What's New for CASES

Notice

What's New [NEW]

CASES-97 Operations Plan

The CASES-97 Operations Plan is now online.

CASES-97 Update

There has been a surge of interest in an effort in the CASES area in the next 1-2 years,* whose focus is on the stable boundary layer (see announcement below). At the Boundary Layer and Turbulence Conference, about 20 individuals expresed interest in participating.

Please let us know if you would be interested in participating, and how. The three 'ringleaders' are listed below the announcement, my email is lemone@ncar.ucar.edu.

We are planning to discuss this further in a meeting, tentatively planned for late September. Please let us know if you would be able to attend.

A Proposed Boundary Layer Observational/Numerical Study Using the CASES Site

This brief announcement is intended to attract the attention of individuals who may wish to participate in boundary layer field studies at the Cooperative Atmosphere-Surface Exchange Study (CASES) site situated in the Walnut River Watershed of southeastern Kansas.

One of the proposed field projects that is tentatively planned to take place in the next 1-2 years is a combined observational and numerical investigation of the very stable nighttime boundary layer. The specific problem of interest is the relationship between sporadic turbulent bursts and Kelvin-Helmholtz wave activity. This is a problem first examined by Hooke, Hall and Gosssard (1972) using acoustic sounding data and data from a tower located in Haswell Colorado. The proposed field program at the CASES site would involve the acquisition of data from low towers, boundary-layer wind profilers, sodars, and hopefully a meteorologically instrumented kite and a lidar. An important component of this research, not available to the Haswell scientists, is the potential for parallel, very high resolution numerical studies of both the development of the nocturnal boundary layer and the subsequent turbulent mixing accompanying flow instability. The development of the nocturnal boundary layer is anticipated to be examined with a mesoscale model employing an accurate description of radiative forcing and allowing for incorporation of measured environmental conditions (preliminary simulations have already demonstrated the evolution of unstable shear flows under strong radiative forcing conditions). High-resolution studies of shear flow instability are expected to utilize current state-of-the-art pseudo-spectral capabilities which will enable an assessment of turbulence generation, intermittency, and mixing within the stable boundary layer.

We seek other scientists who are interested in boundary layer studies of any type to participate in the planning and implementation of a broad field program and parallel numerical modeling efforts. The Argonne National Laboratory has begun to establish a boundary layer observational facility within the CASES site, with upper level and surface observations available. The first of a series of observational studies was completed in May 1997. Scientists from the University of Colorado, Oregon State University and NCAR participated in this recent study. Our purpose with this announcement is to determine interest in and the components of a further CASES field study. Collaborative efforts can serve many different scientific interests and, at the same time, individual expenditures can be kept to a minimum via cooperative use of observational facilities.

Further Information:

Bill Blumen: blumen@paradox.colorado.edu
Dave Fritts: dave@gesualdo.colorado.edu
Greg Poulos: poulos@vortex.lanl.gov

CASES presented to American Water Resources Association

Bob Grossman gave a talk at the recent American Water Resources Association's Annual Meeting in Keystone Colorado in late June. This was CASES initial interaction with this group of scientists, engineers, educators, administrators, and resource managers. Bob reported on the overall objectives of CASES with emphasis on educational opportunities as education was the theme of this year's meeting. Bob also gave a few results from the recent CASES-97 expedition to the Walnut River Watershed. He extensively publicized the CASES website during the day he was there. It was apparent to Bob that the water resources community could have a rich interaction with CASES, especially in the area of land use change.

Transition at CASES Project Office

As of December 16, 1997, John Pflaum was transferred to the NOAA National Weather Service Office of Hydrology.

Bob Grossman and Peggy LeMone will continue the functions of the office until a more permanent solution is found. Many thanks for your supporting letters which should help us in this effort.

Past What's New pages for CASES: