PARI / Appalachian State University Summer 2011 Climate and Space Science Camp
“The 21st century may become known as the Climate Century, yet the majority of citizens do not have a basic understanding of the dynamics of the atmosphere and climate processes. Many educated adults struggle to comprehend such basic relationships as that between Earth’s seasonal changes and the tilt of the planet on its axis, or between the role of atmospheric carbon dioxide in developing tree mass and the effects of its odorless release when trees are burned. Despite recent films, television programs and publications about human impacts on the climate system, many people still inaccurately associate the problem of global warming with the hole in the ozone layer” (NOAA, 2007). The urgency of the changing climate demands a greater understanding of our climate system, not only by the leaders of today, but by the scientists, policy makers, and citizens of tomorrow. In direct response to a need for greater scientific literacy with respect to climate science, researchers at Appalachian State University (ASU), supported by NASA, have established the Climate Action Network through Direct Observations and Outreach (CAN‐DOO).  

The PARI/ASU Summer Climate and Space Science Camp advances the CAN-DOO mission by:  (1) Enhancing participants’  awareness of climate science and NASA’s role in advancing our understanding of the Earth System; (2) Introducing science, technology, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) principles to participants through applied climate science activities. Participants in this exciting and fast-paced camp will be exposed to the entire scientific investigative process, as applied to cutting-edge topics in climate science. Students will assemble and calibrate atmospheric instruments, participate in data collection and analysis, and compare their data with NASA data products and local research-grade measurements made at ASU as well as with online weather and climate models. In the process, they will develop basic STEM proficiency in (a) maintaining a scientific notebook to properly record scientific data; (b) using spreadsheets to enter, process, and graphically represent their data; (c) accessing and critically interpreting scientific data to use it in the proper context. Classroom discussions will introduce the participants to basic climate science topics and will re-enforce the hands-on activities. Participants will take home a hand-held solar pyranometer and cloud chart to continue their studies of solar radiation and clouds.

Online Registration Form

Students should then download and mail their Visitor Policy Receipt, and fee to: PARI, ATTN:  Christi Whitworth, One PARI Drive, Rosman, NC 28772.

Other Forms:  PARI Visitor Policy, PARI Visitor Policy Receipt

Tentative Schedule
Monday, May 9 - Arrival and Orientation
Afternoon (3 PM - 5 PM): Arrival and registration
Dinner (5 PM - 6 PM)
Evening (6 PM - 10 PM): Orientation and Night Sky; Movie: Inconvenient Truth

Tuesday, May 10-Meteorology and Climate Science Day 
Breakfast (8 AM - 9 AM)
Morning (9:00 AM - Noon): Introduction to meteorology and climate; Cloud observations and meteorological measurements; Enegy budget calculations-based on morning measurements
Lunch (12 PM - 1 PM)
Afternoon (1 PM - 5 PM) Meteorological instrument construction; Non-academic/Physical activity
Dinner (5 PM - 6 PM)
Evening (6PM – 10 PM):  Meteorological instrument calibration; Introduction to aerosols and clouds

Wednesday, May 11-Aerosols and Clouds Day
Breakfast (8 AM - 9 AM)
Morning (9:00 AM - Noon): Introduction to solar irradiance measurements using a solar pyranometer; Daily aerosol and solar radiation measurements and cloud observations
Lunch (12 PM - 1 PM) 
Afternoon (1 PM - 5 PM) Generate sun-photometer calibration curve; Non-academic/Physical activity
Dinner (5 PM - 6 PM)
Evening (6PM – 10 PM):  Video-NASA Earth Science Measurements

Thursday, May 12- Continuation of Measurements / Data Analysis and Visualization
Breakfast (8 AM - 9 AM)
Morning (9:00 AM - Noon): Daily aerosol and solar radiation measurements and cloud observations
Lunch (12 PM - 1 PM) 
Afternoon (1 PM - 5 PM) Comparing data with NASA AERONET aerosol optical depth, AppalAIR meteorological and aerosol measurements; Non-academic/Physical activity
Dinner (5 PM - 6 PM)
Evening (6PM – 10 PM):  Data Visualzation

Friday, May 13- Space Science Curriculum 
Note: A portion of this day could be used (if necessary) to complete climate science activities, if weather during beginning of week precludes scheduled measurements.

Breakfast (8 AM - 9 AM)
Morning (9:00-Noon) - Properties of Light, Astronomy basics
Lunch (12 PM - 1 PM) 
Afternoon (1 PM - 5 PM) Night Sky and Constellation Orientation; Non-academic/Physical activity
Dinner (5 PM – 6 PM)
Evening (6 PM - 10 PM) Radio Astronomy, Image Processing

Saturday, May 14- Wrap-Up 
Breakfast (8 AM - 9 AM)
Departure - 10 AM

ASU staff Biographical Sketches 
The CAN-DOO climate science team members are scientists at the Appalachian Atmospheric Interdisciplinary Research program (AppalAIR), home to the only NOAA-Global Monitoring Division collaborative station monitoring aerosols east of the Mississippi River and the only NASA AERosol ROBotic NETwork (AERONET) site in the Southern Appalachian mountain region. Long-term CAN-DOO climate science activities are currently being conducted at PARI, Appalachian State University, Hardin Park (Boone) and Bethel Elementary (Avery County) schools, and Grandfather Mountain International Biosphere Reserve. 

Dr. James Sherman, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Appalachian State University and CAN-DOO Co-Principal Investigator, applies laser and optical atmospheric sensing techniques to study the effects of atmospheric aerosols, water vapor, and clouds on the Southern Appalachian regional solar radiation budget, and hence regional climate. Dr. Sherman received a BS-Physics degree from Iowa State University, an MS degree in Optical Engineering from the Institute of Optics-University of Rochester, and a PhD. in Physics from Colorado State University. His graduate work involved appling Doppler laser radar (lidar) techniques to measure upper-atmospheric temperature and winds. He also worked with scientists at Air Force Geophysical Research Laboratory in Boston, MA to develop a high-resolution lidar for measurement of atmospheric water vapor concentration and aerosols.

 Dr. Brett, Taubman, Professor of Chemistry at Appalachian State University and CAN-DOO Principal Investigator, studies the relationships between aerosol chemical and optical properties and their impacts on the solar radiation budget. Dr. Taubman teaches analytical and environmental chemistry as well as introductory chemistry courses. He received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Maryland in 2004. His graduate work focused on the meteorological and dynamical impacts on regional air quality, specifically with respect to aerosol optical properties, as measured from a light aircraft. Following his graduate studies, Dr. Taubman worked as a Research Associate in The Pennsylvania State University Department of Meteorology where he designed and operated a mobile atmospheric chemistry laboratory to investigate global air pollution transport and validate satellite retrievals of atmospheric pollutants.