Capabilities and Partnerships for Environmental Microclimate Investigations

Capabilities and Partnerships for Environmental Microclimate

microclimate

The local climate of a small site or habitat.The climate of a small area such as a cave, house, city or valley that may be different from that in the general region.

Source: Weather.gov Source

Investigations

Loren White, Jackson State University (Principal Investigator)

The need to better understand complexities of environmental interactions and conditions at spatial scales not routinely resolved by numerical models or observations is relevant to a variety of environmental management decisions, effects on broader scales, and societal benefit. The proposed work will focus on developing collaboration with Department of Energy (DOE) researchers at Pacific Northwest National Lab, Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) sites, and other universities to build upon existing datasets and resources. We will focus on developing capabilities for studies of microclimate and surface heterogeneity, including exploratory observational initiatives that can bridge into more extensive collaborative projects. These activities will contribute toward Jackson State University (a Historically Black College/University; HBCU) developing capabilities, developing partnerships, and leveraging user facilities with DOE. Through visits, complementary measurements, synergy of expertise, and participation in programmatic meetings, the groundwork will be laid for a growing team of investigators from various institutions. While Jackson State University has built up expertise in microclimatic measurement techniques, the proposed activities will help to build stronger connections with investigators in environmental fields and with DOE-affiliated projects. Such connections will be beneficial for broader research products and enhancing cross-disciplinary teaching/mentoring at HBCUs. Three types of microclimatic forcing have been chosen which may have significant spatial variations of relevance to environmental systems and have significant gaps in current knowledge: topographic depressions, localized moisture sources, and vertically exposed surfaces (such as cliffs and roadcuts).