MEDIA ADVISORY M20-028
Media Invited to Inside Look at NASA Marine Cloud Study
Using two research aircraft based at NASA’s
Langley Research Center, scientists will fly below, through and above
clouds over the western North Atlantic ocean to study how clouds form,
evolve and affect their surroundings.
Credits: NASA/Luke Ziemba
|
Media are invited to preview a NASA airborne
science campaign to help improve weather and climate predictions at 9
a.m. EST Tuesday, Feb. 25, at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton,
Virginia. The study is the second of five new major NASA airborne
science studies to take to the field in 2020.
The Aerosol Cloud meTeorology Interactions
oVer the western ATlantic Experiment (ACTIVATE) will collect extensive
data on cloud processes over the western North Atlantic Ocean with
flights through the end of March and returning in May and June.
Researchers will return to the skies to conduct additional flights as
part of the campaign in 2021 and 2022.
As part of the campaign, scientists are
studying how tiny atmospheric particles called aerosols affect the
formation and evolution of clouds. Modelers will use the collected data
to better understand how the clouds, in turn, affect aerosol particles
and the meteorological environment. ACTIVATE will be the first NASA
field campaign to collect such extensive data of cloud processes in a
single region.
During the event, media will learn about the
science questions ACTIVATE is addressing and have opportunities to
interview mission scientists and see the two research aircraft
participating in the campaign.
The event is only open to media who are U.S.
citizens or green card holders. Media must request credentials by
Monday, Feb. 24, by sending their full name, media affiliation, email
address, and phone number to Joe Atkinson at joseph.s.atkinson@nasa.gov.
Researchers expect to gather nearly 1,200
flight hours of data during six flight campaigns over the next three
years. Key to the mission are coordinated flights between NASA’s HU-25
Falcon and King Air aircrafts. The Falcon will fly under and through the
clouds, where instruments will take samples of the surrounding air. The
King Air will fly above the clouds and take measurements with remote
sensors and dropsondes.
For more information on ACTIVATE, visit:
-end-
No comments:
Post a Comment