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"Discovery Files" Features from the National Science Foundation
"Vapor Lock"
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A CHANGE IN THE WEATHER... THE "DISCOVERY FILES": NEW ADVANCES IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. WHEN NATURE THROWS A WET BLANKET ON YOUR PICNIC, DON'T CURSE THE WEATHERMAN: THE PROBLEM MAY HAVE MORE TO DO WITH THE WAY WE USE DOPPLER-RADAR TECHNOLOGY; IT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PIN DOWN LOCATION AND TIMING OF POTENTIAL STORMS IN LOCALIZED AREAS. SCIENTISTS AT BOULDER'S NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH ARE TESTING A NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT THE WEATHER. THE PROJECT, NICKNAMED "REFRACTT", MEASURES LOW-LEVEL WATER VAPOR--USING MULTIPLE DOPPLER'S, COMPUTER MODELS, SATELLITES, WEATHER BALLOONS, AND MOISTURE SENSORS THAT USE G-P-S. UNLIKE DOPPLER THAT BOUNCES OFF RAINDROPS, THE "REFRACTT" SYSTEM IS AIMED AT FIXED STRUCTURES--AND MEASURES THE BENDING OF LIGHT: THE MORE MOISTURE IN THE AIR, THE LONGER IT TAKES FOR A SIGNAL TO COME BACK. THIS TECHNOLOGY MAY NOT ONLY BRING US A BOOST IN THE ACCURACY OF SHORT-TERM FORECASTS, BUT A FEW LESS REASONS TO HATE THE WEATHERMAN. THE "DISCOVERY FILES" COVERS PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT'S NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH BROUGHT TO YOU BY YOU! LEARN MORE AT "N-S-F"-DOT-GOV.
For additional "Discovery Files" features from the National Science Foundation, click here.
