Future Research and Research Training

With 40 hours of aircraft time, 15 science missions, and scores of students enthusiastic for independent research projects, honors theses, and graduate student research, there will be a sustained interest in the value of the SEAR-MAR data and opportunity to present and publish. This summer the partners of this multi-institutional collaborative will submit a manuscript to the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS) describing for the atmospheric and related sciences community the SEAR-MAR educational deployment. Students are already working with their mentors on some of the scientific missions including, but not limited to frontal fine structure (MU/PSU); cold pool (MU), cold air damming (MU), static pressure defect (MU), mountain waves(MU/PSU), methane emissions (PSU), on-shore flow (RU), and complex planetary boundary layers (UMBC). The collaboration has brought the partner schools closer under the common cause of education and research. Every effort will be made to maintain the collaborative to bring this research to fruition by providing meritorious opportunities for students. Data gathered during SEAR-MAR and the resulting research can be used to seed new funding for further investigation. In fact, surprising atmospheric conditions have been observed that demand further inquiry and could lead to discovery. As we move beyond SEAR-MAR, new students, not involved in the field component, will be exposed to SEAR-MAR through data analyses and subsequent research opportunities.