MEDIA ADVISORY: Webinar – Houston Hosts Major Atmospheric Study

September 24, 2021

TRACER

The following media advisory is being distributed today by the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory.

How do tiny specks of soot, dust, smoke, and other particles suspended in Earth's atmosphere affect the severity of thunderstorms? To find out, researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the University of Houston, and collaborators will collect data on aerosols and atmospheric characteristics around Houston for a full year starting October 1. The study—known as TRACER, for "TRacking Aerosol Convection interactions ExpeRiment"—is being carried out by DOE's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility. The knowledge gained may make weather forecasts more accurate—not just in Houston. The study will also provide crucial data for improving predictions about how aerosols may affect Earth's future climate, and opportunities to explore the effects of industry, vehicle emissions, and the built environment on air quality, weather, and climate.

WHAT: Webinar — Meet the TRACER scientists and learn how they'll explore connections between aerosols, storms, and air quality.

DATE: Monday, September 27, 2021

TIME: 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Central Time (3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time)

ZOOM LINK: Register here. The link for the webinar will be automatically emailed to you.

DETAILS: Scientists leading TRACER will give brief remarks about the year-long field campaign, followed by a Q&A session moderated by Allison McComiskey, chair of the Environmental and Climate Sciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory.

SPEAKERS:

  • Michael Jensen, TRACER principal investigator, Brookhaven National Laboratory
  • James Flynn, research associate professor, University of Houston Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics 
  • Heath Powers, ARM mobile facility site manager for TRACER, Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • Chongai Kuang, atmospheric scientist and TRACER co-investigator, Brookhaven National Laboratory

GRAPHICS: TRACER photos are available online.

Brookhaven National Laboratory is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://www.energy.gov/science/.

Follow @BrookhavenLab on Twitter or find us on Facebook.

The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter for excellence in undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city and one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse regions in the country, UH is a federally designated Hispanic- and Asian-American-Serving institution with enrollment of more than 47,000 students.

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MEDIA CONTACTS

Karen McNulty Walsh
Media and Communications Office
Brookhaven National Laboratory
kmcnulty@bnl.gov
(631) 344-8350

S. Sara Tubbs
Senior Media Relations Specialist
University of Houston
Sstubbs2@uh.edu
(713) 743-4248

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