Editor: Jim Elliot
Contributors: Alan Weinstein, Ginny Frost, and Julie Burba
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The review of the NWS was released at a Department of Commerce press conference on 23 October, presided over by Secretary of Commerce William Daley.
Daley and NOAA Administrator D. James Baker appointed Brig. Gen. (Ret.) John J. Kelly to make a review of the National Weather Service in June when they announced the dismissal of NWS Director Elbert W. (Joe) Friday, for what they termed was a need for stronger management, particularly regarding the Weather Service's finances.
The report elicits widely different views from those who have studied it from cover to cover. Some readers found it very good; others find it superficial. So, instead of relying on a summary, we recommend you read the report. The full report is available on the National Weather Service Home Page at http://www.noaa.gov/public-affairs/nws1.html.
The press release of Secretary Daley, outlining the plan of action in response to the Kelly report, is the next item in this newsletter.
The mission assigned to Kelly (appendix A of the report) was a "need to determine the level of resources needed to operate the modernized NWS . . . in making resource allocation decisions for FY98.. . . In addition, resource information is needed for the FY99 budget request to OMB." The report was developed under "Constraints and Assumptions" (section V), which included no direct impact on warning programs, no reductions in modernization systems and schedules, no permanent staffing reductions in Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) and River Forecast Centers (RFCs), and FY96 current level of services and products, adjusted for permanent changes made as part of the FY97 budget, will continue in FY98 and FY99. In other words, the FY97 reduction of over 200 staff positions at National and Regional Headquarters, in Central Operations, and at NCEP (except for the additional staff resulting from the reprogramming action late in FY97), was not under review.
Although Kelly makes clear in his report that he found the NWS budget structures complex, with multiple accounts, and that it was difficult—except for the modernization account for new systems such as NEXRAD, ASOS, and AWIPS—to identify how labor and nonlabor costs were allocated, he found the FY98 and FY99 cost projections for both modernization and staff to be quite reasonable.
The report recommends an increase of $20 million in FY98 above the president's request to Congress (appendix B in the report), and a total of 5039 Full Time Equivalents (FTEs), compared to 4962 in the president's 1998 budget (see section VI, Table 5).
The report recommends a total field office staff in FY98 of 3600, which is an increase of 56 FTEs over the 1993 staffing projections, reflecting delays in implementation of productivity-enhancing programs such as AWIPS and NOAA Weather Radio with text to voice. No change in the present nighttime staffing of one meteorologist at WFOs was included because such a change was outside the scope of the study.
The report proposes an additional reduction from FY97 of six positions at National Headquarters (from 361 to 355) and a reduction from 480 to 474 in Central Operations (see section VI, Table 1). For the National Center for Environmental Prediction, the report recommends a staff of 371, which includes 14 positions restored as a result of reprogramming actions late in FY97. Although these additional reductions are small, they are in addition to the combined staff reductions at National Headquarters and in Central Operations of 153 positions in FY97 and the reduction of 44 positions in FY97 at NCEP.
The proposal last year to eliminate the Southern Regional Headquarters in light of the 1997 appropriation was extremely controversial. The report recommends against closure of the Southern Regional Headquarters and suggests that the six region structure be retained. However, the staffing recommended in the report for the six regions is about 50 positions lower than in FY96. This is achieved by using the "Regional Directors Plan" of an average of 45 positions in each of 4 CONUS regions. There is some level of confusion as to whether the Regional Directors Plan of 45 per region was for staffing in FY98 or after completion of the modernization.
The nonlabor costs of about $120 million per year across NWS in contrast to about $350 million in labor are analyzed in section VII of the report.
The nonlabor costs at Headquarters and Central Operations is approximately $70 million in FY98. The report is difficult to follow in this section in light of numerous small transfers of funds from one office to another and a number of small reductions in such areas as postage, small contracts, etc. The largest change in this area was the elimination of the $2.0 million emergency contingency in the associate administrator's nonlabor budget.
The nonlabor budget for regional headquarters and field offices is the area in which Kelly indicates he experienced the most difficulty in evaluating and determining realistic budget levels. An allocation of $49 million for FY98 is recommended. This is a 26% reduction ($17.6 million) from actual FY96 expenditures, and an increase of approximately $4.3 million above FY97 projected expenditures. As was pointed out in the letter from the past presidents of AMS to Secretary Daley, along with the large number of vacancies, the nonlabor area was being reduced dramatically in the course of FY97 to meet the reductions in the FY97 appropriations. Additional analysis is clearly called for in this area.
The report makes only small changes in the proposed budgets for AWIPS in FY98 (from $116.9 to $115.8 million) and FY99 ($81.8 to $80.5 million). The reductions proposed are primarily in the Acquisitions Management staff. The report notes that, in the last 18 months, "Considerable progress has been made on AWIPS, especially with the incorporation of the WFO-Advanced software," and that forecasters and hydrologists indicate WFO-A software performs well. However, the report indicates that the acquisition program management structure is "costly, inefficient, and blurs responsibility" and the responsibilities of the Systems Acquisition Office and the National Weather Service Program Office need to be better defined, as do the responsibility and accountability of individuals. The report also calls for strengthening the Systems Engineering capability and better planning of software development.
With regard to NEXRAD, the report proposes significant reductions in FY98 ($1.2 million) and especially in FY99 ($5.5. million) in the area of logistics and the Operational Support Facility at Norman, Oklahoma. In addition, a reduction of more than $1.0 million in operations support is proposed in FY99. The rationale provided for these reductions is sketchy, but probably the NEXRAD office is analyzing the implications of these reductions. The Product Improvement Program is funded in both FY98 and FY99.
No significant changes are proposed in the funding for ASOS, and funding to improve the computational capability at NCEP is included, although it is unclear whether the level of funding is adequate to stay abreast of the centers in other countries.
The report proposes a small increase in the Training Program in both FY98 and FY99. Section IX identifies a number of NOAA-directed programs that may result in a need for increased funding. The areas of concern are NOAA Common Services, grade pay increases, and capital costs to bring NWS facilities into compliance with OSHA requirements and environmental regulations and laws.
The report includes funding in FY99 for new initiatives from radiosonde replacement, Cooperative Observing Networks, and distance learning systems but does not include funding for new initiatives for the Advanced Hydrological Prediction System, the Operational Climate Forecast System, and the Marine Observing Network, as well as several other initiatives.
Section X of the report describes "uncertainties" that could lead to required changes in staff and/or budget in future years, for example, as they relate to the AWIPS functionality and support for NCEP.
Section XII provides many recommendations, especially with regard to improving the fiscal management systems at NOAA and NWS. In this section it is recommended that committees be established to review and advise on NWS technology infusion plans and to ensure the director of NWS meets with emergency management officials and the commercial weather industry. The report points out that the dealings between these two groups and the NWS seem to be strained and that additional consideration should be given to the appropriate mission of the NWS as described in the 1890 Organic Act.
The report also recommends the development of a strategic plan for the next modernization of the National Weather Service—the 10th in the history of NWS.
The study team was composed of Kelly, John Dutton, Craig Dorman, Al Kaehn, and David McMillan, and it had assistance from Bob Winokur, Acting Director of NWS; Capt. Don Winter; and a MITRE cost analysis team of Robert Abramson, Julia Taylor, Thomas Troiano, and Steve Welman. It also had help from a government team composed of Susan Sutherland, Gary Knebel, Paul Nipko, Greg Mandt, and Diana Abney.
In the course of completing the study, the team interviewed more than 70 individuals from government, industry, and academia and visited all mainland regional centers, several weather forecast offices, and all NCEP product centers.
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The secretary of commerce, William M. Daley, issued the following press release at the 23 October 1997 press conference on the report by Jack Kelly entitled, "An Assessment of the Fiscal Requirements to Operate the Modernized National Weather Service During Fiscal Years 1998 and 1999."
"The budget realities of the day demand that all of us in government be held to the highest possible standard of managerial competence. The taxpayers demand nothing less than the delivery of effective services at the lowest possible cost.
"For an agency like the National Weather Service—whose work can be a matter of life and death for American families and communities, whose forecasts are essential to economic growth—sound management must be a top priority.
"When I became Secretary of Commerce, I pledged that cost-effective management of the entire department would be at the top of my agenda. I made a commitment to accountability and productivity—managing resources in a way that gives the American people the highest return on their investment.
"Strong management demands an aggressive, hands-on approach—identifying problems and moving quickly to solve them. That's what I've sought to do here.
"Last June, in response to inconsistent and unreliable information I was receiving about modernization and restructuring at the National Weather Service, I announced a series of action.
"I asked General Jack Kelly to conduct a detailed evaluation of the National Weather Service budget and operations, and I delayed the closing of the Southern Regional Headquarters until that evaluation was completed.
"As a former director of the U.S. Air Force Weather Service with more than thirty years experience in this field, General Kelly was uniquely qualified to lead this review . . .
". . . General Kelly has provided a thorough and rigorous analysis of the problems at the Weather Service. After reviewing his report, I have decided to take the following actions:
"We at the Commerce Department remain committed to the modernization of the National Weather Service. By the time modernization is complete, we will have invested $4.5 billion dollars in new technology and in our employees. We need to give the American people the confidence that this is money well spent.
"Let me emphasize one thing, which has been confirmed by General Kelly's report: the Weather Service staff in the field are hardworking professionals, who dedicate themselves every day to public health and safety and to supporting American industry. The problems that this report has uncovered are in the headquarters, and that is where we will address them.
"Again, let me thank General Kelly for all he's done. I believe his recommendations offer us a solid roadmap for the future.
"Looking toward that future, I am confident that the National Weather Service will remain the best of its kind in the world—state-of-the-art, more accurate and reliable than ever before, protecting life and property, and helping us meet the economic challenges of the 21st century."
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The final date for submitting applications for the position of assistant administrator of NOAA for Weather Services—the Director of the National Weather Service—was 31 October 1997. Twenty-four applications were received. The NOAA Personnel Office is now examining those qualified for the position.
The original plan was that the applicants who were minimally qualified would be submitted to a "selection" or "screening" committee, consisting of individuals in and outside of government, which would then collectively recommend a short list of the best qualified candidates. However, NOAA officials indicate that, because of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, this arrangement is not practical without undertaking a complicated process of approval.
Therefore, the members from outside the government will be asked to "rank" the minimally qualified candidates with no interaction with other members of the committee. Then the members from within the government will meet and develop a short list of the three or four best qualified applicants. The rankings of the nongovernment members will be provided to the government group. This short list of candidates will be submitted to Undersecretary of Commerce Jim Baker. Interviews will follow with some or all of the applicants on the short list, and recommendations will be made to the secretary of commerce, who has final selection authority.
NOAA is not releasing the names of individuals on the rating panel to avoid their being "pressured." Baker hopes to make a selection by the end of the year.
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President Clinton released his long-awaited climate change policy, outlining a strategy that, starting in 1998, would offer $5 billion in tax breaks and other incentives to U.S. companies to encourage rapid improvements in fuel efficiency and spur the development of a new clean energy technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
He also called for an international trading system on emissions that would earn credits for companies that cut pollution.
Reaction to his plan, outlined in a speech at the National Geographic Society, was mixed, ranging from skepticism abroad to condemnation from several ends of the political spectrum in the United States.
Others, including Congressman George E. Brown Jr. (D-CA), ranking Democrat on the House Science Committee, praised the president. Brown said, "President Clinton's climate change proposal is a sound and reasonable beginning step. For the first time, the White House has taken the global warming problem seriously and committed the United States to a path of economic growth based on wise and efficient use of all of our energy resources."
In his address to 400 government and other guests at the society, the president said global warming "is real" and the "consequences sooner or later will be destructive for America and for the world. We must begin now to take out our insurance on the future."
The president's plan calls for stabilizing the industrialized world's output of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases at 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012, followed by additional unspecified reductions by 2017. The European Union favors limiting emissions at 15% of 1990 levels by 2010.
Talks are under way in Germany to try to reach an agreement on an international plan to be signed in December in Kyoto, Japan.
The plan does not mandate any increase in energy costs. However, officials indicated that prices for gasoline and other fuels could rise.
"The Clinton–Gore global climate plans threatens the quality of life for all Americans," said F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-WI), chairman of the House Science Committee. The restrictions, he said, would "result in higher energy prices for working Americans and send U.S. jobs overseas."
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On 22 October 1997 in a news conference in Washington, DC, the AMS joined 105 other societies and nonprofit groups in an effort to double the current level of federal investment in research within the next ten years. The group issued the following statement.
UNIFIED STATEMENT ON RESEARCH: A Decade of Investment
To secure the economic health and prosperity of the United States as the next century approaches, our national investment in research must be strengthened. The increased competitiveness of the global economy makes such an investment even more important now than in the past. To that end, we call upon the U.S. Congress and the administration to double the current level of federal investment in research within the next 10 years, starting with fiscal year 1999.
The United States has a critical and long-standing interest in advancing engineering, mathematics, and scientific research and education. The reasons for this are well accepted by industry leaders and public policy makers alike:
Our nation has developed a dynamic, comprehensive, interdependent research system that has enabled the United States to assume global leadership and enjoy a high standard of living. The research efforts of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Interior, and Transportation; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; the National Institutes of Health; the National Science Foundation and others have provided countless scientific and technological innovations that have formed the foundation for our nation's prosperity.
Even during this time of extraordinary economic growth, it must not be forgotten that tomorrow's health, economic, environmental, and national security needs depend on the choices that are made today. As leaders of the science, engineering, and mathematics communities, we maintain that doubling the nation's research budget during a 10-year period strikes a responsible balance between near-term fiscal goals and long-term economic growth and productivity.
D. Allan Bromley, president of the American Physical Society; Winfred Phillips, American Society of Mechanical Engineers; and Ronald Breslow, immediate past president of the American Chemical Society, led the effort to bring about the unprecedented call by 106 groups concerned with future funding of research in the United States.
At the press conference, held in the Mansfield Room of the United States Senate, Senators Phil Gramm (R-TX), Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), and Pete Domenici (R-NM) echoed the need for increased funding of research. They also announced they were introducing bipartisan legislation, "The National Research Investment Act of 1998," to increase civilian research funding an average of 7% each year over the next 10 years, beginning in 1999.
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In an effort designed to reverse a downward trend in the federal government's allocation to science and engineering research, Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX) and Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) have introduced legislation, "The National Research Investment Act of 1998."
The bill, S. 1305, calls for doubling federal civilian research funding over 10 years. The bill is cosponsored by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Peter Domenici (R-NM) and by Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM).
Introduction of the bill was one of several events occurring in October to focus attention on the need to increase federal research funding. The events included a press conference at the Capitol at which 106 scientific organizations representing approximately 3 million researchers released a statement, "Unified Statement on Research," calling for a doubling of federal and defense funding over the next decade (see related story above), and the introduction of S. 1305.
In addition, Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-GA) appeared before the House Budget Committee to discuss what only a few years ago would have seemed to some as folly: how to best use a federal budget surplus. Among his recommendations was an increase in federal spending for scientific research.
Joining Gingrich was Rep. George Brown (D-CA), who described his "Investment Budget Proposal," which would increase federal R&D spending by 5% annually.
In introducing S.1305, Sen. Gramm said he wanted to help President Clinton build a bridge to the 21st century with "Bucky Balls." He described a "Bucky Ball" as "the nickname for Buckminsterfullerene, a molecular form of carbon that was discovered by Professors Robert F. Curl and Richard E. Smalley of Rice University in Houston. Their discovery won the 1996 Nobel Prize in chemistry.
". . . because we encourage the kind of thinking that leads to discoveries like Bucky Balls, the United States stands as the economic, military, and intellectual leader of the world. We achieved this not by accident, but by a common, unswerving conviction that America's future was something to plan for, invest in, and celebrate. Using the products of imagination and hard work, from Winchester rifles and steam engines to space shuttles, Americans built a nation. We're still building, but for what we need in the next century, we're going to have to turn to people like Curl and Smalley to give materials like Bucky Balls, and the government has a role to play.
"Unfortunately, over the past 30 years, the American government has set different priorities. In 1965, 5.7% of the federal budget was spent on nondefense research and development. Thirty-two years later in 1997, that figure has dropped by two-thirds. We spend a lot more money than we did in 1965, but we spend it on social programs, not science. We invest in the next election, not the next generation.
"The United States is underinvesting in basic research. That's right. The author of the landmark deficit reduction legislation known today as Gramm–Rudman supports the idea of the government spending more money on something.
". . . if we want to maintain the U.S. position as the leader of the free world, then we need to restore the prominence that research and technology once had in the federal budget. Our parent's generation fought two World Wars, overcame some of the worst economic conditions in the history of our nation, and yet still managed to invest in America's future. We have an obligation to do at least an equal amount for our children and grandchildren."
In his remarks, Sen. Lieberman said, "In one of the few models agreed upon by a vast majority of economists, Dr. Robert Solow won the Nobel Prize for demonstrating that at least half of the total growth in the U.S. economy since the end of World War II is attributable to scientific and technological innovation. In other words, money spent to increase scientific and engineering knowledge represents an investment which pays rich dividends for America's future."
Publicly funded science has shown to be surprisingly important to the innovation system, he explained. "A new study prepared by the National Science Foundation found that 73% of the main science papers cited by American industrial patents in two recent years were based on domestic and foreign research financed by governments or nonprofit agencies.
"Yet, despite the demonstrated importance of publicly funded scientific research, the amount spent on science and engineering by the federal government is declining.
". . . If you believe, as I do, that our current prosperity, intellectual leadership in science and medicine and the growth of entire new industries are directly linked to investments made 30 years ago, then you have got to ask where will this country be 30 years from now?"
He said it is "likely" that several countries, particularly in Asia, will exceed, on a per capita basis, the U.S. expenditure in science. "Japan already is spending more than we are in absolute dollars on nondefense research and development. This is a historic reversal. Germany, Singapore, Taiwan, China, South Korea, and India are aggressively promoting R&D investment."
Lieberman said that he and Sen. Gramm believe "it is a mistake to separate research into two warring camps, one flying the flag of basic research and the other applied science. Rather, the research enterprise represents a broad spectrum of human activity with basic and applied science at either end but not in opposition. Every component along the spectrum produces returns—economic, social, and intellectual gains for the society as a whole.
"While Sen. Gramm and I are certainly committed to fiscal responsibility and balancing the budget, we think that the country would be best served by promoting investments in education and R&D and reducing entitlement consumption spending. Failure to do so now may well imperil America's future economic vitality and our leadership in science and technology."
With Congress adjourning for its winter recess, the ball for increased research spending now bounces to the White House and the Office of Management and Budget. The degree to which the administration responds to the bipartisan call from Capitol Hill and from the scientific community will not be known until early next year when it releases its FY99 budget request.
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from Alan Weinstein
The NATO Science Program, founded in 1957, has recently launched a new initiative called Science for Peace (SfP). This initiative will use many of the mechanisms of the Science for Stability Program, whose funding for applied research in Greece, Portugal and Turkey comes to an end in 1997. SfP will begin operation in 1998 with the approval of the first projects.
To quote from their recent announcement, SfP "aims at assisting partner countries in their transition towards a market-oriented and environmentally sound economy.". It continues,"the programme will (enable) partner scientists to engage in applied R&D projects jointly with NATO counterparts." Projects will be jointly carried out among NATO and partner countries. Projects involving more than one partner country will be encouraged. Partner countries are essentially those of the former Soviet Union and their eastern block allies in Central and Eastern Europe and central Asia. NATO "counterparts" are Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The dual SfP objectives are to 1) support applied projects that relate to industrial, environmental, or security related problems, and 2) increase contact between the NATO and partner science community, while strengthening science infrastructure.
Funding will be provided for experts, scientific equipment, computers, software, travel, training of project personnel, and project-specific consumables. Funding will not be provided for salaries or overhead costs, such as the construction of buildings, the maintenance of premises, and the supply of consumables including electricity and heating oil. Funds will also not be provided for office equipment, copiers, and fax machines. Funding levels will, of course, depend upon the project, but experience from the Science for Stability Program has shown that NATO funding per project is on average $10–12 million BEF (~$300,000 US). SfP projects will have a duration of 3–5 years.
Proposals should be submitted on a four-page standard application form (available by regular mail or e-mail) by 30 September 1997 (already passed), 15 January 1998, and 15 May 1998. The partner and NATO nation collaborator must jointly submit (sign) the proposal. A steering group, composed of up to sixteen experts selected from NATO member nations for their managerial and technical experience, will review the proposals and make recommendations for projects to be funded. Applications procedures are described in detail in the "Guidelines for Project Proposals for the SfP Programme."
Application forms and guidelines for SfP Project Proposals are available by surface mail from Science for Peace Programme Office, Scientific Affairs Division, NATO, B-1110 Brussels, Belgium. Telephone: (32-2) 707 4619. Fax: (32-2) 707 4232. E-mail: science.sfp@hq.nato.int. They can also be retrieved electronically from http://www.nato.int/science.
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A combination of strong El Niño conditions and the normal seasonal warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean will keep the ocean sufficiently warm to impact global weather patterns through late winter and early spring, according to a Special Climate Summary released today by the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
"This event is still going strong and will likely continue on this track into early 1998," said Ants Leetmaa, director of NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, in Camp Spring, Maryland. "Combined with the normal, annual warming of this part of the Pacific Ocean, the sea surface temperatures will remain warm enough to impact global weather patterns into the spring."
El Niño is an abnormal warming of the ocean temperatures across the eastern tropical Pacific that brings important consequences for weather around the globe. The warm tropical ocean waters first appeared in March 1997 and quickly strengthened to become one of the strongest El Niño events on record.
Observations from data buoys and satellites indicate that waters in the eastern Pacific have averaged at least 82° F since April 1997, approximately 8° F above normal. The warm water covered more than 9.5 million square miles during September.
The warmer Pacific Ocean waters are accompanied by weak trade winds and a shift of heavy tropical rainfall into the central and eastern equatorial Pacific. The climate phenomenon typically brings wetter, cooler weather for the southern half of the United States from November through March, while the northern part of the country from Washington east to the western Great Lakes experiences warmer than normal temperatures.
"California, Texas, Florida, and other states throughout the south are likely to see significant precipitation in the next several months," added Leetmaa. "Based on historical data during past El Niño events, some areas may see as much as 150%–200% of normal. While we tend to view the increased precipitation as a threat, in some instances there are benefits such as decreasing the chance for wintertime drought in the Southwest and southern Plains and reducing the wildfire danger in Florida."
El Niño has already impacted weather patterns across the globe this summer and early fall, including significantly less rainfall in Indonesia and a dramatic decrease in tropical storm and hurricane activity in the Atlantic. Drier than normal conditions have affected Mexico, Central America, and other portions of South America. A stronger than normal Southern Hemisphere jet stream has produced wetter than normal conditions in Chile and in large portions of central and southern South America. Some locations in Chile received their normal annual rainfall total in a single day.
El Niño episodes usually occur approximately every 2–7 years. Recent El Niño events occurred in 1976–77, 1982–83, 1986–87, 1991–93, and 1994–95. The first half of the 1990s is unusual in that four out of five years featured warm episode conditions in the tropical Pacific. A cold episode occurred in 1995–96 and its effects lingered until late 1996.
NOAA works closely with the academic and science community on climate-related research projects to increase the understanding and future predictions of El Niño. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center monitors, analyzes, and predicts climate events ranging from weeks to seasons for the nation. NOAA also operates the network of data buoys and satellites that provide vital information about the ocean waters, and initiates research projects to improve future climate forecasts.
The Special Climate Summary and updates on tropical El Niño developments are available on the Internet through NOAA's Climate Prediction Center at http://nic.fb4.noaa.gov under "El Niño" and then under "Special El Niño Summary" or at http://nic.fb4.noaa.gov:80/products/special_summaries/97_3/index.html.
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from Bob Henson, UCAR
Although El Niño events or volcanic eruptions can boost or depress global temperatures within months, their strongest impacts on the earth's biosphere may not occur until 1–3 years later, according to a paper in the 31 October issue of Science. Also, regional analyses show that a global warm spell's initial boost in plant activity is clustered in polar and temperate areas, while heat-stressed tropical and semiarid regions may show an initial drop in plant production. The results lend credence to the notion that biological effects of global change could vary substantially across the globe.
"The Response of Global Terrestrial Ecosystems to Interannual Temperature Variability" was written by B.H. (Rob) Braswell, Ernst Linder, and Berrien Moore, all of the University of New Hampshire (UNH); and David Schimel, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder. According to Schimel, the results highlight the power of new datasets on global change, as well as the usefulness of computer models that connect the atmosphere and biosphere. "We were looking specifically for delayed ecosystem responses in this study because they had been predicted by the models," Schimel notes.
Braswell conducted much of the analysis during a graduate fellowship in global change at NCAR sponsored by Oak Ridge Associated Universities and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Climate System Modeling Project. NCAR is operated by UCAR under sponsorship of the National Science Foundation.
The authors used three main sources of data for the period 1979–94, each compiled and distributed with support from the U.S. Global Change Research Program:
The global temperature record revealed several multiyear patterns, including warming associated with El Niño events in the 1980s. These patterns were correlated globally with carbon dioxide levels and regionally with vegetation growth. Global carbon dioxide levels, which are steadily rising due to human activities, tended to rise more quickly over the first few months after a global temperature peak. The carbon dioxide levels then rose at a slower pace during the 1–3-year period after the temperature peak, followed by a gradual reacceleration.
The authors studied the temperature–vegetation relationship by region at data points separated by one degree latitude and longitude (roughly 85 by 110 km, or 50 by 70 miles, at midlatitudes). At the peak of a warm period, plant growth tended to increase in polar and temperate regions and decrease at lower latitudes, including tropical rain forests and drier savanna/grassland regimes. "This contrast suggests that . . . temperature may have direct negative impacts on plant growth or may increase water stress in semiarid ecosystems," the authors note.
However, in the 1–3-year period after a temperature peak, the patterns appear to reverse: plant growth is enhanced in the warmer and drier regions and limited at higher latitudes. Thus, low-latitude plant growth appears to be driving the enhanced uptake of carbon dioxide during this period.
The paper highlights the importance of regional analyses of climate change to detect areas where effects may run counter to a global average. "This is the first data-based study to consider regionally specific ecosystem responses on a global scale," says Schimel. "The results show quantitatively that ecosystems are sensitive to temperature perturbations."
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from Zhenya Gallon, NCAR
Since mid-September, researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, have been turning commercial aircraft into in-flight "sensing platforms" to measure and report turbulence. With funding from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), NCAR scientist Larry Cornman and his colleagues have created software that works with an aircraft's existing equipment to measure and report in situ (in flight) turbulence once every minute. United Airlines expects to deploy the software on more than 200 aircraft over the next six months. The data will be used to create turbulence forecasts to help pilots steer clear of bumpy air. NCAR's primary sponsor is the National Science Foundation.
Until now, the only data on turbulence—the sudden, invisible gusts that buffet a plane and its passengers—came from pilot reports of bouncy or choppy air. "If we'd tried to come up with a new sensor to load onto the aircraft, it would have been too costly," explains Cornman. Part of that cost comes from testing new equipment to ensure that it does not affect flight operations. "So we looked for a way to use sensors, computers, and communications systems that were already on board, without interfering with their normal functions." Instead of measuring turbulence directly, the researchers use the aircraft's response to turbulence to deduce its magnitude.
"We're solving an inverse problem," says Cornman. "If I measure what the aircraft's doing, I can infer what the turbulence must have been." The result is an in situ turbulence algorithm, or mathematical problem-solving procedure, that uses measurements of how much the aircraft is bouncing up and down while accounting for its weight, air speed, altitude, and whether the plane is on autopilot or not.
The algorithm is incorporated into software installed by Allied Signal, Inc., within Allied's onboard flight management system and aircraft condition monitoring system. The data are then transmitted to an FAA/National Weather Service (NWS) database.
On average, a significant turbulence incident happens every other day on a commercial flight somewhere in the United States. The result can be everything from spilled food trays to broken bones for flight attendants and passengers not buckled into their seats. In 1991, severe turbulence tore the engine off a 747 cargo plane departing the Anchorage, Alaska, airport. While a cause for the crash of United Flight 535 on final approach to Colorado Springs airport in 1991 has never been determined, turbulent winds and a rudder problem are thought to be the most likely explanations.
Cornman and other scientists will use the data compiled on the FAA/NWS database to create a turbulence detection product—a view of flight tracks showing what all of the aircraft in a given region have measured in a 30-min period. That flight track information will be provided to United Airlines (and to other airlines as they become participants in the future), as well as to the NWS Aviation Weather Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
As more aircraft report more data, Cornman expects forecasting products to improve to the point that "nowcasting," or turbulence warnings in real time, will be possible. "Having such a comprehensive and accurate database will really boost our development of new forecasting tools," Cornman explains.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will compare results from the U.S. in situ turbulence detection program to ongoing research at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. ICAO's goal is an international standard for turbulence measuring and reporting.
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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will be soliciting proposals for research, development, prototyping, and implementation of Aviation Weather Information (AWIN) systems and topical areas that contribute to a reduction in the rate of fatal aviation accidents.
The NASA AWIN effort is a part of the NASA Aviation Safety Initiative and attempts to follow the Weather Investment Recommendations Summary of the weather subteam of the Aviation Safety Investment Strategy Team (ASIST) (see http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/aero/oastthp/images/WX_Summa.pdf). Advanced weather information targeted at operational safety enhancements are intended for the commercial, general aviation, and rotorcraft sectors, while either maintaining or improving efficiency given projected capacity increases.
At a workshop at NASA Langley Research Center on 5–6 November 1997, NASA outlined the AWIN program goals and objectives, and provided a forum for topical discussions in areas such as datalink/communications, cockpit systems, enhanced displays, and enhanced weather products. Nearly 200 individuals from government agencies, R&D laboratories, academia, associations, and the private sector attended the workshop.
NASA anticipates that a NASA Research Announcement (NRA) will be issued later this year, requesting funding proposals to be submitted by early 1998. Up to 12 proposals may be funded through 2002, at a level of $100,000–$800,000 per award per year. Funds of approximately $2.5 million are presently available for award (FY98), with an expected funding of $5–8 million for each of FY99 through FY02. The objective of the NRA will be to stimulate interested parties for form groups and submit proposals, requesting partial NASA funding for research, development, prototyping, and implementation of AWIN systems. Successful proposals will work toward self- sustaining enhancements to the aviation weather system that will lower the aviation accident rate. A major, but not exclusive, emphasis in the AWIN element will be airborne utilization of aviation weather information. The intent is to supplement and complement research and modernization work currently under way by the Federal Aviation Administration, National Weather Service, other NASA projects, and other governmental and private entities. Further information is available from the program manager, Charles Scanlon, at c.h.scanlon@larc.nasa.gov.
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A complete loss of ozone between the altitudes of 14 and 20.5 km (9–13 miles) was observed recently by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists at the South Pole. This is the broadest region and highest altitude in which complete ozone destruction has been observed during the Antarctic springtime ozone hole period to date.
According to David Hofmann, director of NOAA's Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, this extension in altitude of total depletion is probably due to continued increases of stratospheric chlorine from human-induced CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons).
While chlorine-containing gases have begun to decline in the lower atmosphere due to restrictions placed on them by the Montreal Protocol and its subsequent amendments, it will take some time for chlorine to disappear from the stratosphere. (The Montreal Protocol is an international agreement to limit ozone-damaging compounds that was originally signed by the United States and 22 other nations in 1987, and subsequently revised and amended.) However, the expectation is that chlorine levels in the upper atmosphere will peak near the turn of the century, resulting in the slow recovery of the ozone layer, Hofmann said.
Balloon soundings at the South Pole indicate that total column ozone reached a minimum of 112 Dobson units on 8 October. This is similar to what springtime minimum readings have been in the past few years, indicating that large changes in the magnitude of springtime Antarctic ozone depletion are not occurring. Dobson units are a measure of the thickness of the ozone layer, which has the ability to absorb ultraviolet light. Prior to the springtime period in Antarctica, when ozone depletion occurs, the normal Dobson unit reading is about 275–300. Observations from instruments aboard a NOAA satellite indicate that the size of the Antarctic ozone "hole" approached 22 million square kilometers in early October. This is comparable to the recent size as observed by the NOAA-9 instrument in 1995 and 1996 at the same time of the season.
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Four states' plans to control water pollution from widespread "nonpoint" sources have received an initial stamp of approval from the federal government. Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and Michigan were the first U.S. coastal states and territories to have such plans conditionally approved by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency under a program designed to improve the environmental health of coastal areas.
Nonpoint pollution, as the name implies, includes widely scattered and cumulative sources such as runoff from urban streets and parking areas, agriculture, forest harvesting activities, marinas and recreational boating activities, and impacts from the construction and maintenance of dams, channels, and other alterations of natural systems.
"The recent outbreaks of Pfiesteria piscicida in mid-Atlantic states are the types of problems nonpoint source pollution plans are intended to address," said Dr. Nancy Foster, director of NOAA's National Ocean Service. "Nonpoint source pollution is suspected as contributing to conditions that led to Pfiesteria-related fish kills and health problems. We've seen growing problems with Pfiesteria and other harmful algal blooms in areas around the nation, and nonpoint pollution is suspected as playing a role in many of these cases as well. State nonpoint source pollution plans are an important step toward protecting these environments and maintaining healthy, productive, and enjoyable waterways and coastal areas."
State coastal nonpoint programs are designed to restore and protect coastal resources by reducing sources of polluted runoff that can severely degrade coastal water quality and near-shore areas. Polluted coastal waters can result in closure of beaches to swimming, restrictions on shellfish harvesting, and impacts to fisheries. Consequently, coastal water quality has significant implications for both coastal environments and economies.
Management measures in the state plans address a broad spectrum of nonpoint pollution sources and are part of a growing national recognition of the need to better control the amount of diffuse sources of pollutants that impact our nation's waters. The NOAA and EPA approvals, issued as "findings," identify many existing state programs that are being used to address nonpoint pollution problems as well as conditions the state will address to complete development of its program. Findings for plans from several other coastal states, territories, and commonwealths are expected soon.
The nonpoint pollution plans are part of a broader, overall coastal zone management program coordinated through NOAA with ocean and Great Lakes coastal states and territories. Development of plans specifically aimed at coastal nonpoint pollution was authorized in the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments of 1990.
The federal findings on plans for Rhode Island, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts were issued on 24 September by the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management in NOAA's National Ocean Service, and various Environmental Protection Agency regional offices.
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House Speaker Newt Gingrich has named House Science Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-WI) to lead the bipartisan House delegation observing the upcoming Kyoto conference on global climate change.
"Jim Sensenbrenner is the ideal candidate to lead House members on this critical fact-finding and advisory mission to Kyoto. With the other distinguished delegation members, he will report back to the Congress on the conference's proceedings and findings.
"There are three key issues of concern that must be resolved before America commits to signing onto any specific action coming out of Kyoto. First, is the science sound? Second, will the proposed solution work? And third, is the treaty fair to the United States? There are a tremendous number of questions on all three issues that have yet to be resolved."
Republicans joining Sensenbrenner will be Joe Barton (TX), Ken Calvert (CA), JoAnn Emerson (MO), Ben Gilman (NY), Joe Knollenberg (MI), Dan Schaefer (CO), and Ralph Regula (OH).
The Democratic members of the delegation were named by House Democratic Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt (D-MO). In naming the selectees, Gephardt said: "The Democratic caucus recognizes that America must lead on the environmental problems of the future. I support the intent of the president's announcement last week to go to the Kyoto conference on global warming seeking measurable results and a shared approach among all countries. This is a problem that demands leadership, and I believe the Democratic delegation to Kyoto can help provide that leadership."
The Democratic members are George A. Brown (CA), John Dingell (MI), Henry Waxman (CA), George Miller (CA), Karen McCarthy (MO), and Ron Klink (PA).
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a new educational tool, "Our Changing Climate," a publication designed to raise the level of public awareness on issues dealing with global environmental change.
"The public is becoming increasingly aware of climate issues and people are interested in understanding how these issues will affect their lives," said D. James Baker, NOAA administrator. "This new publication serves as an important tool to educate the public on a topic of rising concern."
More than 400,000 copies of "Our Changing Climate" will be shared with science teachers, educators, and libraries through a collaborative effort of NOAA's Office of Global Programs and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research's Office for Science Support. University of Washington professor Dennis Hartmann is the primary author of the publication.
Through the use of vividly colored graphics and input from the scientific community, "Our Changing Climate" discusses historical events attributed to climate such as the American ice age, the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, and phenomena such as the greenhouse effect. The publication also discusses socioeconomic impacts that result from climate patterns such as El Niño, where abnormal temperature and precipitation patterns result in flooding or drought.
"Our Changing Climate" is the fourth publication in the award-winning series "Reports to the Nation on Our Changing Planet."
Note: A "class set" of up to 30 publications is available to teachers who make a request on their school letterhead to UCAR, Joint Office for Science Support, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000; Telephone (303) 497-8666; Fax (303) 497-8633; e-mail: rtn@joss.ucar.edu. Once such a request is made, the teachers' names are added to the mailing list and they automatically receive future publications. The publication also is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.ogp.noaa.gov/OGPFront/Edoutrch.html.
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It's the big one for the Mauna Loa Observatory, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary on 19 November by dedicating a new building on site that will be one of the few primary facilities worldwide focused on studies of the ozone layer.
Situated on the slope of the Mauna Loa volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii, the observatory has served the world well in its first 40 years, accumulating the longest continuous measurements of greenhouse gases on the planet. It is poised to make even greater contributions in the 21st century.
From a modest beginning as a small meteorological station, it became the first site to provide conclusive evidence that carbon dioxide—the most important of all greenhouse gases—was increasing in the atmosphere. The observatory continues to play a central role in studies of climate change and is now prepared to monitor the ozone layer for long-term environmental effects.
To celebrate the anniversary, a new building will be dedicated on Wednesday 19 November at the observatory site. Under the direction of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, the new facility will house the Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change instrumentation and will be one of a handful of global primary sites dedicated to studying the ozone layer. David Hofmann, director of the Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory, says "these key sites will provide data on the recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer during the 21st century."
According to Russell Schnell, director of the observatory, the anniversary celebration will include honored guests Professor Charles D. Keeling, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, who conducted the first carbon dioxide measurements at Mauna Loa; the Honorable Stephen Yamashiro, mayor of Hilo; Dr. Elbert Friday Jr., director of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research for NOAA; and Dr. James Rasmussen, director of NOAA's Environmental Research Laboratories. The ceremonies will conclude with a traditional Hawaiian blessing of the new building. As part of these ceremonies, the original Mauna Loa Observatory building will be renamed the Charles D. Keeling Building in honor of Keeling's pioneering research in the field of carbon dioxide measurements.
Schnell says that the observatory is notable for a number of reasons. "Its location is unique. Situated more than 11 000 feet high on a mountain thousands of kilometers from any continental landmass, its pristine environment is one of the cleanest in the world and is ideal for measuring atmospheric gases that could cause climate change." The first conclusive evidence that carbon dioxide was increasing in the atmosphere came from measurements taken there by Keeling, who began measuring carbon dioxide in 1958. These measurements are one of the most famous environmental records in existence and clearly show the influence of humans on the environment.
In addition, the Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory takes long-term measurements of other key atmospheric substances such as the concentrations of carbon monoxide, methane, nitrous oxide, surface and stratospheric ozone, halogenated compounds including CFC replacements, and aerosols. Measurements of solar and infrared radiation are also taken. These observations are studied and compared to see what trends are occurring in the atmosphere, giving scientists a chance to investigate what factors may be involved in changing the earth's climate. Particulates, caused by volcanic eruptions, are also studied, using a laser radar.
As the major industrial nations meet in Kyoto, Japan, in December to decide how to limit the amount of greenhouse gases produced by the world, the Mauna Loa Observatory continues to be a beacon for scientists and policy makers alike. Hofmann believes that "if world leaders decide to limit the emission of carbon dioxide, effectively controlling global warming through regulations, Mauna Loa Observatory will play a key role in monitoring the effects of the regulations in the future."
For more information on the Mauna Loa Observatory, consult their website at http://mloserv.mlo.hawaii.gov/mloinfo/visit.htm.
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The first major solar flare of the new solar cycle has been detected by NOAA's Space Environment Center (SEC) in Boulder, Colorado.
The flare, an intense release of energy from an area in the southwest quadrant of the sun, was detected at about 1:58 a.m. on 4 November and was measured to be many times larger than the earth.
The joint European Space Agency and NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) mission operations center detected the event as it occurred and verified that a large coronal mass ejection took place in association with the flare.
SEC forecasters predicted activity in the earth's magnetic field to increase over the first few days of the occurrence with a geomagnetic storm to reach its greatest intensity a few days later.
Solar wind and particles produced by a solar flare can produce Aurora displays in the northern latitudes of the United States, and power systems sometimes experience isolated effects.
In March 1989, a solar flare occurred that knocked out the electrical system in all of Quebec, Canada, and destroyed a large power transformer in New Jersey. That flare produced a geomagnetic storm five times greater than this one was predicted to be.
For the past 300 years, the waxing and waning of sunspots has been quite regular. "This event heralds in the new cycle very well," according to Larry Combs, SEC forecaster. "For the next 2–6 years, we should see an increase in solar activity, especially as we approach solar maximum in the year 2000."
By then, he said, events as large as those of 1989 are expected to occur.
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NASA and Argentina have signed an agreement for two Mission to Planet Earth–related satellites.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed in Buenos Aires by NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin and Dr. Conrado Franco Varotto, executive director of the Argentina National Commission on Space Activities (CONAE). Goldin was in Buenos Aires accompanying President Bill Clinton.
The satellites are Satelite de Aplicaciones Cientificas (SAC-C) and SAC-A. SAC-C will conduct related observations of the earth of interest to Argentina and the United States and will contribute directly to the NASA Mission to Planet Earth program. It will entail the flight of an Argentine Multispectral Medium Resolution Scanner (MMRS) that will be used primarily by Argentina to monitor forest inventory in the Argentine region of Mesopotamia; predict agricultural production in the Pampean region; evaluate and elaborate maps of the Patagonian desert; monitor pollution; evaluate changes in the Chacoan forests and correlate these changes with atmospheric changes in CO2; and examine circulation and productivity in marine coastal areas.
SAC-C also will carry magnetic field instruments provided by the Danish Meteorological Institute, which will include a NASA-provided scalar magnetometer to monitor the main geomagnetic field, map lithospheric magnetic anomalies, and study ionospheric current systems.
NASA will launch the satellite, currently scheduled for May 1999, on a Delta rocket.
SAC-A will be launched as a hitchhiker payload from the space shuttle cargo bay in 1998 on the STS-88 mission, which also is the first space station assembly mission. The small Argentine-built satellite will test several new space technologies for the Argentine and U.S. space programs.
The satellite will take scalar measurements of the earth's magnetic field and will carry an Argentinean experiment to track endangered whale population migrations in the Southern Hemisphere.
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Brazil has agreed to supply a Window Observational Research Facility for the International Space Station (ISS) which will be used as a mount with data and power connections for optical experiments for earth observations, according to a recent NASA announcement.
The observational facility will be one of several Brazilian contributions to the space station under an agreement signed 14 October by NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin and Brazilian Space Agency President Dr. Luiz Gylvan Meira. The agreement provides for the design, development, operation, and use of Brazilian-developed flight equipment and payloads for the space station.
Under the arrangement and in addition to the earth observational experiment, the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) will provide a Technology Experiment Facility (TEF) and an Expedite the Processing of Experiments to Space Station (EXPRESS) pallet. The TEF will provide long-term exposure to the space environment for active and passive experiments. EXPRESS will serve as an interface mechanism to attach small payloads to U.S. truss segments of the space station.
Other contributions include an Unpressurized Logistics Center (ULC) and associated equipment for transportation of ISS cargo on the space shuttle. In exchange for AEB-provided equipment and support, NASA will provide Brazil with access to its ISS facilities on orbit as well as a flight opportunity for one Brazilian astronaut during the course of the ISS program.
The assembly of the ISS begins in June 1998 with the launch of the Functional Cargo Block, a U.S.-financed, Russian-built and -launched vehicle. The U.S. node is scheduled for launch on space shuttle mission STS-88 in July 1998. Assembly of the space station is expected to be completed in 2003.
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UCAR's acquisition of an NEC SX-4 supercomputer has been stopped officially as a result of two federal decisions in late August, according to a report in the UCAR Quarterly.
In its fall 1997 issue, the publication reported that the Department of Commerce has assigned a dumping margin of 454% for NEC supercomputers. On the same day, the U.S. Court of International Trade rejected NEC's claim that the Commerce Department has prejudged the case, according to the Quarterly.
"In the light of these decisions and in accordance with the regulations of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget that all procurements be conducted to provide open and free competition, NSF informed UCAR that it cannot approve the award for the NEC SX-4," the story reported.
When the dumping investigation began last September, the Quarterly reported, NCAR's Scientific Computing Division (SCD) began preparing for the possibility that the SX-4 would never be available, the report indicated. Within the past year, it continued, the division has installed two Cray computers, AC90 and J9se. SCD also used NSF High Performance Computing and Communications funding to acquire a Hewlett-Packard Exemplar X-Class system (called an SPP), a highly parallel computer.
SCD staff will use the SPP to evaluate distributed, shared-memory architecture and smooth the transition from the familiar vector supercomputers to massively parallel machines, according to the Quarterly. That process will dominate much of the division's work in FY98.
"'This (highly parallel) technology looks promising,' said Bill Buzbee, Director of SCD," the story noted.
In August, staff in the Computational Support Section of SCD achieved computational speeds of over 10 Gigaflops (Gflops) using a spectral element atmospheric model running on a 128-processor Hewlett-Packard system.
Silicon Graphics has reported achieving over five Gflops—the speed required to sustain many projects in SCD's Climate Simulation Laboratory—running the Pennsylvania State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research MM5 climate model on a 64-processor Origin machine.
Buzbee is quoted as saying the question is not, "Will we switch to highly parallel nonvector systems? The question is, when will we switch?" The answer, he said, is "as soon as possible."
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NOAA has announced the recipients of the Walter B. Jones Memorial and NOAA Excellence Awards for Coastal and Ocean Resource Management for their extraordinary efforts to protect and conserve the nation's coasts.
The awards program honors excellence in unique coastal and ocean resource management programs, as well as in public and private endeavors to conserve America's coasts.
"Estuarine and coastal wetlands are decreasing nationwide by an average of 31 square miles per year," according to Jeffrey R. Benoit, Director of NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management. "Marine habitats are disappearing at an alarming rate, underscoring the fact that the nation's ocean and coastal resources are at serious risk. The award recipients are the folks who are helping to change the quality of our oceans and coasts."
The awards, presented on 24 October, went to the following people.
The 18 honorees were chosen from nearly 100 qualified nominees by an independent panel of judges.
Congressman Walter B. Jones Jr. (R-NC) and D. James Baker, undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator, presided at the award ceremony, held in the Rayburn House Office Building.
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Dr. Wayne Littles, director of the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama, has announced that he will retire from NASA on 3 January 1998. NASA is proceeding with the search for a successor.
In February 1996, Dr. Littles was named the eighth director of the Marshall Center, NASA's lead center for space transportation systems development and microgravity research, and NASA's center of excellence for propulsion.
Dr. Littles joined NASA and Marshall in 1967, moving rapidly through its ranks. He served as director of Marshall's Science and Engineering Directorate and was named deputy director of Marshall in 1989. In 1994, Dr. Littles was assigned to NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC, as NASA's chief engineer. Later that year he was named NASA associate administrator for Space Flight, directing the planning, development, and operation of the Space Shuttle, Spacelab, and Space Station programs.
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Lee B. Holcomb has been named chief information officer (CIO) at NASA Headquarters in Washington. He succeeds Ronald S. West, who retired earlier this year.
The CIO reports directly to the NASA administrator and is responsible for the development of information resource management strategies, policies, and practices. Those encompass strategic planning; standards in computing, networking, and security; establishment of system and information architectures; and incorporation of life cycle management concepts into information, acquisitions, and management.
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