Data, Instrumentation, and Field Campaigns
The Earth's weather and climate is made up of complex interconnections between the atmosphere, ocean, land, and ice, which are influenced by many factors including the seasons, land-sea interactions, and topography.
Accurate, long-term observations and readily-available information are critical for furthering understanding of the Earth system, improving forecast models, and making informed decisions about weather and climate extremes.
What We Do
To facilitate weather, water, and climate research, PSL's Data, Instrumentation, and Field Campaigns Division contributes decades of expertise in developing and deploying state-of-the-art instruments, and providing online data access and web tools.
We participate in local, national, and international field campaigns that bring together scientists from around the world using instruments deployed on the ground, aboard ships, atop ice, and in the air or water. We collaborate with modelers who are interested in verifying and/or improving how physical processes are simulated by models.
Operations
Instrument Networks
We operate and maintain long-term instrument networks – such as in the State of California – designed to help with their water resource and flood protection issues. The near-real-time and archived data is shared online with National Weather Service forecasters and other end users. It is also provided for integration into NOAA weather prediction models to improve model initial conditions.
Development
Web & Data Resources
We create and maintain web pages that allow users to download climate and weather model output to compare with gridded and point observational datasets. We also design plotting tools that can be used to isolate different physical processes, and online displays that combine observational data with model forecasts.
Deployment
Observing Technology
We build, install, and maintain remote sensing instruments that operate at a variety of wavelengths. New technology is also developed, tested and deployed – such as miniaturized sensors for drone applications.
Investigation
The Earth System
We organize and participate in field campaigns using our instruments, often alongside collaborators' instruments or measurement platforms, to study surface, boundary-layer, cloud, precipitation, and cryogenic processes. We also conduct research that supports renewable energy.
Featured Projects and Products
Supporting Advancement in Weather and Water Prediction in the Upper Colorado River Basin: The SPLASH Campaign, By Gijs de Boer (PSL/CIRES), Dave Costa (PSL/CIRES), Jackson Osborn (PSL), Allen White (PSL), et al., 2023, Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc.
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