Seminar 02T - National Center for Atmospheric Research and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
I. M. Pei's Mesa Laboratory for the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, is a rare example of a laboratory as celebrated for its architecture as for its scientific contributions. As a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), NCAR collaborates with partnering institutions worldwide to conduct research on topics in atmospheric chemistry, climate, cloud physics and storms, weather hazards to aviation, and interactions between the Sun and the Earth.
The center also provides the university science and teaching community with the tools, facilities, and support required to perform innovative research. Through NCAR, scientists gain access to high-performance computational and observational facilities, such as supercomputers, aircraft, and radar— resources researchers need to improve human understanding of atmospheric and Earth system processes. Attendees can participate in briefings on the Obama administration's new science policy and hear the latest scientific updates on climate change, including the findings of the IPCC, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. A tour of the NCAR Visualization Lab and Supercomputing Center will also be included.
NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, conducts research and gathers data about the global oceans, atmosphere, space, and sun, and applies this knowledge to science and service that touch the lives of all Americans. With a mission to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment and conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to meet the nation's economic, social, and environmental needs, NOAA scientists and external partners work together to bring research results to bear on improving the quality of people's lives today and in the future.
NOAA has also emerged as an international leader on scientific and environmental matters. Most recently, NOAA scientists led and served a number of the United Nations' efforts on global climate change, which resulted in the award of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Participants will tour the NOAA Boulder facility, see NOAA's Science On a Sphere (SOS) project, and experience NOAA in 3D in the virtual world Second Life. The Second Life platform requires users to install software on their computers and sign up for a free account. NOAA Islands in Second Life include Meteora and Okeanos.
A shuttle will run between the convention center and the venues. Lunch is included. We will send you details on the agenda and logistics by the end of October.