-Asia intensive field operations will contribute to the regional characterization of aerosol properties by providing data downwind of the continent. Ship operations will be directed to sample regional aerosol features (e.g. dust outbreaks, urban and industrial plumes) under different synoptic meteorological patterns and at various distances from shore. The goals of these studies are to:
1. determine the physical, chemical and radiative properties of the aerosol in the ACE-Asia region and assess the vertical, regional and temporal (diurnal to multi-day) variability of these properties,
2. assess the major processes controlling the oxidation mechanisms of aerosol precursor gases and the formation, evolution and deposition of aerosol particles, and
3. quantify the direct radiative effect of the combined natural and anthropogenic aerosol in the ACE-Asia study area.