DOW’s for Education

C enter for S evere W eather R esearch

Purdue University

Jackson State University

University of Oklahoma

University of Colorado

University of North Dakota

University of Nebraska Lincoln

St. Cloud State University

Penn State University

Lyndon State College

University of Wisconsin

1995-2007 Pre-Facility2008-2010 Acad Years2010-2011 Acad YearCareers in Science

University of Illinois

Wilbur Wright, Elmhurst, Coll of Dupage

North Carolina State University

TBDUniv

DOW Educational Deployments DOW tracking cswr911:main storm

Requesting DOWs for Education

• Fill in 2 page form at EOL or CSWR• Expedited review procedure• Short lead time possible• Deployments last about 3 weeks• This is limited by ~$20k budget limitation• More ambitious educational deployments possible,

i.e. PAMREX

• DOWs have been engineered to be student-useable After training, students+faculty can operate w/o expensive techs from CSWR

• Simple, safe, radar start up procedures generator startup leveling transmitter warm up, pressurization signal processor startup, recording, easy antenna control interface

• DOW Trucks rated at 25,999 lbs = no CDL required

• DOW Trucks are quasi-easy to drive, like a U-Haul. Biggest risks are branches, low bridges

• DOW drivers and operators are insured under CSWR’s policies

• Limited to ~$20k• DOWs are delivered to the school by CSWR• DOW technician visits for one week: trains operators and drivers• DOW scientist visits 1-2 days during 1st week: teaches a class(es) or classes provide orientation, assists training, etc. public lecture• Weeks 2-3 are “on their own”, or with a junior CSWR driver/operator• DOW technician on standby to return for radar failure• DOW is picked up by CSWR

DOW Educ Deployment Model (so far)

• Exact design of lab, length of leash given students, etc., is decided by faculty host

• Typically students design experiments, scanning and data collection strategies, when to go out, etc.

• Scanning rates, numbers of tilts, gate lengths, PRT, etc. can be chosen by students

What do they do?

• Data recorded in DORADE format on internal disks• Up to 1TB per data collection• Transferred to student labs using esata or usb

external disks

• Students use Soloii, IDV, or other to read DORADE• Nearly all schools have some level of computer

support sufficient to at least install Soloii. CSWR provides Soloii training

• CSWR is working on a program bring ~10 Linux computers with Soloii pre-installed to assist schools who have very little infrastructure

Case Study: UNDEO• University of Nebraska, Lincoln• Small meteorology department• Faculty host Adam Houston familiar with radar• Radar meteorology course, 14 students 8 grad, 6 ugrad• 15 day deployment• CSWR technician on site full duration• Students crafted research proposals for using the DOW• Collected data during 3 IOPs• Outreach at elementary school, and public talk

The University of Nebraska DOW Education and Outreach (UNDEO) project was conducted in November of 2008. UNDEO was an NSF-funded collaboration between the Department of Geosciences at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and the Center for Severe Weather Research that allowed for a 15-day on-campus deployment of a DOW for classroom-instruction and hands-on experience.

UNDEO• Proposed student projectso Kinematic structure of a cold fronto Comparing environmental variables using Doppler radar and idelaized modelingo Frontal passage and depth: A comparison of DOW and 88D Doppler radarso Manifestation of turbulence withina cold fronto Kinematics of frontal motion and structureo Vertical structure of a cold front

• Actual Deploymentso 1: clear air: daytime PBLo 2: clear air: back door cold fronto 3: clear air: cold front

• Not much precip

• Initial projects canceled. Final assignment: compare fronts 2 and 3

PI evaluation of UNDEO• Course preparation was too rushed. Proposals

should be submitted >= 6 months before project• Clear air was limited due to late fall season• 21 days would have been better• More scientist presentations over 3-4 day visit

would have been better• CSWR tech on site was very desirable• Prompt uploading of data to local servers needed• Wurman talked to fast (too much info in lectures)

UNDEO-2

Proposed for March/April 2011Recommended by reviewersApproval pending at NSF

Changes from UNDEO-1:• 21 days to increase wx chances• 800 km range to increase wx chances• 3 day CSWR scientist visit

Other educational designs

TOM

• CU and NCSU have requested the Rapid-Scan DOW for March 2011

• Deployments in snow events in Boulder area• Data training and Rapid-DOW orientation by CSWR

scientists at NCSU• Data sent by Fed-Ex to NCSU for T+48 hour access

PAMREXVery ambitious (also pre-facility, so ~$0 budget)

2 DOWs for dual-DopplerNo CSWR supportFaculty (Richardson, Markowski, Verlinde) experienced with DOWs

Term 1: data collectionTerm 2: dual-Doppler analysis

From BAMS article: “…used the DOW radars in the fall months of 2003 and 2004 to study a wide variety of phenomena, such as the interaction of fronts and thunderstorms with ridges and valleys, terrain-induced atmospheric circulations, and phenomena owing to atmospheric interactions with Lake Erie. The complex terrain of Pennsylvania can produce atmospheric circulations capable of triggering thunderstorms, in addition to influencing already mature thunderstorms and their attendant severe weather. Surface temperature roughness differences between Lake Erie and the land surface of Pennsylvania routinely affect small-scale weather as well with “lake effect” snow bands being perhaps the most widely known of these lake-induced phenomena.”

Careers In Science: EOL and CSWR

• Targeting minority colleges• DOW visits colleges for 1 day each• EOL and CSWR staff participate• Talks on meteorology careers: technicians,

planning, communications, engineers, scientists• DOW demonstrations and talk by Wurman as a

draw due to “chasing” appeal• October 2010: Chicago area (also DC Sci/Eng Expo)• March 2011: Mississippi, Alabama, area

DOW demosClassroom Talks/DiscussionsOutreach at K-12 schools(and DC Science/Engineering Expo

IMAX Outreach

March-April 2011

Proposed to have DOW do a tour of IMAX museums timed with opening of “Tornado Alley”, a film supported by NSF (ISE: Innovative Science Education)

VORTEX2 PI’s will attend many of these openings, giving talks and demonstrations

Summary• Well used program getting NSF facility to

smaller meteorology departments• Opportunity to feature NSF facility and related

careers at minority and small colleges• Recommend: Mechanism for proposing more

ambitious or “out of the box” educational/outreach uses of facilities such as PAMREX and IMAX