CRYSTAL FACE (Cirrus Regional Study of Tropical Anvils and Cirrus Layers- Florida Area Cirrus Experiment) - A total of 79 NRL P3 flight hours and 60 ER2 dropsondes were used in Crystal Face studying upper atmospheric cloud generation, regeneration, dissipation mechanics, and the verification of these processes in pertinent models, as well as the impact of tropical cirrus on global distributions of water vapor. Based out of Key West Florida, areas of study included most of Florida and the surrounding tropical environment. Crystal Face followed IHOP with little time between projects yet systems and staff performed at a consistently high level.

Instrument Development and Eduation in Airborne Science (IDEAS) - RAF led a project based at the Jefferson County airport to improve instrumentation for future NSF airborne research. Instrument developers from the University of Wyoming, University of Colorado, Scripps and Oregon State University, joined nine NCAR scientists in testing several new instruments or improvements on the C-130 during April 2002. The RAF also tested several new C-130 systems, such as an improved intercom and power system. Students from the University of Colorado joined the flight crew after selecting a mentor from among the participating scientists. A second phase of IDEAS was conducted in October 2002.

FLOSS (Fluxes over Snow Surfaces) - ATD deployed three instrumented ISFF towers in Northpark located in North Central Colorado. A 24 meter "tall tower", and 2 two-meter measurement towers located in sage brush and over bare ground were in place for the duration of the project. Data collected will help understand turbulent flow in thin drainage flows and very stable boundary layers. In all measurements were made for 116 consecutive days from December 2001 to March 2002. The scaffolding tower was instrumented at various levels to study the fluxes over a snow-covered surface. Instruments included a suite of sonic anemometers, fast humidity, prop/wind vanes, temperature/humidity measurements, and solar radiation sensors. Each Flux-PAM system measures a single level of momentum, heat, and moisture fluxes along with temperature, humidity, and solar radiation. Soil parameters were also measured at each site.

IHOP (International H2O Project) - Virtually all of RTF's staff and instruments were involved in IHOP. Located in SW Kansas, Oklahoma Panhandle and surrounding area, IHOP was a massive study to improve characterizations of the 4-D water vapor field in an effort to improve warm season quantitative precipitation forecasting (QPF). The project concentrated on convective initiation (CI) and atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) processes using an optimal mix of water vapor instrumentation/assimilation systems. In all 155 radiosondes from two Mobile GLASS, 138 radiosondes from MAPR at the homestead site, 16 dual sonde reference radiosondes from Dodge City and the Homestead site, 341 dropsondes from a leased Lear Jet and 92 dropsondes from the DLR Falcon were used in the project. S-POL ran continuous for 45 days. ELDORA and LEANDRE were supported by 162.6 NRL P3 flight hours. Nine ISSF Flux PAMs were deployed as well as four GLASS surface stations. MAPR and a SODAR were deployed at the Homestead site surrounded by community lidars and other remote sensing instruments. Over 200 students, technical and administrative participated in IHOP.

IMPROVE II (Improvement of Microphysical Parameterizations through Observational Verification Experiment) - S-POL and two ISS were deployed in central Oregon in support of IMPROVE scientific objectives. Data collected supports improvement of quantitative precipitation forecasting in mesoscale models through comprehensive observational verification and improvement of model-parameterized cloud and precipitation microphysics. S-POL data included microphysical information to complement in situ observations obtained by research aircraft. ISS data provided crucial measurements of vertical velocities. S-POL and ISS were deployed for 46 days starting in mid-November. One of the two ISS sites launched radiosondes during the project. A total of 53 soundings were made during the period. Operation days included many with large amounts of heavy wet snow and also high winds. Both instruments performed flawlessly in these very difficult conditions.

ISPA 2002 (Inhibition of Snowfall by Pollution Aerosol) - This second year study of the link between aerosols and snowfall rates using MAPR included unique RTF instrumentation. MAPR was deployed for a second winter season in the same location as the previous years study in Steamboat Springs Colorado. A second profiler was added to help diagnose snowfall speed measurements. This profiler at 1299 MHz isolates the relative reflectivity of air and snow and provides a critical component of riming identification and production, snowfall speed. Profiling and surface measurements data was collected continuously for 44 days. Soundings were made during precipitation events. A total of 49 radiosondes were used in this study. Using TAOS technology and DRI instrumentation, a profiling data collection platform was installed on the ski area gondola. Pressure, temperature, relative humidity, and presence of cloud data were collected on one Gondola as it traveled up and down the lower mountain. Cloud data was obtained using a pseudo-nephalometer developed by DRI. Sensor measurement parameters included in cloud or out of cloud as well as cloud density information.

RENO BASIN 2002 - Two ISS were deployed to support undergraduate research education in collaboration with the Desert Research Institution (DRI) and the University of Nevada, Reno. Students launched radiosondes and analyzed ISS data in support of individual research projects. Research focused on four areas, multi-layer inversions, air motions and aviation hazards, including waves aloft, rotors, high winds near the surface, and reverse flows at low levels, variability of snowfall in the mountain basin, and evaluation of real time mesoscale forecasts at high spatial resolution. Soundings were made as required for research support and a total of 36 instruments were released.

Niwot Ridge Pilot Experiment - In a joint effort with the University of Colorado, USGS, MMM and ACD, ATD deployed ISFF in Aug-Sept of 2002 at the University of Colorado Mountain Research Station at Niwot Ridge, Colorado. The experiment focused on horizontal advection of CO2 in a forest canopy, a process, which could significantly affect estimates of the total carbon balance over vegetative surfaces. ATD deployed three instrumented towers to augment the spatial sampling of meteorological variables and fluxes at this site along with the Hydra system. Analysis of the ISFF data and synthesis with the observations from the other groups will continue in 2003.

2. Editorships

3. External Scientific, Policy, Educational Committees & Advisory Panels

4. Workshops