+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| ![](media/image1                  |                                   |
| .png){width="7.527777777777778in" |                                   |
| height="0.9416666666666667in"}    |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **NOAA In Your State**            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Colorado**                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| *NOAA\'s work touches the daily   |   -------------------             |
| lives of every person in the      | --------------------------------- |
| United States and in much of the  |   ![](media/image2.               |
| world. Our products and services  | png){width="2.6333333333333333in" |
| are the result of the hard work   |   height="1.6888888888888889in"}  |
| of NOAA's dedicated staff and     |                                   |
| partner organizations located in  |   -------------------             |
| program and research offices      | --------------------------------- |
| throughout the country. The       |                                   |
| following is a summary of NOAA    |                                   |
| programs based in, and focused    |                                   |
| on, your state. The entries are   |                                   |
| listed by statewide, region, and  |                                   |
| then by congressional districts   |                                   |
| and cities or towns.*             |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| ***CO***                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Statewide***                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service (NWS)  |                                   |
| and Office of Oceanic and         |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Incident Meteorologist Program  |                                   |
| and Earth Systems Research        |                                   |
| Laboratory**                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Fire Weather Services and       |                                   |
| Support**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The National Weather Service      |                                   |
| (NWS) fire weather forecasters    |                                   |
| are called Incident               |                                   |
| Meteorologists (IMETS). When a    |                                   |
| fire reaches a large enough size  |                                   |
| the IMETS are called out to the   |                                   |
| fire to provide constant weather  |                                   |
| updates and forecast briefings to |                                   |
| the fire incident commanders at   |                                   |
| the fire. The IMETS are very      |                                   |
| important members of the fire     |                                   |
| fighting team, as changes in the  |                                   |
| fires are largely due to changes  |                                   |
| in the weather. To improve NWS    |                                   |
| fire weather services to the      |                                   |
| public, NOAA's Earth System       |                                   |
| Research Laboratory (ESRL)        |                                   |
| conducts modeling,                |                                   |
| instrumentation and data services |                                   |
| research. ESRL data dissemination |                                   |
| and display systems are designed  |                                   |
| to be used by trained             |                                   |
| meteorologists, the US Forest     |                                   |
| Service, and the Bureau of Land   |                                   |
| Management. For example, the      |                                   |
| FX-Net thin client system and the |                                   |
| Gridded FX-Net full function      |                                   |
| system are ESRL-developed         |                                   |
| software systems that are a       |                                   |
| critical part of the equipment    |                                   |
| the IMETS bring with them to the  |                                   |
| fire. NWS forecasters at fires in |                                   |
| all 50 states use these mobile    |                                   |
| PC--based client software         |                                   |
| packages. Computer servers that   |                                   |
| communicate with the mobile PC    |                                   |
| clients are located in Hawaii,    |                                   |
| Alaska, Utah, Colorado, Texas and |                                   |
| New York. State emergency         |                                   |
| managers in many of the NWS       |                                   |
| regional areas also use the       |                                   |
| PC-base clients. Other            |                                   |
| collaborators who work to improve |                                   |
| NWS fire weather services include |                                   |
| the University of Colorado in     |                                   |
| Boulder (CU), NCAR and private    |                                   |
| sector instrumentation companies. |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Program Office**        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Colorado Grants**               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA is a leading provider of     |                                   |
| climate, weather, and water       |                                   |
| information and services to the   |                                   |
| nation and the world. NOAA's      |                                   |
| Climate Program Office was        |                                   |
| established in October 2005. The  |                                   |
| Office manages the competitive    |                                   |
| research program by which NOAA    |                                   |
| funds high-priority climate       |                                   |
| science to advance understanding  |                                   |
| of atmospheric, oceanic,          |                                   |
| land-based, and snow and ice      |                                   |
| processes, and how they affect    |                                   |
| climate. It focuses on developing |                                   |
| a broader user community for      |                                   |
| climate products and services,    |                                   |
| provides NOAA a focal point for   |                                   |
| climate activities within NOAA,   |                                   |
| leads NOAA climate education and  |                                   |
| outreach activities, and          |                                   |
| coordinates international climate |                                   |
| activities. It supports projects  |                                   |
| across the nation conducted by    |                                   |
| investigators outside the federal |                                   |
| government, such as the through   |                                   |
| the academic and private sectors, |                                   |
| within the federal government,    |                                   |
| and in NOAA Cooperative           |                                   |
| Institutes. The Climate Program   |                                   |
| Office provides climate funding   |                                   |
| in this state.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http                             |                                   |
| ://www.cpo.noaa.gov/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Physical Sciences      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Experimental Climate Services** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Earth System Research     |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) scientists, in  |                                   |
| partnership with the University   |                                   |
| of Colorado Cooperative Institute |                                   |
| for Research in Environmental     |                                   |
| Sciences (CIRES), has been        |                                   |
| working with the NOAA Colorado    |                                   |
| Basin River Forecast Center (in   |                                   |
| Salt Lake City, UT) to develop    |                                   |
| new river forecast products that  |                                   |
| incorporate longer-term weather   |                                   |
| forecasts and seasonal climate    |                                   |
| forecasts. The resulting improved |                                   |
| outlooks of river flows and       |                                   |
| reservoir inflow volumes products |                                   |
| is intended to help Colorado      |                                   |
| River water and reservoir         |                                   |
| managers more effectively manage  |                                   |
| water supplies for droughts and   |                                   |
| floods. ESRL scientists are also  |                                   |
| working with U.S. Bureau of       |                                   |
| Reclamation reservoir managers in |                                   |
| the state to develop ways to use  |                                   |
| climate information in management |                                   |
| of the Colorado River and its     |                                   |
| large reservoirs.                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***CO-1***                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Denver***                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Seafood Inspection     |                                   |
| Program**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Denver Inspection Service**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The National Seafood Inspection   |                                   |
| Program conducts a voluntary      |                                   |
| inspection program for fishery    |                                   |
| products on a fee-for-service     |                                   |
| basis. The office offers a wide   |                                   |
| range of services to the area\'s  |                                   |
| fishermen and fish processors     |                                   |
| including process and product     |                                   |
| inspection, product grading, lot  |                                   |
| inspection, laboratory analysis,  |                                   |
| and training. All edible          |                                   |
| foodstuffs, ranging from whole    |                                   |
| fish to formulated products, as   |                                   |
| well as fishmeal used for animal  |                                   |
| foods, are eligible for           |                                   |
| inspection and certification.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://s                        |                                   |
| eafood.nmfs.noaa.gov/]{.underline |                                   |
| }](http://seafood.nmfs.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***La Junta***                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Reference Network**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **La Junta Station**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The U.S. Climate Reference        |                                   |
| Network (USCRN) is an operational |                                   |
| network of climate stations. Data |                                   |
| from the USCRN will be used in    |                                   |
| operational climate monitoring    |                                   |
| activities and for placing        |                                   |
| current climate anomalies into an |                                   |
| historical perspective. NOAA\'s   |                                   |
| National Climatic Data Center     |                                   |
| (NCDC) manages and operates the   |                                   |
| USCRN. The USCRN will also        |                                   |
| provide the United States with a  |                                   |
| reference network that            |                                   |
| contributes to an International   |                                   |
| network under the auspices of the |                                   |
| Global Climate Observing System   |                                   |
| (GCOS). NOAA's National           |                                   |
| Environmental Satellite, Data,    |                                   |
| and Information Service and       |                                   |
| NOAA's Office of Oceanic and      |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research jointly      |                                   |
| manage USCRN.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.ncdc.noaa            |                                   |
| .gov/crn/hourly]{.underline}](htt |                                   |
| p://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/hourly) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***CO-2***                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Boulder***                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Environmental          |                                   |
| Satellite, Data, and Information  |                                   |
| Service (NESDIS)**                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Geophysical Data       |                                   |
| Center (NGDC)**                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Geophysical Data       |                                   |
| Archive**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s National Geophysical Data |                                   |
| Center (NGDC), located in         |                                   |
| Boulder, Colorado, is one of      |                                   |
| three NOAA National Data Centers. |                                   |
| Its mission is to provide         |                                   |
| long-term scientific data         |                                   |
| stewardship for the Nation\'s     |                                   |
| geophysical data, ensuring        |                                   |
| quality, integrity, and           |                                   |
| accessibility. NGDC provides      |                                   |
| stewardship, products and         |                                   |
| services for geophysical data     |                                   |
| describing the solid earth,       |                                   |
| marine, and solar-terrestrial     |                                   |
| environment, as well as earth     |                                   |
| observations from space. NGDC\'s  |                                   |
| data holdings currently contain   |                                   |
| more than 400 digital and analog  |                                   |
| databases. NGDC works closely     |                                   |
| with contributors of scientific   |                                   |
| data to prepare documented,       |                                   |
| reliable data sets. NGDC works    |                                   |
| with other government agencies,   |                                   |
| nonprofit organizations, and      |                                   |
| universities, and encourage data  |                                   |
| exchange. NGDC\'s data users      |                                   |
| include: private industry;        |                                   |
| universities and other            |                                   |
| educational facilities; research  |                                   |
| organizations; federal, state,    |                                   |
| and local governments; foreign    |                                   |
| governments; industry; academia;  |                                   |
| publishers and other mass media   |                                   |
| outlets; and the general public.  |                                   |
| One of NGDC's partnerships is     |                                   |
| with the University of Colorado   |                                   |
| National Snow and Ice Data Center |                                   |
| (NSIDC), which archives and       |                                   |
| distributes NOAA snow and ice     |                                   |
| data to a wide customer base.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[                                |                                   |
| http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/]{.under |                                   |
| line}](http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Centers for            |                                   |
| Environmental Prediction**        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Space Environment Center**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Space Environment Center      |                                   |
| (SEC) monitors and forecasts      |                                   |
| solar storm activities. Through   |                                   |
| research and technical support    |                                   |
| activities, SEC strives to        |                                   |
| improve techniques for            |                                   |
| forecasting solar storms and the  |                                   |
| effect on the Earth\'s            |                                   |
| environment. SEC operates the     |                                   |
| Space Environment Services Center |                                   |
| with the United States Air Force  |                                   |
| (USAF) Air Weather Service. Daily |                                   |
| forecasts of the space            |                                   |
| environment are disseminated      |                                   |
| worldwide. These forecasts        |                                   |
| directly support activities at    |                                   |
| USAF and NASA installations, and  |                                   |
| benefit private industry. For     |                                   |
| example, power generation and     |                                   |
| distribution companies are warned |                                   |
| of potential, electrical          |                                   |
| disturbances; airline companies   |                                   |
| are alerted to the possibility of |                                   |
| navigational problems; and        |                                   |
| communications companies are      |                                   |
| informed of likely disruptions to |                                   |
| radio transmission.               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.sec.noaa.gov]{.unde  |                                   |
| rline}](http://www.sec.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather Forecast Office**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Boulder WFO**                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Located at the NOAA Boulder       |                                   |
| complex, this National Weather    |                                   |
| Service Weather Forecast Office   |                                   |
| provides weather and flood        |                                   |
| warnings, daily forecasts and     |                                   |
| meteorologic and hydrologic data  |                                   |
| for 21 counties in north-central  |                                   |
| Colorado serving a population of  |                                   |
| more than 2,984,000.              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http                            |                                   |
| ://www.crh.noaa.gov/den]{.underli |                                   |
| ne}](http://www.crh.noaa.gov/den) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **NOAA Corporate**                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **NOAA Corporate Finance and      |                                   |
| Administrative Services Offices** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Boulder Office**                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA Corporate Finance and        |                                   |
| Administrative Services Offices   |                                   |
| NOAA - Boulder (NCFASO), formerly |                                   |
| known as the Mountain             |                                   |
| Administrative Support Center     |                                   |
| (MASC) is located in the David    |                                   |
| Skaggs Research Center in         |                                   |
| Boulder. One of four Program      |                                   |
| Support Centers hosted by NOAA    |                                   |
| Program Support (NPS), within the |                                   |
| National Oceanic and Atmospheric  |                                   |
| Administration (NOAA),            |                                   |
| NCFASO-Boulder provides           |                                   |
| comprehensive, effective and      |                                   |
| efficient administrative services |                                   |
| to Department of Commerce         |                                   |
| employees in the NCFASO-Boulder   |                                   |
| Region and the Southern Region of |                                   |
| the National Weather Service.     |                                   |
| NCFASO - Boulder\'s clients are:  |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Office of Oceanic and     |                                   |
| Atmospheric Labs; National        |                                   |
| Weather Service (NWS) Southern    |                                   |
| Region; NWS, Radar Operations     |                                   |
| Center; NWS, Warning Decision     |                                   |
| Training Branch; National         |                                   |
| Geophysical Data Center; National |                                   |
| Environmental Satellite, Data,    |                                   |
| and Informational Service         |                                   |
| Regional and Mesoscale            |                                   |
| Meteorology Team (RAMM), National |                                   |
| Institute of Standards and        |                                   |
| Technology\'s Boulder Labs,       |                                   |
| National Telecommunications and   |                                   |
| Information Administration,       |                                   |
| Institute for Telecommunication   |                                   |
| Sciences, and regions of the      |                                   |
| Minority Business Development     |                                   |
| Agency, Bureau of Industry and    |                                   |
| Security, and Economic            |                                   |
| Development Administration.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[                                |                                   |
| http://www.masc.noaa.gov/]{.under |                                   |
| line}](http://www.masc.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Reference Network**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Boulder Station**               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The U.S. Climate Reference        |                                   |
| Network (USCRN) is an operational |                                   |
| network of climate stations. Data |                                   |
| from the USCRN will be used in    |                                   |
| operational climate monitoring    |                                   |
| activities and for placing        |                                   |
| current climate anomalies into an |                                   |
| historical perspective. NOAA\'s   |                                   |
| National Climatic Data Center     |                                   |
| (NCDC) manages and operates the   |                                   |
| USCRN. The USCRN will also        |                                   |
| provide the United States with a  |                                   |
| reference network that            |                                   |
| contributes to an International   |                                   |
| network under the auspices of the |                                   |
| Global Climate Observing System   |                                   |
| (GCOS). NOAA's National           |                                   |
| Environmental Satellite, Data,    |                                   |
| and Information Service and       |                                   |
| NOAA's Office of Oceanic and      |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research jointly      |                                   |
| manage USCRN.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.ncdc.noaa            |                                   |
| .gov/crn/hourly]{.underline}](htt |                                   |
| p://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/hourly) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Cooperative Institute**         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Cooperative Institute for       |                                   |
| Research in Environmental         |                                   |
| Sciences (CIRES)**                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| CIRES was established at the      |                                   |
| University of Colorado in         |                                   |
| September 1967, and serves as a   |                                   |
| key mechanism to promote          |                                   |
| collaboration between scientists  |                                   |
| at nine university departments    |                                   |
| and NOAA. CIRES' chief            |                                   |
| collaborator is the Earth System  |                                   |
| Research Laboratory within the    |                                   |
| Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric |                                   |
| Research. CIRES employees also    |                                   |
| work with other NOAA facilities   |                                   |
| located in Boulder, including the |                                   |
| National Climatic Data Center\'s  |                                   |
| Paleoclimatology Branch, the      |                                   |
| National Geophysical Data Center, |                                   |
| and the Space Weather Prediction  |                                   |
| Center. CIRES is committed to     |                                   |
| fundamental and interdisciplinary |                                   |
| research targeted at all aspects  |                                   |
| of earth system science and to    |                                   |
| communicating these findings to   |                                   |
| the global scientific community,  |                                   |
| to decision-makers, and to the    |                                   |
| public. CIRES conducts research   |                                   |
| in six theme areas: (1) advanced  |                                   |
| modeling and observing systems;   |                                   |
| (2) climate system variability;   |                                   |
| (3) geodynamics; (4) integrating  |                                   |
| activities; (5) planetary         |                                   |
| metabolism; and (6) regional      |                                   |
| processes.                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[h                               |                                   |
| ttp://cires.colorado.edu]{.underl |                                   |
| ine}](http://cires.colorado.edu/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory**                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **NOAA Laboratory**               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Earth System Research         |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) is based in the |                                   |
| David Skaggs Research Center at   |                                   |
| 325 Broadway in Boulder CO. It    |                                   |
| employees approximately 400       |                                   |
| scientists, technicians, and      |                                   |
| support personnel, and maintains  |                                   |
| a number of facilities and        |                                   |
| programs locally and globally in  |                                   |
| order to execute NOAA Research    |                                   |
| missions. ESRL is organized as    |                                   |
| four divisions - Global           |                                   |
| Monitoring, Physical Sciences,    |                                   |
| Chemical Sciences, and Global     |                                   |
| Systems. The work of these        |                                   |
| Divisions includes monitoring     |                                   |
| atmospheric constituents,         |                                   |
| understanding climate processes   |                                   |
| and trends, providing climate     |                                   |
| information related to water      |                                   |
| management decisions, improving   |                                   |
| weather prediction, understanding |                                   |
| the recovery of the stratospheric |                                   |
| ozone layer, and developing air   |                                   |
| quality forecast models. ESRL     |                                   |
| constitutes one of the country's  |                                   |
| most significant concentrations   |                                   |
| of scientific expertise,          |                                   |
| observational activities, and     |                                   |
| advanced technology systems for   |                                   |
| improving the understanding of    |                                   |
| climate and weather processes     |                                   |
| that affect all Americans. ESRL   |                                   |
| scientists serve in leadership    |                                   |
| positions for local, national and |                                   |
| international climate and air     |                                   |
| quality science assessments.      |                                   |
| These research products provide   |                                   |
| long-term state-of-the-science    |                                   |
| references for local, regional    |                                   |
| and global policy makers. The     |                                   |
| vital work of scientists          |                                   |
| contributing to the IPCC was      |                                   |
| recognized with the awarding of   |                                   |
| the Nobel Peace Prize.            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/ and    |                                   |
| http://www.es                     |                                   |
| rl.noaa.gov/media/2007/nobel.html |                                   |
| and                               |                                   |
| http://ww                         |                                   |
| w.esrl.noaa.gov/csd/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Monitoring the Surface          |                                   |
| Atmosphere -- Ozone               |                                   |
| Measurements**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ESRL conducts long-term           |                                   |
| monitoring of ozone at the        |                                   |
| surface, with aircraft, and with  |                                   |
| balloons, through cooperative     |                                   |
| relationships with local          |                                   |
| partners. The ESRL tropospheric   |                                   |
| ozone aircraft measurement        |                                   |
| program is being done in          |                                   |
| conjunction with the Carbon Cycle |                                   |
| and Greenhouse Gas (CCGG)         |                                   |
| group\'s existing aircraft        |                                   |
| sampling network. Aircraft based  |                                   |
| in-situ tropospheric ozone        |                                   |
| measurements provide data         |                                   |
| relevant to: pollution events,    |                                   |
| lower atmosphere mixing dynamics, |                                   |
| boundary layer stability, ozone   |                                   |
| trend studies, and the validity   |                                   |
| of other samples collected        |                                   |
| in-flight. Near ground level,     |                                   |
| ozone is currently monitored      |                                   |
| using ultraviolet absorption      |                                   |
| photometers at eight sites that   |                                   |
| are generally representative of   |                                   |
| background conditions. These      |                                   |
| sites, four of which have records |                                   |
| exceeding 25 years in length,     |                                   |
| provide information on possible   |                                   |
| long-term changes in tropospheric |                                   |
| ozone near the surface and        |                                   |
| support air quality research.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.esrl.no              |                                   |
| aa.gov/gmd/ozwv/]{.underline}](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ozwv/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Monitoring the Surface          |                                   |
| Atmosphere -- Water Vapor         |                                   |
| Measurements**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA's Earth System Research      |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) operates a      |                                   |
| stratospheric water vapor program |                                   |
| using balloon-borne, chilled      |                                   |
| mirror hygrometers flown monthly  |                                   |
| at Boulder, CO and as part of     |                                   |
| campaigns at other locations to   |                                   |
| obtain water vapor profiles in    |                                   |
| the upper troposphere and lower   |                                   |
| stratosphere (to \~28 km). The    |                                   |
| 20-year record at Boulder is a    |                                   |
| unique record of measurements     |                                   |
| showing changes in stratospheric  |                                   |
| water vapor. These ongoing        |                                   |
| observations are essential for    |                                   |
| improving our understanding of    |                                   |
| stratospheric ozone and climate   |                                   |
| processes.                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.esrl.no              |                                   |
| aa.gov/gmd/ozwv/]{.underline}](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ozwv/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Stratospheric Aerosol Lidar     |                                   |
| Measurements**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA's Earth System Research      |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) operates three  |                                   |
| stratospheric lidar systems to    |                                   |
| measure atmospheric aerosol       |                                   |
| profiles. The Boulder system went |                                   |
| online in 1999. Stratospheric     |                                   |
| lidar systems measure aerosol     |                                   |
| light for monitoring              |                                   |
| stratospheric aerosols from       |                                   |
| volcanic origins. Volcanic        |                                   |
| aerosols in the stratosphere from |                                   |
| future eruptions could act as     |                                   |
| catalysts for large scale         |                                   |
| stratospheric ozone depletions    |                                   |
| until anthropogenic stratospheric |                                   |
| halocarbon concentrations         |                                   |
| decrease to lower levels by       |                                   |
| mid-century. These ongoing        |                                   |
| observations are important for    |                                   |
| monitoring the recovery of the    |                                   |
| stratospheric ozone layer, which  |                                   |
| protects us from the sun's        |                                   |
| ultraviolet radiation.            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.esrl.no              |                                   |
| aa.gov/gmd/ozwv/]{.underline}](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ozwv/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Total Column Ozone              |                                   |
| Measurements**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Earth System Research     |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) makes           |                                   |
| measurements of the column        |                                   |
| amounts of ozone between the      |                                   |
| earth\'s surface and the top of   |                                   |
| the atmosphere at a number of     |                                   |
| locations around the United       |                                   |
| States, including Boulder, CO.    |                                   |
| The observations are obtained     |                                   |
| with ground-based spectrometers   |                                   |
| that measure the attenuation by   |                                   |
| ozone of ultraviolet light. This  |                                   |
| integrated ozone amount is        |                                   |
| critical in determining the       |                                   |
| amount of ultraviolet radiation   |                                   |
| reaching the earth\'s surface.    |                                   |
| Excess ultraviolet radiation is   |                                   |
| responsible for human skin cancer |                                   |
| and is also harmful to other      |                                   |
| biogenic organisms. Column ozone  |                                   |
| measurements monitor changes in   |                                   |
| the stratospheric ozone layer     |                                   |
| resulting from human-produced     |                                   |
| chlorine and bromine compounds    |                                   |
| that destroy ozone. With controls |                                   |
| now in place on the manufacture   |                                   |
| and use of these ozone-destroying |                                   |
| compounds, it will be important   |                                   |
| to monitor the ozone layer for    |                                   |
| the expected recovery and         |                                   |
| determine whether other factors   |                                   |
| such as long-term climate change  |                                   |
| are influencing this recovery.    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://                         |                                   |
| www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/about/ozone |                                   |
| .html]{.underline}](http://www.es |                                   |
| rl.noaa.gov/gmd/about/ozone.html) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Ultraviolet Radiation (UV)      |                                   |
| Monitoring Network**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Earth System Research         |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) operates an     |                                   |
| ultraviolet radiation (UV)        |                                   |
| monitoring network in Colorado,   |                                   |
| with sites in Boulder, Niwot      |                                   |
| Ridge, and Longmont. These        |                                   |
| measurements are done as part of  |                                   |
| ESRL's research on the Earth\'s   |                                   |
| surface radiation budget.         |                                   |
| Research efforts are devoted to   |                                   |
| the extent and cause of observed  |                                   |
| variations in long-term radiation |                                   |
| and meteorological measurements,  |                                   |
| using satellite observations and  |                                   |
| climate model calculations. In    |                                   |
| addition, observations of         |                                   |
| spectral solar radiation are made |                                   |
| for the purpose of remote sensing |                                   |
| of certain atmospheric            |                                   |
| constituents and spectral solar   |                                   |
| UV is measured for the            |                                   |
| investigation of the interaction  |                                   |
| of ozone and solar radiation.     |                                   |
| ESRL also provides essential      |                                   |
| instrument calibration services   |                                   |
| for national and worldwide        |                                   |
| partner UV monitoring networks.   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.esrl.no              |                                   |
| aa.gov/gmd/grad/]{.underline}](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/grad/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Systems         |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Forecast Verification**         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Earth System Research     |                                   |
| Laboratory scientists are         |                                   |
| developing a Real-Time            |                                   |
| Verification System (RTVS) to     |                                   |
| support the Federal Aviation      |                                   |
| Administration (FAA) goal of      |                                   |
| delivering improved aviation      |                                   |
| forecasts to the National Weather |                                   |
| Service. The RTVS gives users     |                                   |
| flexible and user-friendly access |                                   |
| to on-going statistical results   |                                   |
| and graphical displays. ESRL      |                                   |
| scientists are also developing    |                                   |
| state-of-the-art verification     |                                   |
| technologies that allow for       |                                   |
| on-going evaluation of aviation   |                                   |
| forecasts. As a result of this    |                                   |
| work, the RTVS has become the     |                                   |
| cornerstone of the FAA\'s         |                                   |
| Aviation Weather Research Program |                                   |
| for providing an interactive and  |                                   |
| easy-to-use verification tool     |                                   |
| that provides immediate feedback  |                                   |
| to forecasters, decision-makers,  |                                   |
| and managers.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://ww                       |                                   |
| w-ad.fsl.noaa.gov/fvb/rtvs/index. |                                   |
| html]{.underline}](http://www-ad. |                                   |
| fsl.noaa.gov/fvb/rtvs/index.html) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Systems         |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Hydrometeorological Testbed**   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Hydrometeorological       |                                   |
| Testbed (HMT) is a demonstration  |                                   |
| program that focuses the use of   |                                   |
| advanced observational and        |                                   |
| modeling tools on quantitative    |                                   |
| precipitation estimation (QPE)    |                                   |
| and quantitative precipitation    |                                   |
| forecasting (QPF) for the purpose |                                   |
| of improving hydrologic forecasts |                                   |
| and warnings. The testbed         |                                   |
| approach will accelerate          |                                   |
| transitions from the research and |                                   |
| development community to          |                                   |
| operations, as described in       |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Strategic Plan and        |                                   |
| recommended by the NOAA Hydrology |                                   |
| Team\'s Science and Technology    |                                   |
| Infusion Plan (STIP) and the U.S. |                                   |
| Weather Research Program (USWRP). |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Project management resides in     |                                   |
| Boulder, CO. Field                |                                   |
| instrumentation, system and       |                                   |
| forecast product development is   |                                   |
| currently focused on the American |                                   |
| River Basin in California in an   |                                   |
| effort to better protect one of   |                                   |
| the most flood vulnerable cities  |                                   |
| in the U.S. -- Sacramento. Other  |                                   |
| areas of California are part of   |                                   |
| the project, and additional       |                                   |
| Testbeds are being developed in   |                                   |
| the Midwest and the Southeastern  |                                   |
| seaboard.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://hmt.noaa.gov/]{.         |                                   |
| underline}](http://hmt.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Systems         |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **NOAA Virtual Worlds**           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ESRL has demonstrated leadership  |                                   |
| and vision in exploring the       |                                   |
| emerging opportunities of the     |                                   |
| Internet virtual Worlds. NOAA is  |                                   |
| targeting the next generation of  |                                   |
| scientists with its island in     |                                   |
| \"Second Life\". \"Second Life\"  |                                   |
| is a 3-D virtual world built and  |                                   |
| owned entirely by its residents   |                                   |
| who, through immersive            |                                   |
| storytelling, can experience      |                                   |
| environments that they would      |                                   |
| otherwise not have access to. The |                                   |
| island\'s engaging virtual        |                                   |
| adventures incorporate real-life  |                                   |
| NOAA date and research, helping   |                                   |
| participants understand the       |                                   |
| complex science that drives our   |                                   |
| climate, ecosystems, and weather. |                                   |
| NOAA is also acquiring real       |                                   |
| estate in \"Scilands\", a virtual |                                   |
| continent and user community      |                                   |
| within \"Second Life\" devoted to |                                   |
| science and technology. As one of |                                   |
| the first government-sponsored    |                                   |
| Earth-science islands, NOAA was   |                                   |
| key to establishing the continent |                                   |
| in collaboration with             |                                   |
| universities, museums, and other  |                                   |
| government agencies.              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http                             |                                   |
| ://www.scilands.org/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Systems         |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **The Developmental Testbed       |                                   |
| Center (DTC)**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The DTC is a facility where the   |                                   |
| Numerical Weather Prediction      |                                   |
| (NWP) research and operational    |                                   |
| communities interact to           |                                   |
| accelerate testing and evaluation |                                   |
| of new models and techniques for  |                                   |
| research applications and         |                                   |
| operational implementation,       |                                   |
| without interfering with current  |                                   |
| operations. DTC\'s goals are to   |                                   |
| link research and operational     |                                   |
| communities; speed transition of  |                                   |
| research results into operations; |                                   |
| accelerate improvement in weather |                                   |
| forecasts; develop and test new   |                                   |
| NWP techniques; and provide the   |                                   |
| opportunity for NWP community to  |                                   |
| perform tests of model and data   |                                   |
| assimilation systems.             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.dtcenter.org]{.unde  |                                   |
| rline}](http://www.dtcenter.org/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Systems         |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather In-situ Deployment      |                                   |
| Optimization (WISDOM)**           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The WISDOM project seeks to       |                                   |
| improve the 3 to 7-day            |                                   |
| predictions of Atlantic hurricane |                                   |
| track and intensity by deploying  |                                   |
| specialized balloons into         |                                   |
| important data-sparse regions of  |                                   |
| the atmosphere. An interagency    |                                   |
| effort is underway, sponsored by  |                                   |
| DHS and NOAA that has been        |                                   |
| testing the concept during the    |                                   |
| 2008 hurricane season.            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [htt                              |                                   |
| p://wisdom.noaa.gov/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Physical Sciences      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Hydrometeorological Testbed**   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Hydrometeorological       |                                   |
| Testbed (HMT) is a national       |                                   |
| program that implements regional  |                                   |
| demonstrations focused on the use |                                   |
| of advanced observational &       |                                   |
| modeling tools for the purpose of |                                   |
| improving hydrologic forecasts    |                                   |
| and warnings. The major           |                                   |
| activities of the HMT are         |                                   |
| quantitative precipitation        |                                   |
| estimation (QPE) & forecasting    |                                   |
| (QPF), snow information,          |                                   |
| hydrologic applications, decision |                                   |
| support systems and verification. |                                   |
| The testbed approach will         |                                   |
| accelerate transitions from the   |                                   |
| research and development          |                                   |
| community to operations, as       |                                   |
| described in NOAA\'s Strategic    |                                   |
| Plan and recommended by the NOAA  |                                   |
| Hydrology Team\'s Science and     |                                   |
| Technology Infusion Plan (STIP) & |                                   |
| the U.S. Weather Research Program |                                   |
| (USWRP). Project management       |                                   |
| resides in Boulder, CO. Research  |                                   |
| and development efforts are       |                                   |
| underway in Boulder, CO and       |                                   |
| Norman OK as well as with other   |                                   |
| NOAA and non-NOAA partners. Field |                                   |
| instrumentation, system and       |                                   |
| forecast product development is   |                                   |
| currently focused on the American |                                   |
| River Basin in California in an   |                                   |
| effort to better protect one of   |                                   |
| the most flood vulnerable cities  |                                   |
| in the U.S. - Sacramento. Other   |                                   |
| areas of CA are part of the       |                                   |
| project, as well as a site to     |                                   |
| study the hydrologic forcing of   |                                   |
| flash flooding in southern        |                                   |
| Arizona. Active planning for a    |                                   |
| testbed located in North Carolina |                                   |
| has begun with a tentative start  |                                   |
| date of HMT-SE in 2010. Long-term |                                   |
| planning includes additional      |                                   |
| testbeds in other regions.        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://hmt.noaa.gov/]{.         |                                   |
| underline}](http://hmt.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Geophysical Fluid Dynamics      |                                   |
| Laboratory**                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Community Climate Model         |                                   |
| Development, Construction and     |                                   |
| Comparison**                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Geophysical Fluid Dynamics    |                                   |
| Laboratory (GFDL) has been        |                                   |
| involved in extensive             |                                   |
| collaboration with the National   |                                   |
| Center for Atmospheric Research,  |                                   |
| located in Boulder, CO. GFDL has  |                                   |
| collaborated with the center in   |                                   |
| the development, construction and |                                   |
| testing of the Community Climate  |                                   |
| System Model (CCSM). Sponsored by |                                   |
| the National Science Foundation   |                                   |
| and the Department of Energy, the |                                   |
| CCSM is a numerical climate       |                                   |
| modeling system that scientists   |                                   |
| worldwide will use to study       |                                   |
| climate processes, prediction and |                                   |
| change.                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [                                 |                                   |
| [http://www.ccsm.ucar.edu]{.under |                                   |
| line}](http://www.ccsm.ucar.edu/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Weather and Air       |                                   |
| Quality**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Natural Hazards Center**        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA, through OAR's Office of     |                                   |
| Weather and Air Quality, assists  |                                   |
| the funding in support of the     |                                   |
| Natural Hazards Center, housed at |                                   |
| the University of Colorado. The   |                                   |
| Center advances and communicates  |                                   |
| knowledge on hazards mitigation   |                                   |
| and disaster preparedness,        |                                   |
| response, and recovery. Using an  |                                   |
| all-hazards and interdisciplinary |                                   |
| framework, the Center fosters     |                                   |
| information sharing and           |                                   |
| integration of activities among   |                                   |
| researchers, practitioners, and   |                                   |
| policy makers from around the     |                                   |
| world; supports and conducts      |                                   |
| research; and provides            |                                   |
| educational opportunities for the |                                   |
| next generation of hazards        |                                   |
| scholars and professionals.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <                                 |                                   |
| http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Weather and Air       |                                   |
| Quality**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **THORPEX global research         |                                   |
| program**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| THORPEX is an international       |                                   |
| research program focused on       |                                   |
| accelerating the improvement of   |                                   |
| global forecasts of high impact   |                                   |
| weather. It brings together       |                                   |
| resources of federal agencies and |                                   |
| academia in the United States and |                                   |
| internationally to improve        |                                   |
| weather prediction models on a    |                                   |
| global scale.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [                                 |                                   |
| [http://wwwt.emc.ncep.noaa.gov/gm |                                   |
| b/ens/THORPEX.html]{.underline}]( |                                   |
| http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Weather and Air       |                                   |
| Quality**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **United States Weather Research  |                                   |
| Program and Developmental Testbed |                                   |
| Center**                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The United States Weather         |                                   |
| Research Program (USWRP) brings   |                                   |
| together federal agencies with    |                                   |
| the academic and private sectors  |                                   |
| to move research ideas and        |                                   |
| technologies into operational     |                                   |
| weather forecasts. NOAA, through  |                                   |
| the USWRP, is providing the       |                                   |
| majority of funding to support    |                                   |
| the Developmental Testbed Center  |                                   |
| (DTC), which is designed to       |                                   |
| improve regional scale weather    |                                   |
| forecast models using a           |                                   |
| "community" model called the      |                                   |
| Weather, Research, and            |                                   |
| Forecasting (WRF) model through   |                                   |
| development and testing. Positive |                                   |
| results are then applied to       |                                   |
| improve operational forecasting   |                                   |
| of weather events, such as severe |                                   |
| storms, and air quality. The DTC  |                                   |
| involves NOAA, National Center    |                                   |
| for Atmospheric Research          |                                   |
| (primarily NSF-funded), the FAA,  |                                   |
| the US Air Force, and the US      |                                   |
| Navy.                             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.dtcenter.org/]{.unde |                                   |
| rline}](http://www.dtcenter.org/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Weather and Air       |                                   |
| Quality**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **United States Weather Research  |                                   |
| Program and Societal Impacts      |                                   |
| Program**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The United States Weather         |                                   |
| Research Program (USWRP) brings   |                                   |
| together federal agencies with    |                                   |
| the academic and private sectors  |                                   |
| to move research ideas and        |                                   |
| technologies into operational     |                                   |
| weather forecasts. NOAA, through  |                                   |
| the USWRP, provides the majority  |                                   |
| of funding in support of the      |                                   |
| Collaborative Program on the      |                                   |
| Societal Impacts and Economic     |                                   |
| Benefits of Weather Information   |                                   |
| or, in short, the Societal        |                                   |
| Impacts Program (SIP), to help    |                                   |
| society benefit from current and  |                                   |
| emerging weather forecasting      |                                   |
| capabilities by integrating       |                                   |
| social sciences knowledge and     |                                   |
| methods into the weather research |                                   |
| and policy-making communities.    |                                   |
| The program is located at the     |                                   |
| National Center for Atmospheric   |                                   |
| Research in Boulder, Colorado.    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.sip.ucar.            |                                   |
| edu/mission.jsp]{.underline}](htt |                                   |
| p://www.sip.ucar.edu/mission.jsp) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Boulder and Northeast US       |                                   |
| Corridor domain from MO-MN***     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Systems         |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **The High-Resolution Rapid       |                                   |
| Refresh (HRRR)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The HRRR is a 3-km resolution,    |                                   |
| hourly updated, cloud resolving   |                                   |
| atmospheric model, initialized by |                                   |
| DFI-fields from the 13-km         |                                   |
| radar-enhanced Rapid Update Cycle |                                   |
| (RUC) run at ESRL. The HRRR uses  |                                   |
| a configuration of the WRF model, |                                   |
| similar to that used for the      |                                   |
| Rapid Refresh (RR), but without   |                                   |
| any convective paramaterization.  |                                   |
| It is initialized with the latest |                                   |
| 3-d radar reflectivity via 13-km  |                                   |
| RUC at GSD and is a one-way nest  |                                   |
| inside the RUC.                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://ru                        |                                   |
| c.fsl.noaa.gov/hrrr/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Boulder, Fort Collins,         |                                   |
| Granada, Grand Junction,          |                                   |
| Nederland, Platteville, Pueblo,   |                                   |
| Shriever***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Systems         |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Ground-Based GPS Meteorology**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Earth System Research         |                                   |
| Laboratory maintains the          |                                   |
| Ground-Based GPS Meteorology      |                                   |
| project, currently consisting of  |                                   |
| 400 GPS water vapor observing     |                                   |
| systems that provide near         |                                   |
| real-time integrated precipitable |                                   |
| water vapor (IPW) measurements    |                                   |
| for weather forecasting, climate  |                                   |
| modeling, calibration and         |                                   |
| validation of satellite and       |                                   |
| radiosonde water vapor            |                                   |
| measurements, and research.       |                                   |
| Ground-Based GPS Meteorology      |                                   |
| collects data from 48 states,     |                                   |
| Puerto Rico, Guam and American    |                                   |
| Samoa. Data is redistributed to   |                                   |
| all states from the data          |                                   |
| processing center in Boulder, CO. |                                   |
| This project provides water vapor |                                   |
| data available to all users. This |                                   |
| project also provides raw GPS     |                                   |
| measurements to the NOS/National  |                                   |
| Geodetic Survey Continuously      |                                   |
| Operating Reference Station       |                                   |
| Network and the NWS Space         |                                   |
| Environment Center.               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.gpsmet.noaa.gov/j    |                                   |
| sp/raob.jsp]{.underline}](http:// |                                   |
| www.gpsmet.noaa.gov/jsp/raob.jsp) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Boulder, Golden***             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Systems         |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Science On a Sphere®**          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Science On a Sphere (SOS) is a    |                                   |
| room-sized global display system  |                                   |
| that uses computers and video     |                                   |
| projectors to display planetary   |                                   |
| data onto a six-foot diameter     |                                   |
| sphere, analogous to a giant      |                                   |
| animated globe. Researchers at    |                                   |
| NOAA developed Science On a       |                                   |
| Sphere® as an educational tool to |                                   |
| help illustrate Earth System      |                                   |
| science to people of all ages.    |                                   |
| Animated images of atmospheric    |                                   |
| storms, climate change, and ocean |                                   |
| temperature can be shown on the   |                                   |
| sphere, which is used to explain  |                                   |
| what are sometimes complex        |                                   |
| environmental processes, in a way |                                   |
| that is simultaneously intuitive  |                                   |
| and captivating.                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.sos.noaa.gov/ and     |                                   |
| http://sos.noaa.gov               |                                   |
| /news/sos_sites.html]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Boulder -- used nationwide***  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Systems         |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Meteorological Assimilation     |                                   |
| Data Ingest System**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Meteorological Assimilation   |                                   |
| Data Ingest System (MADIS) is a   |                                   |
| database provided by the Earth    |                                   |
| System Research Laboratory to     |                                   |
| integrate and quality control     |                                   |
| NOAA and other-agency             |                                   |
| observations and makes them       |                                   |
| easily accessible and useable for |                                   |
| operational, research, and        |                                   |
| commercial purposes. This         |                                   |
| database serves to improve        |                                   |
| weather forecasting by providing  |                                   |
| support for data assimilation,    |                                   |
| numerical weather prediction, and |                                   |
| other hydrometeorological         |                                   |
| applications. MADIS collects raw  |                                   |
| data from all 50 states and makes |                                   |
| data products available to all 50 |                                   |
| states. The data processing       |                                   |
| center is located in Boulder, CO. |                                   |
| MADIS makes meteorological data   |                                   |
| accessible for all users.         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://madis.noaa.gov/]{.un     |                                   |
| derline}](http://madis.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Boulder - used nationwide,     |                                   |
| including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto  |                                   |
| Rico, and Guam***                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Systems         |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Operational Systems for Weather |                                   |
| Forecasting**                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Computer systems developed by the |                                   |
| NOAA Research Earth System        |                                   |
| Research Laboratory (ESRL) are in |                                   |
| operation at all NOAA National    |                                   |
| Weather Service (NWS) field       |                                   |
| offices. ESRL has been the prime  |                                   |
| developer of the data ingest and  |                                   |
| display components of the NWS     |                                   |
| weather display and text          |                                   |
| generation system known as AWIPS  |                                   |
| (Advanced Weather Information     |                                   |
| Processing System). This system   |                                   |
| integrates meteorological,        |                                   |
| hydrological, satellite, and      |                                   |
| radar data. NWS field offices are |                                   |
| using this system to produce      |                                   |
| gridded forecast products, which  |                                   |
| allows forecasters to convey more |                                   |
| information to the customers than |                                   |
| they did in the past.             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://fxa                       |                                   |
| .noaa.gov/AWIPS.html]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Denver***                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Geodetic Survey**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Geodetic Advisor**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Geodetic Advisor is a jointly |                                   |
| funded National Ocean Service     |                                   |
| (NOS) employee that resides in    |                                   |
| the state to provide liaison      |                                   |
| between NOS and the host state.   |                                   |
| The Geodetic Advisor guides and   |                                   |
| assists the state\'s charting,    |                                   |
| geodetic and surveying programs   |                                   |
| through technical expertise. This |                                   |
| program also provides assistance  |                                   |
| in planning and implementing      |                                   |
| Geographic/Land Information       |                                   |
| System (GIS/LIS) projects.        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [                                 |                                   |
| http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/ADVISORS/ |                                   |
| AdvisorsIndex.shtml.]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Erie***                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Monitoring the Surface          |                                   |
| Atmosphere - Cooperative Global   |                                   |
| Air Sampling Network**            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA's Earth System Research      |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) operates a      |                                   |
| Cooperative Global Air Sampling   |                                   |
| Network to measure the            |                                   |
| distribution and trends of carbon |                                   |
| dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4),  |                                   |
| the two gases most responsible    |                                   |
| for human-caused climate change,  |                                   |
| as well as other greenhouse gases |                                   |
| and volatile organic compounds.   |                                   |
| Samples are collected weekly at   |                                   |
| fixed locations and on several    |                                   |
| commercial ships. The air samples |                                   |
| are delivered to the ESRL         |                                   |
| laboratory, located in Boulder,   |                                   |
| CO. The observed geographical     |                                   |
| patterns and small but persistent |                                   |
| spatial gradients are used to     |                                   |
| better understand the processes,  |                                   |
| both natural and human induced,   |                                   |
| that underlie the trends. These   |                                   |
| measurements help determine the   |                                   |
| magnitude of carbon sources and   |                                   |
| sinks in North America.           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.                     |                                   |
| esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/about/climate.h |                                   |
| tml]{.underline}](http://www.esrl |                                   |
| .noaa.gov/gmd/about/climate.html) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Monitoring the Surface          |                                   |
| Atmosphere -- Halocarbon          |                                   |
| Measurements**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA's Earth System Research      |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) operates a      |                                   |
| sampling network to measure the   |                                   |
| distribution and trends of the    |                                   |
| gases most responsible for        |                                   |
| human-caused depletion of the     |                                   |
| stratospheric ozone layer. Weekly |                                   |
| samples are collected in          |                                   |
| high-pressure flasks at fixed     |                                   |
| locations. The air sample flasks  |                                   |
| are delivered to the ESRL         |                                   |
| laboratory, located in Boulder,   |                                   |
| CO for analysis. Some locations   |                                   |
| conduct continuous surface        |                                   |
| measurements on site. Halocarbon  |                                   |
| measurements help determine the   |                                   |
| effectiveness of efforts to       |                                   |
| protect and restore the ozone     |                                   |
| layer - so it can protect us from |                                   |
| the sun's ultraviolet radiation.  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.esrl.no              |                                   |
| aa.gov/gmd/hats/]{.underline}](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/hats/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Physical Sciences      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Boulder Atmospheric             |                                   |
| Observatory**                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Earth System Research     |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) maintains a     |                                   |
| research facility in Erie,        |                                   |
| Colorado for studying the         |                                   |
| planetary boundary layer and for  |                                   |
| testing and calibrating           |                                   |
| atmospheric sensors. Ongoing      |                                   |
| measurements include solar        |                                   |
| radiation and greenhouse gases.   |                                   |
| The centerpiece of the facility   |                                   |
| is a 300-m tower instrumented at  |                                   |
| five levels with slow-response    |                                   |
| temperature and wind sensors, a   |                                   |
| variety of remote sensing         |                                   |
| systems, and a real-time          |                                   |
| processing and display capability |                                   |
| that greatly reduces analysis     |                                   |
| time for scientists. The BAO has  |                                   |
| been the host of several large    |                                   |
| national and international        |                                   |
| experiments and numerous smaller  |                                   |
| ones.                             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[htt                             |                                   |
| p://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/technol |                                   |
| ogy/bao]{.underline}](http://www. |                                   |
| esrl.noaa.gov/psd/technology/bao) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Longmont - Table Mountain***   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Monitoring the Atmosphere --    |                                   |
| Tall Tower Carbon Measurements**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Earth System Research     |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) operates trace  |                                   |
| gas monitoring sites at tall      |                                   |
| television transmitter towers in  |                                   |
| six states, including Colorado.   |                                   |
| The sites were established to     |                                   |
| extend ESRL\'s monitoring network |                                   |
| into the interior of North        |                                   |
| America in order to provide data  |                                   |
| to aid estimation of the net      |                                   |
| carbon balance of the continent.  |                                   |
| Variations of trace gases,        |                                   |
| especially carbon dioxide, are    |                                   |
| largest near the ground, so we    |                                   |
| utilize existing tall (\> 400     |                                   |
| meter) transmitter towers as      |                                   |
| platforms for in situ and flask   |                                   |
| sampling for atmospheric trace    |                                   |
| gases.                            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [                                 |                                   |
| [http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccg |                                   |
| g/towers/]{.underline}](http://ww |                                   |
| w.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/towers/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Surface Radiation Measurement   |                                   |
| Network**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Earth System Research         |                                   |
| Laboratory operates seven         |                                   |
| stations as part of its surface   |                                   |
| radiation measurement network     |                                   |
| (SURFRAD). The station            |                                   |
| measurements support regional and |                                   |
| global weather and climate        |                                   |
| research with accurate,           |                                   |
| continuous, long-term             |                                   |
| measurements of the surface       |                                   |
| radiation budget over the United  |                                   |
| States. Solar radiation is the    |                                   |
| driving energy for geophysical    |                                   |
| and biological processes that     |                                   |
| control weather and affect        |                                   |
| planetary life; understanding the |                                   |
| global surface energy budget is   |                                   |
| therefore key to understanding    |                                   |
| climate and the environmental     |                                   |
| consequences to agriculture and   |                                   |
| other statewide concerns.         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Because it is impractical to      |                                   |
| cover the whole earth with        |                                   |
| monitoring stations, the answer   |                                   |
| to global coverage lies in        |                                   |
| reliable satellite-based          |                                   |
| observations. Accurate and        |                                   |
| precise ground-based measurements |                                   |
| across a range of climate regions |                                   |
| are essential to refine and       |                                   |
| verify the satellite              |                                   |
| observations. One of these        |                                   |
| stations is located near Boulder. |                                   |
| These ground-based measurements   |                                   |
| also support special research     |                                   |
| projects on radiation and climate |                                   |
| processes in the Colorado region  |                                   |
| and serve as important            |                                   |
| verification for weather          |                                   |
| forecasts.                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[htt                             |                                   |
| p://www.srrb.noaa.gov/surfrad/ind |                                   |
| ex.html]{.underline}](http://www. |                                   |
| srrb.noaa.gov/surfrad/index.html) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Total Column Ozone              |                                   |
| Measurements**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Earth System Research     |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) makes           |                                   |
| measurements of the column        |                                   |
| amounts of ozone between the      |                                   |
| earth\'s surface and the top of   |                                   |
| the atmosphere at a number of     |                                   |
| locations around the United       |                                   |
| States, including Longmont, CO.   |                                   |
| The observations are obtained     |                                   |
| with ground-based spectrometers   |                                   |
| that measure the attenuation by   |                                   |
| ozone of ultraviolet light. This  |                                   |
| integrated ozone amount is        |                                   |
| critical in determining the       |                                   |
| amount of ultraviolet radiation   |                                   |
| reaching the earth\'s surface.    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Excess ultraviolet radiation is   |                                   |
| responsible for human skin cancer |                                   |
| and is also harmful to other      |                                   |
| biogenic organisms. Column ozone  |                                   |
| measurements monitor changes in   |                                   |
| the stratospheric ozone layer     |                                   |
| resulting from human-produced     |                                   |
| chlorine and bromine compounds    |                                   |
| that destroy ozone. With controls |                                   |
| now in place on the manufacture   |                                   |
| and use of these ozone-destroying |                                   |
| compounds, it will be important   |                                   |
| to monitor the ozone layer for    |                                   |
| the expected recovery and         |                                   |
| determine whether other factors   |                                   |
| such as long-term climate change  |                                   |
| are influencing this recovery.    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://                         |                                   |
| www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/about/ozone |                                   |
| .html]{.underline}](http://www.es |                                   |
| rl.noaa.gov/gmd/about/ozone.html) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Ultraviolet Radiation (UV)      |                                   |
| Monitoring Network**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Earth System Research         |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) operates an     |                                   |
| ultraviolet radiation (UV)        |                                   |
| monitoring network in Colorado,   |                                   |
| with sites in Boulder, Niwot      |                                   |
| Ridge, and Longmont. These        |                                   |
| measurements are done as part of  |                                   |
| ESRL's research on the Earth\'s   |                                   |
| surface radiation budget.         |                                   |
| Research efforts are devoted to   |                                   |
| the extent and cause of observed  |                                   |
| variations in long-term radiation |                                   |
| and meteorological measurements,  |                                   |
| using satellite observations and  |                                   |
| climate model calculations. In    |                                   |
| addition, observations of         |                                   |
| spectral solar radiation are made |                                   |
| for the purpose of remote sensing |                                   |
| of certain atmospheric            |                                   |
| constituents and spectral solar   |                                   |
| UV is measured for the            |                                   |
| investigation of the interaction  |                                   |
| of ozone and solar radiation.     |                                   |
| ESRL also provides essential      |                                   |
| instrument calibration services   |                                   |
| for national and worldwide        |                                   |
| partner UV monitoring networks.   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.esrl.no              |                                   |
| aa.gov/gmd/grad/]{.underline}](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/grad/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Niwot Ridge***                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Monitoring the Surface          |                                   |
| Atmosphere - Cooperative Global   |                                   |
| Air Sampling Network**            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA's Earth System Research      |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) operates a      |                                   |
| Cooperative Global Air Sampling   |                                   |
| Network to measure the            |                                   |
| distribution and trends of carbon |                                   |
| dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4),  |                                   |
| the two gases most responsible    |                                   |
| for human-caused climate change,  |                                   |
| as well as other greenhouse gases |                                   |
| and volatile organic compounds.   |                                   |
| Samples are collected weekly at   |                                   |
| fixed locations and on several    |                                   |
| commercial ships. The air samples |                                   |
| are delivered to the ESRL         |                                   |
| laboratory, located in Boulder,   |                                   |
| CO. The observed geographical     |                                   |
| patterns and small but persistent |                                   |
| spatial gradients are used to     |                                   |
| better understand the processes,  |                                   |
| both natural and human induced,   |                                   |
| that underlie the trends. Air     |                                   |
| samples have been collected at    |                                   |
| 3475-meter elevation on Niwot     |                                   |
| Ridge, Colorado since 1968. The   |                                   |
| samples are collected by          |                                   |
| researchers at the Mountain       |                                   |
| Research Station operated by the  |                                   |
| University of Colorado's          |                                   |
| Institute for Arctic and Alpine   |                                   |
| Research. Samples collected at    |                                   |
| Niwot Ridge represent free        |                                   |
| tropospheric air that has passed  |                                   |
| over the western U.S. and         |                                   |
| possibly Canada. These            |                                   |
| measurements help determine the   |                                   |
| magnitude of carbon sources and   |                                   |
| sinks in North America.           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.                     |                                   |
| esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/about/climate.h |                                   |
| tml]{.underline}](http://www.esrl |                                   |
| .noaa.gov/gmd/about/climate.html) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Monitoring the Surface          |                                   |
| Atmosphere -- Halocarbon          |                                   |
| Measurements**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA's Earth System Research      |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) operates a      |                                   |
| sampling network to measure the   |                                   |
| distribution and trends of the    |                                   |
| gases most responsible for        |                                   |
| human-caused depletion of the     |                                   |
| stratospheric ozone layer. Weekly |                                   |
| samples are collected in          |                                   |
| high-pressure flasks at fixed     |                                   |
| locations. The air sample flasks  |                                   |
| are delivered to the ESRL         |                                   |
| laboratory, located in Boulder,   |                                   |
| CO for analysis. Some locations   |                                   |
| conduct continuous surface        |                                   |
| measurements on site. Halocarbon  |                                   |
| measurements help determine the   |                                   |
| effectiveness of efforts to       |                                   |
| protect and restore the ozone     |                                   |
| layer - so it can protect us from |                                   |
| the sun's ultraviolet radiation.  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.esrl.no              |                                   |
| aa.gov/gmd/hats/]{.underline}](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/hats/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Monitoring the Surface          |                                   |
| Atmosphere -- Ozone               |                                   |
| Measurements**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ESRL conducts long-term           |                                   |
| monitoring of ozone at the        |                                   |
| surface, with aircraft, and with  |                                   |
| balloons, through cooperative     |                                   |
| relationships with local          |                                   |
| partners. The ESRL tropospheric   |                                   |
| ozone aircraft measurement        |                                   |
| program is being done in          |                                   |
| conjunction with the Carbon Cycle |                                   |
| and Greenhouse Gas (CCGG)         |                                   |
| group\'s existing aircraft        |                                   |
| sampling network. Aircraft based  |                                   |
| in-situ tropospheric ozone        |                                   |
| measurements provide data         |                                   |
| relevant to: pollution events,    |                                   |
| lower atmosphere mixing dynamics, |                                   |
| boundary layer stability, ozone   |                                   |
| trend studies, and the validity   |                                   |
| of other samples collected        |                                   |
| in-flight. Near ground level      |                                   |
| ozone is currently monitored      |                                   |
| using ultraviolet absorption      |                                   |
| photometers at eight sites that   |                                   |
| are generally representative of   |                                   |
| background conditions. These      |                                   |
| sites, four of which have records |                                   |
| exceeding 25 years in length,     |                                   |
| provide information on possible   |                                   |
| long-term changes in tropospheric |                                   |
| ozone near the surface and        |                                   |
| support air quality research.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.esrl.no              |                                   |
| aa.gov/gmd/ozwv/]{.underline}](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ozwv/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Total Column Ozone              |                                   |
| Measurements**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Earth System Research     |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) makes           |                                   |
| measurements of the column        |                                   |
| amounts of ozone between the      |                                   |
| earth\'s surface and the top of   |                                   |
| the atmosphere at a number of     |                                   |
| locations around the United       |                                   |
| States, including Niwot Ridge,    |                                   |
| CO. The observations are obtained |                                   |
| with ground-based spectrometers   |                                   |
| that measure the attenuation by   |                                   |
| ozone of ultraviolet light. This  |                                   |
| integrated ozone amount is        |                                   |
| critical in determining the       |                                   |
| amount of ultraviolet radiation   |                                   |
| reaching the earth\'s surface.    |                                   |
| Excess ultraviolet radiation is   |                                   |
| responsible for human skin cancer |                                   |
| and is also harmful to other      |                                   |
| biogenic organisms. Column ozone  |                                   |
| measurements monitor changes in   |                                   |
| the stratospheric ozone layer     |                                   |
| resulting from human-produced     |                                   |
| chlorine and bromine compounds    |                                   |
| that destroy ozone. With controls |                                   |
| now in place on the manufacture   |                                   |
| and use of these ozone-destroying |                                   |
| compounds, it will be important   |                                   |
| to monitor the ozone layer for    |                                   |
| the expected recovery and         |                                   |
| determine whether other factors   |                                   |
| such as long-term climate change  |                                   |
| are influencing this recovery.    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://                         |                                   |
| www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/about/ozone |                                   |
| .html]{.underline}](http://www.es |                                   |
| rl.noaa.gov/gmd/about/ozone.html) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Ultraviolet Radiation (UV)      |                                   |
| Monitoring Network**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Earth System Research         |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) operates an     |                                   |
| ultraviolet radiation (UV)        |                                   |
| monitoring network in Colorado,   |                                   |
| with sites in Boulder, Niwot      |                                   |
| Ridge, and Longmont. These        |                                   |
| measurements are done as part of  |                                   |
| ESRL's research on the Earth\'s   |                                   |
| surface radiation budget.         |                                   |
| Research efforts are devoted to   |                                   |
| the extent and cause of observed  |                                   |
| variations in long-term radiation |                                   |
| and meteorological measurements,  |                                   |
| using satellite observations and  |                                   |
| climate model calculations. In    |                                   |
| addition, observations of         |                                   |
| spectral solar radiation are made |                                   |
| for the purpose of remote sensing |                                   |
| of certain atmospheric            |                                   |
| constituents and spectral solar   |                                   |
| UV is measured for the            |                                   |
| investigation of the interaction  |                                   |
| of ozone and solar radiation.     |                                   |
| ESRL also provides essential      |                                   |
| instrument calibration services   |                                   |
| for national and worldwide        |                                   |
| partner UV monitoring networks.   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.esrl.no              |                                   |
| aa.gov/gmd/grad/]{.underline}](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/grad/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***CO--3***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Cortez***                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Reference Network**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Cortez Station**                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The U.S. Climate Reference        |                                   |
| Network (USCRN) is an operational |                                   |
| network of climate stations. Data |                                   |
| from the USCRN will be used in    |                                   |
| operational climate monitoring    |                                   |
| activities and for placing        |                                   |
| current climate anomalies into an |                                   |
| historical perspective. NOAA\'s   |                                   |
| National Climatic Data Center     |                                   |
| (NCDC) manages and operates the   |                                   |
| USCRN. The USCRN will also        |                                   |
| provide the United States with a  |                                   |
| reference network that            |                                   |
| contributes to an International   |                                   |
| network under the auspices of the |                                   |
| Global Climate Observing System   |                                   |
| (GCOS). NOAA's National           |                                   |
| Environmental Satellite, Data,    |                                   |
| and Information Service and       |                                   |
| NOAA's Office of Oceanic and      |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research jointly      |                                   |
| manage USCRN.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.ncdc.noaa            |                                   |
| .gov/crn/hourly]{.underline}](htt |                                   |
| p://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/hourly) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Dinosaur***                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Reference Network**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Dinosaur Station**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The U.S. Climate Reference        |                                   |
| Network (USCRN) is an operational |                                   |
| network of climate stations. Data |                                   |
| from the USCRN will be used in    |                                   |
| operational climate monitoring    |                                   |
| activities and for placing        |                                   |
| current climate anomalies into an |                                   |
| historical perspective. NOAA\'s   |                                   |
| National Climatic Data Center     |                                   |
| (NCDC) manages and operates the   |                                   |
| USCRN. The USCRN will also        |                                   |
| provide the United States with a  |                                   |
| reference network that            |                                   |
| contributes to an International   |                                   |
| network under the auspices of the |                                   |
| Global Climate Observing System   |                                   |
| (GCOS). NOAA's National           |                                   |
| Environmental Satellite, Data,    |                                   |
| and Information Service and       |                                   |
| NOAA's Office of Oceanic and      |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research jointly      |                                   |
| manage USCRN.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.ncdc.noaa            |                                   |
| .gov/crn/hourly]{.underline}](htt |                                   |
| p://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/hourly) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Grand Junction***              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather Forecast Office**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Grand Junction WFO**            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Located at Walker Field Airport   |                                   |
| in Grand Junction, this National  |                                   |
| Weather Service Weather Forecast  |                                   |
| office provides weather and flood |                                   |
| warnings, daily forecasts and     |                                   |
| meteorologic and hydrologic data  |                                   |
| for 19 counties in western        |                                   |
| Colorado and four counties in     |                                   |
| eastern Utah serving a population |                                   |
| of more than 463,000.             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http                            |                                   |
| ://www.crh.noaa.gov/gjt]{.underli |                                   |
| ne}](http://www.crh.noaa.gov/gjt) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Montrose***                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Reference Network**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Montrose Station**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The U.S. Climate Reference        |                                   |
| Network (USCRN) is an operational |                                   |
| network of climate stations. Data |                                   |
| from the USCRN will be used in    |                                   |
| operational climate monitoring    |                                   |
| activities and for placing        |                                   |
| current climate anomalies into an |                                   |
| historical perspective. NOAA\'s   |                                   |
| National Climatic Data Center     |                                   |
| (NCDC) manages and operates the   |                                   |
| USCRN. The USCRN will also        |                                   |
| provide the United States with a  |                                   |
| reference network that            |                                   |
| contributes to an International   |                                   |
| network under the auspices of the |                                   |
| Global Climate Observing System   |                                   |
| (GCOS). NOAA's National           |                                   |
| Environmental Satellite, Data,    |                                   |
| and Information Service and       |                                   |
| NOAA's Office of Oceanic and      |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research jointly      |                                   |
| manage USCRN.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.ncdc.noaa            |                                   |
| .gov/crn/hourly]{.underline}](htt |                                   |
| p://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/hourly) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Pueblo***                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather Forecast Office**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Pueblo WFO**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Located at the Pueblo Memorial    |                                   |
| Airport, this National Weather    |                                   |
| Service Weather Forecast Office   |                                   |
| provides weather and flood        |                                   |
| warnings, daily forecasts and     |                                   |
| meteorologic and hydrologic data  |                                   |
| for 20 counties in southeast      |                                   |
| Colorado; serving a population of |                                   |
| more than 866,000.                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http                            |                                   |
| ://www.crh.noaa.gov/pub]{.underli |                                   |
| ne}](http://www.crh.noaa.gov/pub) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***CO-4***                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Briggsdale***                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Monitoring the Atmosphere       |                                   |
| Aloft - Carbon Cycle Gases and    |                                   |
| Halocarbons**                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Earth System Research     |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) operates a new  |                                   |
| and growing small aircraft-based  |                                   |
| North American network of         |                                   |
| sampling sites to measure         |                                   |
| vertical profiles of important    |                                   |
| greenhouse gas concentrations.    |                                   |
| Air is sampled above the surface  |                                   |
| up to approximately 25,000 feet   |                                   |
| above sea level using a           |                                   |
| relatively small, light, and      |                                   |
| economical automated system       |                                   |
| developed by ESRL researchers.    |                                   |
| These air samples are delivered   |                                   |
| to the ESRL laboratory in         |                                   |
| Boulder, Colorado for             |                                   |
| measurements of CO2, CH4, and     |                                   |
| other greenhouse gasses. This     |                                   |
| data will improve understanding   |                                   |
| and models of the global carbon   |                                   |
| cycle. Sampling is conducted      |                                   |
| bi-weekly. Some air samples from  |                                   |
| the small aircraft program are    |                                   |
| also analyzed for halocarbon      |                                   |
| gases that can destroy the        |                                   |
| stratospheric ozone layer.        |                                   |
| Halocarbon measurements help      |                                   |
| determine the effectiveness of    |                                   |
| efforts to protect and restore    |                                   |
| the ozone layer so it can protect |                                   |
| us from the sun's ultraviolet     |                                   |
| radiation.                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.                     |                                   |
| esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/about/climate.h |                                   |
| tml]{.underline}](http://www.esrl |                                   |
| .noaa.gov/gmd/about/climate.html) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Monitoring the Surface          |                                   |
| Atmosphere -- Ozone               |                                   |
| Measurements**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ESRL conducts long-term           |                                   |
| monitoring of ozone at the        |                                   |
| surface, with aircraft, and with  |                                   |
| balloons, through cooperative     |                                   |
| relationships with local          |                                   |
| partners. The ESRL tropospheric   |                                   |
| ozone aircraft measurement        |                                   |
| program is being done in          |                                   |
| conjunction with the Carbon Cycle |                                   |
| and Greenhouse Gas (CCGG)         |                                   |
| group\'s existing aircraft        |                                   |
| sampling network. Aircraft based  |                                   |
| in-situ tropospheric ozone        |                                   |
| measurements provide data         |                                   |
| relevant to: pollution events,    |                                   |
| lower atmosphere mixing dynamics, |                                   |
| boundary layer stability, ozone   |                                   |
| trend studies, and the validity   |                                   |
| of other samples collected        |                                   |
| in-flight. Near ground level      |                                   |
| ozone is currently monitored      |                                   |
| using ultraviolet absorption      |                                   |
| photometers at eight sites that   |                                   |
| are generally representative of   |                                   |
| background conditions. These      |                                   |
| sites, four of which have records |                                   |
| exceeding 25 years in length,     |                                   |
| provide information on possible   |                                   |
| long-term changes in tropospheric |                                   |
| ozone near the surface and        |                                   |
| support air quality research.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.esrl.no              |                                   |
| aa.gov/gmd/ozwv/]{.underline}](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ozwv/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Estes Park***                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Physical Sciences      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Estes Park Air Quality Study**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Earth System Research     |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) will operate a  |                                   |
| 915-MHz wind profiling radar and  |                                   |
| a meteorological tower beginning  |                                   |
| in February 2009 for a one-year   |                                   |
| period at the Estes Power Plant   |                                   |
| in Estes Park, Colorado. This     |                                   |
| installation will be implemented  |                                   |
| in support of a study sponsored   |                                   |
| by the National Park Service      |                                   |
| (NPS). The NPS operates an array  |                                   |
| of air quality monitors within    |                                   |
| Rocky Mountain National Park to   |                                   |
| examine trends in the levels of   |                                   |
| sulfates, nitrates, and ozone     |                                   |
| within the park and runs computer |                                   |
| models to try to identify the     |                                   |
| sources of these pollutants. Wind |                                   |
| data obtained from the NOAA       |                                   |
| equipment enables the models to   |                                   |
| accurately depict the sources of  |                                   |
| these pollutants.                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Fort Collins***                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Cooperative Institute**         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Cooperative Institute for       |                                   |
| Research in the Atmosphere        |                                   |
| (CIRA), Colorado State            |                                   |
| University**                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| CIRA was established in September |                                   |
| 1980 at Colorado State            |                                   |
| University\'s Department of       |                                   |
| Atmospheric Science. CIRA's       |                                   |
| research vision is to improve     |                                   |
| interdisciplinary research in the |                                   |
| atmospheric sciences by           |                                   |
| entraining skills beyond the      |                                   |
| meteorological disciplines,       |                                   |
| exploiting cutting-edge advances  |                                   |
| in engineering and computer       |                                   |
| science, facilitating             |                                   |
| transitional activity between     |                                   |
| pure and applied research, and    |                                   |
| assisting the nation through the  |                                   |
| application of its research. CIRA |                                   |
| facilitates collaborative         |                                   |
| research between NOAA's Office of |                                   |
| Oceanic and Atmospheric Research; |                                   |
| National Environment Satellite,   |                                   |
| Data, and Information Service     |                                   |
| National Weather Service, as well |                                   |
| as other federal agencies such as |                                   |
| the National Aeronautics and      |                                   |
| Space Administration, the         |                                   |
| National Park Service, the        |                                   |
| National Forest Service, and the  |                                   |
| Department of Defense. The        |                                   |
| Institute\'s research is          |                                   |
| concentrated in six theme areas   |                                   |
| and two cross-cutting research    |                                   |
| areas: (1) global and regional    |                                   |
| climate; (2) local and mesoscale  |                                   |
| weather forecasting and           |                                   |
| evaluation; (3) applied cloud     |                                   |
| physics; (4) applications of      |                                   |
| satellite observations; (5) air   |                                   |
| quality and visibility; (6)       |                                   |
| societal and economic impacts;    |                                   |
| (7) numerical modeling; and (8)   |                                   |
| education, training, and          |                                   |
| outreach.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://ww                       |                                   |
| w.cira.colostate.edu]{.underline} |                                   |
| ](http://www.cira.colostate.edu/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Longmont***                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Geodetic Survey**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Absolute and Superconducting    |                                   |
| Gravimetry Programs**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Table Mountain Gravity        |                                   |
| Observatory near Longmont houses  |                                   |
| personnel and equipment for       |                                   |
| NOAA\'s absolute and              |                                   |
| superconducting gravimetry        |                                   |
| programs. Local and worldwide     |                                   |
| gravity data are collected in     |                                   |
| conjunction with latitude,        |                                   |
| longitude, height, and velocity   |                                   |
| to increase the reliability,      |                                   |
| accessibility, and accuracy of    |                                   |
| the National Spatial Reference    |                                   |
| System. The primary mission of    |                                   |
| the site personnel includes all   |                                   |
| operational and technical support |                                   |
| (calibration, repair and          |                                   |
| deployment) of NOAA\'s            |                                   |
| gravimeters.                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://                         |                                   |
| www.ngs.noaa.gov/GRD/GRAVITY/ABSG |                                   |
| .html]{.underline}](http://www.ng |                                   |
| s.noaa.gov/GRD/GRAVITY/ABSG.html) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Center Weather Service Unit**   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Longmont Office**               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Housed in the Federal Aviation    |                                   |
| Administration\'s Denver Air      |                                   |
| Route Traffic Control Center      |                                   |
| (ARTCC) in Longmont, the Center   |                                   |
| Weather Service Unit Denver staff |                                   |
| provides forecasts and other      |                                   |
| weather information to ARTCC      |                                   |
| personnel for use in directing    |                                   |
| the safe, smooth flow of aviation |                                   |
| traffic.                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http                            |                                   |
| ://www.crh.noaa.gov/zdv]{.underli |                                   |
| ne}](http://www.crh.noaa.gov/zdv) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Nunn***                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Reference Network**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **NunnStation**                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The U.S. Climate Reference        |                                   |
| Network (USCRN) is an operational |                                   |
| network of climate stations. Data |                                   |
| from the USCRN will be used in    |                                   |
| operational climate monitoring    |                                   |
| activities and for placing        |                                   |
| current climate anomalies into an |                                   |
| historical perspective. NOAA\'s   |                                   |
| National Climatic Data Center     |                                   |
| (NCDC) manages and operates the   |                                   |
| USCRN. The USCRN will also        |                                   |
| provide the United States with a  |                                   |
| reference network that            |                                   |
| contributes to an International   |                                   |
| network under the auspices of the |                                   |
| Global Climate Observing System   |                                   |
| (GCOS). NOAA's National           |                                   |
| Environmental Satellite, Data,    |                                   |
| and Information Service and       |                                   |
| NOAA's Office of Oceanic and      |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research jointly      |                                   |
| manage USCRN.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.ncdc.noaa            |                                   |
| .gov/crn/hourly]{.underline}](htt |                                   |
| p://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/hourly) |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **NOAA's Office of Legislative    |                                   |
| Affairs**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Tel: 202-482-4981               |                                   |
| [ht                               |                                   |
| tp://www.legislative.noaa.gov](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.legislative.noaa.gov/)** |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+