National Center for Atmospheric Research
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

1850 Table Mesa Drive
P.O. Box 3000
Boulder, CO 80307-3000
www.ucar.edu


UCAR

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) was created in the late 1950s by faculty from 14 leading universities to support and nourish the atmospheric sciences. These visionaries recognized the need for community observational and computational facilities and a world-class research staff, which together would allow the community to carry out complex, long-term scientific programs beyond the reach of individual universities. In partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF), they established the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Since its inception, UCAR has managed NCAR, on behalf of NSF, to address pressing scientific and societal needs involving the atmosphere and its interactions with the oceans, land, and Sun - what is now called Earth system science.


UCAR’s role in supporting and complementing the work of academia has grown to include new research, service, and education programs in the UCAR Office of Programs (UOP) and Office of Education and Outreach (EO). UCAR now comprises 71 member universities, 17 affiliates, and 46 international affiliates. Collectively, they strengthen and promote professional interactions, collaborations, and collegiality in the broader community.


NCAR

The National Center for Atmospheric Research conducts research in the following areas:


Climate Earth's past climate, greenhouse effect and global warming, Earth's future, El Niño and La Niña, drought, and wildfires.


Meteorology/Weather Short-term forecasts, weather forecasting and predictability, weather's effect on climate, training meteorologists, severe storms, and physical processes.


Societal Impacts Effects of weather and climate on society, capacity building, and national security.


Pollution and Air Chemistry Air pollution, chemistry of our atmosphere, tracking plumes, and ozone.


The Whole Earth System Oceans effects on climate and weather, the effects of land use on climate, and weather, cryosphere/ice and the water cycle.


Sun and Space Weather Solar furnace, suns effect on weather and climate, the solar observatory, and space weather.


NCAR RESEARCH LABS

Computational and Information Systems Laboratory


The Computational and Information Systems Laboratory (CISL) performs basic and applied research to advance scientific computing capabilities in pursuit of NCAR/UCAR's research agenda. Scientific computing - which refers to the use of high-performance computers, numerical methods, mathematical models, and digitized data to analyze scientific problems - has become the third mode of science, complementing and adding to theory and experiment. Scientific computing is especially important in Earth systems research where, over the last 40 years, its role has massively increased. The goal of CISL research activities in the following areas is to develop faster, better, more efficient means of addressing grand challenges in the geosciences.


Earth Observing Laboratory


The Earth Observing Laboratory (EOL) develops and deploys observing facilities and provides data services that NCAR researchers need to make the observations that are essential to broadening our understanding of the world we live in.


Earth and Sun Systems Laboratory


Earth and Sun Systems Laboratory (ESSL) is a highly collaborative environment where the questions and scientific problems to be solved are studied in a cross-disciplinary manner. It operates through four research divisions:


Atmospheric Chemistry Division


  • process studies (reaction rates, gas phase, multiphase systems)
  • trace gas development
  • aerosol and radiation measurement
  • atmospheric composition, trends, and variability
  • atmospheric chemistry modeling

The Institute for Multidisciplinary Earth Studies


  • bio-geo-sciences
  • water cycles across scales
  • upper troposphere/lower stratosphere interaction

Climate and Global Dynamics Division


  • global carbon, nitrogen, water, energy cycles
  • land cover/land use
  • human influences
  • radiative forcing (solar variation, aerosols/dust, land use)
  • natural climate variability
  • climate sensitivity and feedback mechanisms
  • atmospheric processes
  • land processes (terrestrial science)
  • ocean processes
  • cryosphere processes
  • climate responses (paleoclimates)
  • abrupt climate change
  • climate forecasting
  • climate modelling
  • earth system modeling

Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology Division


  • precipitating convective systems
  • dynamics and predictability on 0 - 48 h timescales
  • precipitation processes and representation in numerical models
  • multiscale atmospheric chemistry, transport, and dispersion
  • boundary layers and interfacial interactions
  • atmospheric prediction
  • data assimilation
  • forecasting pollutants and hazardous materials
  • modeling and forecasting weather
  • modeling weather's interaction on regional climate

High Altitude Observatory


Solar

  • global hydrodynamics
  • magnetohydrodynamics
  • solar interior

Upper Atmosphere

  • atmosphere, ionosphere, and magnetosphere
  • ionosphere, and plasmasphere, magnetosphere
  • magnetohydrodynamics
  • dynamic and radiative processes

Research Applications Laboratory (RAL)


The Research Applications Laboratory (RAL) is the principal laboratory responsible for aviation weather projects for NCAR and is a leader in aviation weather research and technology since 1980. Through an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), RAL scientists and engineers work closely with other centers and agencies, as well as the aviation industry, to improve the timeliness, accuracy, and presentation of weather information to better predict, detect, and warn of atmospheric hazards that significantly affect aviation commerce.


Since 1980, RAL has grown to be one of the largest divisions in NCAR with aviation weather still representing the majority of its work. Along with aviation weather, RAL’s research and development efforts in other sectors have significantly expanded to include: forecast improvements for dissemination to the general public, surface transportation, hydrologic applications, marine weather, wildland fires, and homeland security and defense applications (DoD).


RAL’s current research emphases are: in-flight icing; snowfall and freezing precipitation; convective storm and rainfall nowcasting and forecasting; atmospheric turbulence; numerical weather prediction; remote sensing; data assimilation; surface hydrology; land-surface modeling; precipitation physics; ceiling and visibility; oceanic weather; and verification methods.