Storm Scientists Participate in Science Café
May 31, 2011
Brookhaven meteorologist Mike Jensen and assistant meteorologist Scott Giangrande, who have been tracking storms at DOE’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility site in Oklahoma, will be taking a break Thursday evening, June 2, to discuss their work with community members at the Norman [Oklahoma] Public Library. They and other participants in the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) have been using an array of ground-based instruments and two aircraft to gather comprehensive data on convective cloud systems in the central Oklahoma region to help improve computer models of Earth’s climate.
Scott Giangrande and Mike Jensen
The Norman Public Library event is billed as a “Science Café,” part of a nationwide grassroots movement to foster science outreach in a casual environment, where plain language and inclusive conversation create a comfortable atmosphere for people with no science background to learn about ongoing research. Former Brookhaven scientist Pavlos Kollias, now at McGill University (and still working as a contractor for the Lab), will also take part in the discussion.
“Our research, sponsored by the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, is really funded by the U.S. taxpayers. Outreach events like this are a great opportunity for us to help them understand what we’re doing and why it’s so important — and to listen to their concerns,” said Jensen, who leads DOE ARM’s role in MC3E.
Jensen and other team members have also been posting regular updates on the ARM Climate Research Facility MC3E blog, including a description of their encounter on Friday, May 20, with “(Almost) Dream Scenario” storm conditions.
2011-2409 | INT/EXT | Newsroom
