ARM 2000

In order to improve global climate simulations and predictions, the Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurements (ARM) program seeks to understand how clouds and other atmospheric constituents affect the transfer of radiant energy through the Earth's atmosphere. The ARM Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART) sites which maintain a large concentration of ground-based instruments in continuous operation are a cornerstone for this work. These routine operations are often supplemented with intensive operating periods (IOPs) when additional instruments and scientists congregate to address specific questions. In March 2000, an IOP focused on studying the spatial distribution of cloudiness across the CART in northern Oklahoma. This IOP included observations with several visiting cloud radars, including the scanning NOAA/K radar, and several research aircraft. NOAA/K operated from the CART Central Facility and scanned cirrus and stratus clouds in RHI and PPI modes. In addition to the studies of distribution of cloudiness, the ETL work involves comparisons between NOAA/K and the CART site MMCR, which was designed by NOAA/ETL and implementing hardware upgrades to the MMCR.