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Modeling rainfall drop by drop

Researchers at KAUST developed a high-frequency rainfall model using new rain gauges that measure rainfall drop by drop, providing unprecedented insight into minute-to-minute rainfall dynamics. The model captures the 'skewness' of high-frequency precipitation data and generates synthetic precipitation data for water management.

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter measures wind, temperature, and humidity in real time for site assessments, aviation checks, and safety briefings.

Xu developing tool to support resilient power grid

Researchers are developing a flexible simulation-based outer-loop application tool for resilient power grid planning and optimization. The tool leverages scalable parallel processing, adaptive computing budget allocation, and scientific machine learning to predict and respond to disturbances.

Creality K1 Max 3D Printer

Creality K1 Max 3D Printer rapidly prototypes brackets, adapters, and fixtures for instruments and classroom demonstrations at large build volume.

The science of windy cities

A team from Oklahoma State University developed techniques to model environmental hazards for autonomous aircraft, while another group at the University of Surrey investigated building wakes to enhance air quality. Researchers also found an unbalanced exchange flow in natural ventilation systems, which can slow down cooling.

Stan receives funding for coupled weather model development

Cristiana Stan, a George Mason University researcher, has received $195,313 from NOAA to develop a coupled ensemble weather prediction system. The system aims to improve medium-range and subseasonal-to-seasonal forecasts by refining stochastic parameterizations and improving model coupling.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Blueprint may power up KSA's wind energy future

A comprehensive blueprint for Saudi Arabia's national wind energy strategy has been developed, aiming to reach 16 gigawatts of installed capacity by 2030. The plan leverages high-resolution modeling, unique wind and weather observations, and cost analysis to guide the optimal buildout of wind turbines.

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.

A sharper view of flood risk

Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science & Technology devised a new analytical tool to predict flood risk by adapting a classical statistical model for analyzing extreme rainfall in large datasets. The model demonstrated potential in capturing observed patterns in northeast America, promising improved prediction capabilities.

Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro Equatorial Mount

Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro Equatorial Mount provides precise tracking capacity for deep-sky imaging rigs during long astrophotography sessions.

A new method to improve tropical cyclone intensity forecasts

A new method using Nonlinear Forcing Singular Vector (NFSV) reduces model error in numerical weather forecasting models. The approach identifies the uncertainty of variable and area most likely to cause large errors, enabling adaptive satellite observations to improve short-term forecasts.

Verifying forecasts for major stratospheric sudden warmings

A new study verified multi-system forecasts for major stratospheric sudden warmings (MSSWs), showing that all four systems can be judged skilled for five-day forecasts when averaged across available MSSWs. Longer lead times present challenges, with some systems skillful but others not.

Small altitude changes could cut the climate impact of aircraft

Scientists report that small altitude changes in flight paths could cut the climate impact of aircraft contrails, reducing warming effects by up to 59.3%. By targeting high-warming flights and making minor adjustments, contrail impact could be reduced by 91.8% with cleaner engines.

Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor

Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor tracks ventilation quality in labs, classrooms, and conference rooms with long battery life and clear e-ink readouts.

Deep neural networks speed up weather and climate models

Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory have developed domain-aware neural networks to replace expensive parameterizations in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. These algorithms can predict environmental data more accurately with significantly less training data, enabling faster and higher-resolution simulations.

Turbulence creates ice in clouds

Researchers from Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research found that vertical air motions increase ice formation in mixed-phase clouds. This correlation has important implications for understanding the water cycle and predicting precipitation.

Applying machine learning in intelligent weather consultation

A new machine learning method, MOML, simulates weather consultation to improve forecast accuracy by 27.91% compared to ECMWF model forecasts. The approach leverages observational data and both high- and low-frequency information for more accurate results.

Facial recognition technique could improve hail forecasts

Scientists trained a deep learning model to recognize features of individual storms that affect hail formation and size, improving prediction accuracy by up to 10%. The study highlights the importance of considering a storm's entire structure in hail forecasting.

Data assimilation method offers improved hurricane forecasting

A new approach developed at Penn State's Center for Advanced Data Assimilation and Predictability Techniques can accurately forecast the intensity and trajectory of Hurricane Harvey. The method uses data from the GOES-16 satellite and Penn State's all-sky radiance technique, which more accurately models hurricanes.

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope combines portable Schmidt-Cassegrain optics with GoTo pointing for outreach nights and field campaigns.

Smart irrigation model predicts rainfall to conserve water

A predictive model combining plant physiology, soil conditions, and weather forecasts helps make informed decisions about irrigation, conserving up to 40% of water used. The research also aims to identify the best method for each crop and determine the costs and benefits of switching to an automated system.

Using artificial intelligence to better predict severe weather

Researchers developed an AI framework that detects rotational movements in clouds from satellite images, pointing to potentially threatening storm formations. The method achieved 99% accuracy and predicted 64% of severe weather events, outperforming existing detection methods.

Solving the entrainment puzzle

Dr. Wiebke Frey is using wind tunnel experiments and model simulations to investigate mixing processes at cloud edges, which affect cloud lifetime and climate sensitivity estimates. Her goal is to develop a reliable formulation for understanding entrainment, a key process in climate modeling.

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro)

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro) powers local ML workloads, large datasets, and multi-display analysis for field and lab teams.

New lidar instruments peer skyward for clues on weather and climate

Researchers have developed diode-based lidar instruments that can measure atmospheric water vapor, aerosols and temperature, filling gaps in US meteorological data. The instruments are operational and have provided accurate measurements with minimal error, paving the way for improved weather forecasting and climate modeling.

Predictability limit: Scientists find bounds of weather forecasting

Researchers confirm a long-hypothesized limit for weather prediction, first proposed in the 1960s, which is approximately two weeks on average. They used state-of-the-art models to test this limit and found that reliable forecasts are now possible nine to 10 days out in mid-latitudes.

Meta Quest 3 512GB

Meta Quest 3 512GB enables immersive mission planning, terrain rehearsal, and interactive STEM demos with high-resolution mixed-reality experiences.

New research adds to work of Prandtl, father of modern aerodynamics

Researchers Inanc Senocak and Cheng-Nian Xiao uncover fluid instabilities in the Prandtl model for katabatic slope flows, a complex phenomenon crucial for reliable weather predictions. Their findings suggest that dynamic stability cannot be determined by a single dimensionless parameter alone.

Raindrop size distributions vary across seasons and rain types

Researchers found seasonal variations in raindrop size distribution in East China, with summer having larger raindrops and higher mean rain rates. These findings have implications for microwave communication, radar, and satellite remote sensing, as well as numerical weather prediction models.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C) provide clear calls and strong noise reduction for interviews, conferences, and noisy field environments.

Better living through improved weather forecasting

Advances in weather forecasting have significantly improved accuracy, enabling reliable predictions up to 10 days in advance. This has enabled timely emergency preparations and evacuations for hazardous events like hurricanes and tornadoes, saving countless lives.

More than air: Researchers fine-tune wind farm simulation

A collaborative research team examined predictive models used to forecast wind farm effects, revealing the importance of model resolution in simulating weather patterns. Higher vertical and horizontal resolutions improved simulations, but more study is needed to optimize wind energy deployment.

Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition

Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition is a durable star atlas for planning sessions, identifying targets, and teaching celestial navigation.

Taming turbulence: Seeking to make complex simulations a breeze

Scientists have developed a new approach to modeling turbulence, which allows for the simplification of complex systems. By representing both growing and decaying motions, researchers can greatly improve existing models and tackle previously intractable problems, such as fusion experiments and weather forecasting.

Hacking the aging code: Big data for saving human lives

Researchers used big data from human medical studies and physics approaches to develop novel anti-aging therapeutics and biomarkers of aging. The strategy involves analyzing data from large biobanks and applying concepts from complex dynamic systems to predict biological age, aging rate, and potential targets for therapies.

Weather and US maize yields

Researchers found that US maize has seen a yield increase of around 28% since 1981 due to beneficial changes in weather and farming practices. The study attributes this growth to warmer temperatures allowing for earlier planting and more favorable conditions.

Windier wind farms

Researchers at UCSB and Cambridge developed models to optimize wind farm productivity by improving airflow mixing and using vertical-axis turbines, potentially leading to orders-of-magnitude improvements in energy production. This could enable more efficient use of land and reduce costs.

New weather model could increase tornado-warning times

Researchers at Penn State have developed a new weather model that incorporates data from next-generation satellites to improve tornado forecasting. The model was able to forecast supercell thunderstorms with high accuracy and suggests that lead times for tornado warnings can be extended beyond 30 minutes.

Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars

Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars deliver bright, sharp views for wildlife surveys, eclipse chases, and quick star-field scans at dark sites.

Forest Service science improving fire weather prediction

The USDA Forest Service introduces the Hot-Dry-Windy Index (HDW) to predict wildland fire danger, leveraging temperature, moisture, and wind variables. Researchers tested HDW against existing indexes and found promising results, with potential applications worldwide.

'Cloud computing' takes on new meaning for scientists

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, and other institutions have developed a new method using deep machine learning to simulate cloud physics. The approach achieved stable and accurate multiyear simulations that included realistic precipitation extremes and tropical waves.

A bird's eye view of the Arctic

Researchers from CIRES and NOAA are utilizing drones and tethered balloons to collect weather data in the Arctic, filling critical gaps in atmospheric measurements. These unmanned technologies provide a comprehensive understanding of the region's lower atmosphere, enabling more accurate weather and climate forecasts.

OU meteorologists studying Arctic atmospheric barriers

Researchers at the University of Oklahoma are investigating tropopause polar vortices, which limit predictability in the Arctic. The team aims to develop new models and strategies to better understand TPVs and their impact on weather events.

Storm's coming: New technique for simulation of extreme weather events

Japanese researcher develops simple method for generating large data required for ensemble modeling, providing high computational stability and versatility in simulating various weather events. The new approach demonstrates effectiveness in initial conditions for typhoon and global warming simulations.

DJI Air 3 (RC-N2)

DJI Air 3 (RC-N2) captures 4K mapping passes and environmental surveys with dual cameras, long flight time, and omnidirectional obstacle sensing.

Hurricanes: Stronger, slower, wetter in the future?

The study analyzed 22 recent hurricanes and found that they would become a little stronger, a little slower-moving, and a lot wetter if they formed under predicted late 21st-century conditions. The rainfall rate of simulated future storms would increase by an average of 24 percent.

How far to go for satellite cloud image forecasting into operation

Scientists successfully simulated FY-2D infrared cloud images using a high-resolution WRF regional numerical weather prediction model product and forward radiation transfer model RTTOV. The results show improved accuracy, with correlation coefficients greater than 0.5 in the first 24 hours.

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter logs beta, gamma, and X-ray levels for environmental monitoring, training labs, and safety demonstrations.

Weather forecast model predicts complex patterns of volcanic ash dispersal

Researchers at the University of Bristol used high-resolution meteorological modeling to study volcanic ash transport patterns. They identified how wind flow around the volcano topography controls ash deposit patterns, influencing ash deposition over hundreds of km from St Vincent, including on nearby islands and ships.

Competition and conflict in Formula One racing

Researchers analyzed 732 Formula One races to find that drivers of similar status, age, or competing in safe conditions are more likely to experience collisions. The study suggests that targeting these factors could aid in preventing conflicts among drivers.

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock simplifies serious desks with 18 ports for high-speed storage, monitors, and instruments across Mac and PC setups.

Challenging statistics of weather extremes

Researchers Raphaël Huser and Jennifer Wadsworth developed an integrated statistical approach to modeling weather extremes, eliminating the need for guessing dependence strength. The new model can handle different spatial dependence scenarios, from strong correlations to complete independence.