PECAN: Plains Elevated Convection at Night Field Campaign
Channel: NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education
Date: 2015-06-06

What is PECAN?

PECAN is a large meteorology experiment sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA), and the Department Of Energy (DOE). The scientific goal of the project is to collect data before and during nighttime severe storms in order to learn how they form, why some become severe, and how to predict them better. 

PECAN will use 8 mobile radars, 3 research aircraft, dozens of mobile weather balloon launching systems, mobile and deployable weather instruments, laser systems, and other cutting-edge targetable instruments to “chase” severe nighttime storms. 

Major scientific questions include: 

- How do small-scale features in the atmosphere cause and maintain convection after sunset? 

- What processes control the intensity and severity of nighttime MCSs? 

- What observations are needed to improve forecasts of the formation and evolution of nighttime storms?