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The Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) awarded AER Vice President of Space Weather and Principal Scientist, Dr. Robert Morris, with the Outstanding Civilian Career Service award on September 28, 2011. Dr. Morris was awarded with the Outstanding Civilian Career Service Award (OCCSA) for his accomplishments in plasma chemistry of the ionosphere, atmospheric reentry, and combustion chemistry, along with his leadership contributions to AFRL branches and divisions.

AER Staff Scientist John M. Henderson has earned the Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM) designation by the American Meteorology Society (AMS).

Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction, and deputy administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), emphasized the vital role played by NOAA satellite programs in providing timely weather data that can save lives during severe weather. "Our polar and geostationary satellites are the backbone of the nation's weather enterprise," said Sullivan, discussing the next generation of NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES).

To do solar forecasting well requires the ability to model the impacts of clouds. Different cloud types impact the amount of energy produced by a solar farm in significant ways...whether it's a haze in the sky, fog near the ground, or thick cumulus clouds that cause dark shadows and block more solar radiation, to name a few. Thus a skilled solar forecast should consider solar irradiance and transfer.

Just returned from presenting at the Water in the Gas Phase meeting of the Royal Society. In discussion on Water Vapour Continuum in the Earth’s Atmosphere, my remarks focused on "Determination of water vapour continuum absorption coefficients from recent observations." The scientific meeting occurred 13 - 14 June 2011 at The Kavli Royal Society International Centre in Chicheley, England. To see the meeting program, please cut and paste this link into your browser:

"Insurance companies depend on weather forecasts to be ready to help their policy holders...and even grocery stocking depends on good forecasts," according to AER's Paul Walsh.

AER adds capacity to help utilities and their solar and wind O&M service providers improve forecasts of renewable energy production and demand. Scott McClintock joins as director of relationship management serving utilities and renewable energy companies.

Ammonia is a trace gas that contributes to pollution. Much of the ammonia in the U.S. comes from livestock waste and fertilizer. It’s an integral part of the nitrogen cycle; but excess ammonia is associated with algae blooms and ammonia reacts with sulfate and nitric acid in the atmosphere to form fine particulate matter, a pollutant linked to respiratory ailments.

Andy Revkin highlights AER's winter season forecast skill plus the research behind the prediction in the post "The Far North and Wintry Weather" on his DotEarth blog for the New York Times today.

If not for a fortuitous alignment of the earth’s electromagnetic field, the sun's Valentine’s Day “gift” could have wreaked havoc on power and communications infrastructure. The geomagnetic storms that resulted were strong enough for electrical power lines to experience voltage alarms. The potential effects of space weather events are beginning to raise alarms in the re/insurance, energy, utility, communications and aviation industries.