NOAA Center for Earth System Sciences and Remote Sensing Technologies

NOAA Seminar Series: Federal Climate Research Network Regional Boundaries
2024-02-23 13:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
Title: Federal Climate Research Network Regional Boundaries: Not Where, but Why?
Presenter(s): Zachary Paganini, CESSRST II
Date : Friday, February 23 · 1:00 – 1:30 pm EST
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/oxm-yhpz-doh
Or dial: ‪(US) +1 321-209-6385‬ PIN: ‪772 993 275‬#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/oxm-yhpz-doh?pin=4150785920930
Learn about Speaker: Zachary Paganini,
Abstract:
The project responds to inquiries from U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP)stakeholders and funders for an explanation of the origins of, functions of, and reasons for differences in the regional boundaries of different federal climate research networks. This research explores six federal climate research networks through mapping analysis, document and literature review, and interviews with program managers and directors at federal climate research networks to explain why these differences exist and what functions they serve. The research revealed that while federal climate research networks share a common goal of delivering accurate and actionable climate data to stakeholders across multiple scales, differences in where networks draw their capacity from and what specific sectors networks focus on delivering information to not only explain but necessitate differences in federal climate research networks’ regional boundaries.

NOAA Seminar Series: Remote Sensing of Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) in Coastal Water
2024-02-22 13:35 - 14:05
Title: Remote Sensing of Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) in Coastal Water
Presenter(s): Alana Menendez, CESSRST-II
Date: Thursday, February 22 · 1:35 – 2:05 pm EST
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/amx-djda-bdb
Or dial: ‪(US) +1 434-886-0106‬ PIN: ‪754 062 498‬#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/amx-djda-bdb?pin=7736783692268
Learn about Speaker : Alana Menendez
Abstract: Long Island Sound (LIS) estuary is dynamic in space and time, with biogeochemical transformations occurring from anthropogenic, river, and marine sources, with tidal, seasonal, and interannual variability. Colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is both a tracer of these processes, and an integral component that impacts carbon cycling, nutrient cycling, hypoxia, light penetration, and water color. This research represents the first analysis evaluating atmospheric correction techniques for Landsat-8 in LIS based on an extensive dataset of above-water radiometry in and around LIS waters. Secondly, using a robust dataset of CDOM absorption from in situ water samples collected in LIS, algorithms for retrieving this parameter fromLandsat-8 remote sensing reflectance are evaluated. This research provides preliminary results and a framework for continued analysis on the use of high spatial resolution ocean color satellite sensors in LIS for retrieving CDOM, and ultimately dissolved organic carbon (DOC). This will allow for monitoring CDOM and DOC across the river-estuary interfaces of LIS dating back to 2013(launch of Landsat-8), which will contribute to a better understanding of the controls on LIS carbon cycling and water quality.

NOAA Seminar Series: Internship Opportunity in Hydrometeorology Field Campaign
2024-02-22 13:00 - 13:30
Title: Internship Opportunity in Hydrometeorology Field Campaign
Speaker: Jake Longenecker, NOAA EPP/MSI CESSRST-II Fellow at CUNY
Date: February 22, 2024
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Venue: Virtual
Meeting Link : https://meet.google.com/ioi-iwdk-rzc
Phone Number
(‪US‬)‪+1 516-226-0191‬
PIN: ‪453 865 403#‬
Learn more about the speaker
Abstract:
As part of the NOAA Study of Precipitation, the Lower Atmosphere and Surface for Hydrometeorology (SPLASH) campaign, multiple unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) were deployed to the East River Watershed in the area surrounding Gothic, CO. This work focuses on co-located ground-based measurements to improve the sensing of these aircraft, determine the efficacy of the UAS datasets, and improve future collection efficiency. To achieve these goals an optimal sampling frequency must be determined, ground-based measurements must be contemporaneously collected, cleaned, and compared against the UAS data, and remotely sensed satellite data must be analyzed. Preliminary analysis has given rise to speculation about UAS dataset accuracy but has also informed a way forward to improve the UAS systems. Working directly with the UAS flight and optics teams we intend to improve their systems by the end of the SPLASH campaign with the goal to have these instruments flight ready for all future NOAA missions.

Climate Seminar Series: Translating Climate Science into Physical and Economic Risk
2024-02-08 12:00 - 13:00
Event: NOAA EPP/MSI CSC Climate Change Seminar Series
Title: Translating Climate Science into Physical and Economic Risk
Presenter: with Ben DeAngelo, NOAA Research (Hosted by Howard University)
Date: February 8, 2024
Time: 12:00pm-1:00 PM
Register: Click here to register
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with details to join the event
About the Seminar Series.
Join NOAA’s EPP/MSI Cooperative Science Centers for this lecture series featuring scientists from NOAA Fisheries and NOAA Research. These monthly seminars will be hosted by the lead institution, virtually or hybrid throughout the 2023-2024 academic year. For more information, please visit, https://research.noaa.gov/noaa-csc/

Climate Seminar Series: Climate, Ecosystems and Fisheries Management
2024-01-18 12:00 - 13:00
Event: NOAA EPP/MSI CSC Climate Change Seminar Series
Title: Climate, Ecosystems and Fisheries Management
Presenter: Roger Griffis, NOAA Fisheries (Hosted by FAMU)
Date: January 18, 2024
Time: 12:00pm-1:00 PM
Register: Click here to register
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with details to join the event
About the Seminar Series.
Join NOAA’s EPP/MSI Cooperative Science Centers for this lecture series featuring scientists from NOAA Fisheries and NOAA Research. These monthly seminars will be hosted by the lead institution, virtually or hybrid throughout the 2023-2024 academic year. For more information, please visit, https://research.noaa.gov/noaa-csc/

Climate Seminar Series: Tropical Cyclones and Climate Change
2023-12-07 12:00 - 13:00
Event: NOAA EPP/MSI CSC Climate Change Seminar Series
Title: Tropical Cyclones and Climate Change
Presenter: Frank Marks, (Hosted by Howard University)
Date: December 7, 2023
Time: 12:00pm-1:00 PM
Register: Click here to register
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with details to join the event
About the Seminar Series.
Join NOAA’s EPP/MSI Cooperative Science Centers for this lecture series featuring scientists from NOAA Fisheries and NOAA Research. These monthly seminars will be hosted by the lead institution, virtually or hybrid throughout the 2023-2024 academic year. For more information, please visit, https://research.noaa.gov/noaa-csc/

Climate Seminar Series: Impacts of Climate Change on Earth Systems
2023-11-09 12:00 - 13:00
Climate Change (Nov 9) Seminar – Flyer
Climate Series 2023 – Flyer
Event: NOAA EPP/MSI CSC Climate Change Seminar Series
Title: Impacts of Climate Change on Earth Systems
Presenter: NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab (GFDL)
The seminar will feature scientists from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab (GFDL), who will speak on the Impacts of Climate Change on Earth Systems.
Presentations include:

Climate Change and the Hydrologic Cycle – Ram Ramaswamy (GFDL Director)
Air Pollution and Climate Change Connections – Vaishali Naik
Atlantic Hurricanes and Climate Change – Tom Knutson
Regional Patterns and Drivers of Seal Level Rise – Jacob Steinberg

Date: November 9, 2023
Time: 12:15pm-1:45 PM
Register: Click here to register
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with details to join the event
About the Seminar Series.
Join NOAA’s EPP/MSI Cooperative Science Centers for this lecture series featuring scientists from NOAA Fisheries and NOAA Research. These monthly seminars will be hosted by the lead institution, virtually or hybrid throughout the 2023-2024 academic year. For more information, please visit, https://research.noaa.gov/noaa-csc/

NOAA Seminar Series: Inter-comparison and Validation of Remote Sensing Satellite based Soil Moisture.
2023-10-24 13:30 - 14:00
Title: Inter-comparison and Validation of Remote Sensing Satellite based Soil Moisture.
Speaker: Stephanie Marquez, NOAA EPP/MSI CESSRST-II Fellow at UTEP
Date: Ocotber 24, 20223
Time: 1:30 PM ET
Venue: Virtual
Meeting Link : meet.google.com/spo-vxqc-nmb
Phone Number
(‪US‬)‪+1 219-321-0478‬
PIN: ‪651 945 406#‬
Learn more about the speaker
Abstract:
Inter-comparison and Validation of Remote Sensing Satellite based Soil Moisture.: This study explores the potential of using a random forest, gradient boosting and support vector machine model to predict soil moisture levels by incorporating both meteorological and biogeophysical data. The study utilized meteorological data such as temperature, albedo, and precipitation, and biogeophysical data including soil type, land cover, slope, elevation, and normalized differenced vegetation index (NDVI) from remote sensing sources. Additionally, in-situ soil moisture measurements from a Campbell Scientific Hydrosense II-12 sensor were incorporated as input parameters to train and test the model. The dataset was collected from a soil moisture sensor network installed in Jornada Experimental Range, New Mexico during the summer of 2022. The results indicate that the gradient boosting model accurately predicts soil moisture levels, with an NSE score of 0.62, demonstrating the importance of combining remote sensing data with ground-based observations. This study showcases the potential of machine learning algorithms, particularly random forest models, to accurately predict future soil moisture levels, which could enhance the accuracy of satellite data and weather predictions.

NOAA Seminar Series: Design of a Low SWaP Dual-Band Radiometer for UAS Remote Sensing Applications
2023-10-24 13:00 - 13:30
Title: Design of a Low SWaP Dual-Band Radiometer for UAS Remote Sensing Applications
Speaker: Maria Novoa Garcia, NOAA EPP/MSI CESSRST-II Fellow at UPRM
Date: Ocotber 24, 20223
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Venue: Virtual
Meeting Link : meet.google.com/spo-vxqc-nmb
Phone Number
(‪US‬)‪+1 219-321-0478‬
PIN: ‪651 945 406#‬
Learn more about the speaker
Abstract:
Design of a Low SWaP Dual-Band Radiometer for UAS Remote Sensing Applications Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) is crucial in oceanographic, coastal, atmospheric, and other applications. Knowing this variable well allows the scientific community to understand and monitor the behavior of both the ocean and the atmosphere. This way, the government and other stakeholders can make better decisions to protect life and property based on analysis and conclusions by NOAA scientists. During my NOAA Experiential Research and Training Opportunities (NERTO), our research focused on studying further which variables significantly impact the measurement of sea surface salinity from passive microwave radiometers. These variables are the Sea Surface Temperature, Earth Incidence Angle, Wind Speed, and Direction. We concentrated on the sensitivity of the retrieved SSS to each variable mentioned by calculating the brightness temperature (TB). The calculations are from the study of Meissner et al. and the theses of Wah and Mera. A function was designed on MATLAB and showed that brightness temperature is more sensitive to Sea Surface Temperature and Wind Speed. The highest error in SSS is 1.0183 PSU, meaning that this parameter impacts most the brightness temperature and the retrieved sea surface salinity. I will also discuss furthers steps of this research which will implement this function in the analysis of retrieving SSS for the new novel airborne sensor..

Climate Seminar Series: Ocean and Climate Change
2023-10-12 12:00 - 13:00
Event: NOAA EPP/MSI CSC Climate Change Seminar Series
Title: Ocean and Climate Change
Presenter: Gabby Kitch and Rik Wanninkhof, NOAA Research (Hosted by FAMU)
Date: October 12, 2023
Time: 12:00pm-1:00 PM
Register: Click here to register
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with details to join the event
About the Seminar Series.
Join NOAA’s EPP/MSI Cooperative Science Centers for this lecture series featuring scientists from NOAA Fisheries and NOAA Research. These monthly seminars will be hosted by the lead institution, virtually or hybrid throughout the 2023-2024 academic year. For more information, please visit, https://research.noaa.gov/noaa-csc/

NOAA Seminar Series: Fostering Collaboration and Advancing Research: A Year-Long Internship at NOAA's Physical Sciences Laboratory
2023-10-05 13:00 - 14:00
Title: Fostering Collaboration and Advancing Research: A Year-Long Internship at NOAA’s Physical Sciences Laboratory
Speaker: Julio Ceniceros, NOAA EPP/MSI CESSRST-II Fellow at UTEP
Date: October 5, 20223
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Venue: Virtual
Meeting Link : Register here
Abstract:
Julio Ceniceros, a Ph.D. candidate from the University of Texas at El Paso, successfully completed a year-long internship at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Physical Sciences Laboratory in Boulder, CO, as part of his fellowship with the NOAA Office of Education (OED) under the Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI). During this internship, Julio significantly bolstered the lab’s research capabilities by developing Python script-based tools to process weather balloon sounding datasets and ocean vertical profile datasets, crucial for studying air-sea fluxes—a central research focus of the lab. This experience not only enriched his research skills but also facilitated his professional growth through hands-on development activities. He contributed novel figures and preliminary findings to his host research lab, showcasing the collaborative synergy between academia and the NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory and emphasizing the significance of such partnerships in advancing atmospheric and oceanic sciences.

Climate Seminar Series: Managing Fisheries in a Changing Climate
2023-09-14 12:00 - 13:00
Event: NOAA EPP/MSI CSC Climate Change Seminar Series
Title: Managing Fisheries in a Changing Climate
Presenter: Wendy Morrison (Hosted by University of Maryland, Eastern Shore)
Date: September 14, 2023
Time: 12:00pm-1:00 PM
Register: Click here to register
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with details to join the event
About the Seminar Series.
Join NOAA’s EPP/MSI Cooperative Science Centers for this lecture series featuring scientists from NOAA Fisheries and NOAA Research. These monthly seminars will be hosted by the lead institution, virtually or hybrid throughout the 2023-2024 academic year. For more information, please visit, https://research.noaa.gov/noaa-csc/

NOAA Seminar Series: Arctic Feedbacks on Trace Gas Compositions.
2023-08-22 13:30 - 14:00
Title: Arctic Feedbacks on Trace Gas Compositions.
Speaker: Francia Tenorio, NOAA EPP/MSI CESSRST-II Fellow at SDSU
Date: August 22, 20223
Time: 1:30 PM ET
Venue: Virtual
Meeting Link : meet.google.com/ead-ypxo-gvb
Phone Number
(‪US‬)‪+1 219-321-0478‬
PIN: ‪651 945 406#‬
Learn more about the speaker
Abstract:
Polar ecosystems are warming faster than any other region on Earth (IPCC 2022), posing many implications for tundra landscapes. The accelerated warming in the Arctic influences the rate and movement of nutrients in the soil and water, plant growth, microbial decomposition, and thawing of the permafrost processes that occur across the landscape. This can release greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere. Since permafrost regions hold over half of all the estimated organic carbon stored in Earth’s soils and 40-60 Pg of nitrogen, it is essential to understand changes across the Arctic landscape and how this influences climate dynamics locally and globally. Thermokarst formations, which typically occur during the thawing of the permafrost, may be sources of emissions in tundra landscapes and a reflection of rapid climate change. Microtopographic features, particularly bare soils, may be a hotspot for GHGs. The webinar will present a mapping effort of such features via remote sensing techniques in a tundra ecosystem near Utqiaġvik, Alaska, emphasizing the monitoring GHGs from such features.

NOAA Seminar Series: Remote sensing of anthropogenic debris in stream channels
2023-08-22 13:00 - 13:30
Title: Remote sensing of anthropogenic debris in stream channels
Speaker: Elena Aguilar, NOAA EPP/MSI CESSRST-II Fellow at SDSU
Date: August 22, 20223
Time: 1:30 PM ET
Venue: Virtual
Meeting Link : meet.google.com/ead-ypxo-gvb
Phone Number
(‪US‬)‪+1 219-321-0478‬
PIN: ‪651 945 406#‬
Learn more about the speaker
Abstract:
Inadequate management of anthropogenic waste is a challenge for coastal waters in the US-Mexico border region. Managing waste requires detecting and monitoring locations where uncontrolled disposal and debris accumulation occurs at high rates. Watershed-scale remote sensing can aid the understanding of the distribution, pools, and fluxes of plastic materials in pluvial systems. The Los Laureles Canyon watershed (LLCW), located in Tijuana, Mexico, is a large source of plastic pollution for the Tijuana River Estuary in Imperial Beach, California. Through a combination of field, laboratory, and remote sensing methods, we identified surficial plastic materials and waste hotspots in LLCW and 6 visually assessed the utility of spectral mixture models and WorldView-3 (WV3) shortwave infrared (SWIR) broadband imagery for plastic mapping. Field trash surveys conducted in LLCW reveal channel reaches have large scale waste patches (4-10m²) as a result of dumping. Laboratory reflectance spectroscopy was used to characterize the diversity of plastic reflectance and assess spectral signatures to inform multispectral image analysis. Samples processed to date show plastics have consistent absorptions at about 1210 nm, 1410 nm, 1660-1730nm, and 2100-2300nm wavelengths, depending on the polymer type. When convolved to the spectral response function of the WV3 sensor, mean plastic reflectance retains prominent features between 1660-1730 nm and above 2200 nm wavelengths, similar to an image endmember observed through principal components analysis of LLCW imagery. A spectral mixture model uses the matched filtering algorithm and selected image endmember to map built-environment plastic infrastructure and waste hotspots in areas explored during field visits.

NOAA Seminar Series: Uncertainties in the retrieval of remote sensing reflectance from OC satellite observations
2023-08-09 13:30 - 14:00
Title: Uncertainties in the retrieval of remote sensing reflectance from OC satellite observations
Speaker: Eder Herrera Estrella, NOAA EPP/MSI CESSRST-II Fellow at CUNY
Date: August 9, 20223
Time: 1:30 PM ET
Venue: Virtual
Meeting Link : meet.google.com/xjr-zfee-aet
Phone Number
(‪US‬)‪+1 219-321-0478‬
PIN: ‪651 945 406#‬
Learn more about the speaker
Abstract:
Uncertainties in retrieving remote sensing reflectance, Rrs, from Ocean Color (OC) satellite sensors have a substantial impact on the performance of algorithms, such as for the estimation of chlorophyll-a concentrations, and inherent optical properties (IOPs). The impact is highest in the blue bands, especially in coastal waters with low blue-band Rrs values. Sunlight propagates to the water and back to the top of the atmosphere (TOA) with the total radiance measured by the sensor capturing the radiances related to the instantaneous state of in-water conditions, sky, and sunlight reflected from the wind-roughened wave facets and light scattered on molecules and aerosols in the atmosphere. All these components are associated with uncertainties, which together with the effects of the instrument noise and uncertainties in aerosol models in the atmospheric correction process, contribute to uncertainties in the retrieved water-leaving radiance and remote sensing reflectance. Assuming that these uncertainties are mostly proportional to the corresponding radiances and taking advantage of the differences in the spectra of these radiances, we analyzed the contribution of the components above to the total Rrs uncertainties in the SNPP-VIIRS level 2products for multiple scenes in the open ocean and coastal waters at different spatial resolutions. Results are complemented by data from several AERONET-OC sites and the VIIRS validation/calibration cruises and showed that the Rayleigh component (molecular scattering and surface effects) is the main source of 𝑅𝑟𝑠 uncertainties for any water type followed by water variability, which has a bigger role in coastal areas, while the contributions of other components including aerosol scattering are usually smaller

NOAA Seminar Series: Mapping and monitoring turbidity in estuaries using remote sensing
2023-08-09 13:00 - 13:30
Title: Mapping and monitoring turbidity in estuaries using remote sensing and in-situ measurements
Speaker: Stephany Garcia, NOAA EPP/MSI CESSRST-II Fellow at SDSU
Date: August 9, 20223
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Venue: Virtual
Meeting Link : meet.google.com/xjr-zfee-aet
Phone Number
(‪US‬)‪+1 219-321-0478‬
PIN: ‪651 945 406#‬
Learn more about the speaker
Abstract:
Satellite imagery of Southern California’s Tijuana River Outlet shows frequent turbid water plumes extending out into coastal water after storms and cross border flow events (Ayad et al., 2020). Turbid water has high concentrations of organic and inorganic materials that can carry harmful bacteria and pathogens (Warrick et al., 2012). In fresh and saline water systems, such as estuaries, water reflectance can reveal information about the biological productivity at different trophic states, benthic environment suppression, nutrient cycling, and the overall habitat quality for water-dependent organisms (Barbier et al., 2011; Topp et al., 2020). However, reflectance-based turbidity mapping is complicated by atmospheric conditions, clouds, and the reflectance of bottom materials in shallow water. Understanding the timing, frequency, and duration of turbid water events is often site-specific, because of regional climate, varying anthropogenic pressures, sediment loading rates, and geology (Elliott & McLusky, 2002). For my NERTO, a shallow water turbidity algorithm was used to identify turbidity hotspots in the tidal inland channels of TRNERR using the Sentinel-2 satellites. The goal was to quantify the accuracy of turbidity maps created from remote sensing by conducting Kayak Surveys and testing the water for suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) and Loss on Ignition (LOI). Initial findings revealed that ordering and receiving materials post-COVID was not possible in the course during a three-month NERTO period. Additionally, because of high contamination levels in the TJR Estuary, fieldwork was often prohibited. Moreover, because the data sondes we are using have 6+ sensors, equipment knowledge, and troubleshooting became an essential part of my NERTO experience

NOAA Seminar Series: The Drivers and Consequences of Social Vulnerability to Disasters
2023-07-26 13:00 - 14:00
Event: NOAA Seminar Series
Title: The Drivers and Consequences of Social Vulnerability to Disasters
Presenter: Fernando Tormos-Aponte, Wendy Prudencio, Gwendolyn Alexandre
Date: Jul 26, 2023
Time: 12:00pm-1:00 PM
Sponsors: NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory.
Seminar Contact: jan.kazil@noaa.gov
Remote Access: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7124906149160869466
Abstract: The Social Vulnerability and Resilience Lab (SOLVER) Research Lab is dedicated to advancing our understanding of social vulnerability, resilience, and preparedness in the face of disasters. SOLVER lab research adopts an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from fields such as anthropology, atmospheric science, sociology, political science, and critical geography. By doing so, the SOLVER Lab aims to contribute to and enrich these diverse fields while also developing innovative disaster recovery policies. The primary goal of these policies is to address the inequalities in disaster response and mitigate the potentially fatal consequences that arise from such disparities. The research highlights several key drivers and consequences of social vulnerability to disasters. Lab members will provide insight into the factors influencing the provision and restoration of electricity in the wake of disasters, with a particular emphasis on the case of Puerto Rico after hurricane María. Wendy Prudencio will focus on the factors that influence post-disaster population displacement, including unequal access to flood insurance. This research sheds light on how the availability and accessibility of insurance coverage impact the movement of people during and after disasters. Gwendolyn Alexandre explores the concept of compounding hazards, where multiple threats or hazards overlap or occur in succession, exacerbating the vulnerabilities of affected communities. By examining these compounding hazards, the research deepens our understanding of the complex dynamics that contribute to social vulnerability during and after disasters. Overall, the work conducted by the SOLVER Research Lab seeks to provide critical insights into the complexities of social vulnerability and resilience. By pushing the boundaries of existing knowledge and proposing alternative approaches to disaster resource allocation, the lab aims to reduce inequalities in disaster response and minimize the devastating consequences that marginalized communities often face.

NOAA Seminar Series: Understanding the socioeconomic impacts of climate change
2023-06-21 13:30 - 14:00
Title: Understanding the socioeconomic impacts of climate change
Speaker: Selenea Gibson, NOAA EPP/MSI CESSRST-II Fellow at UMBC
Date: June 21, 20223
Time: 1:30 PM ET
Venue: Virtual
Meeting Link : meet.google.com/eeu-gete-ueb
Learn more about the speaker
Abstract:
Air quality monitors maintained by the EPA are placed in large metropolitan statistical areas around the United States. The citizen science project, PurpleAir works to place their monitors in Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) that the EPA is not covering. When looking at the geographic locations where PurpleAir monitors are placed, we noticed that they seem to be in Whiter and richer tracts/block groups. Using Baltimore City as our primary focus, we noticed that the EPA has one monitor and it is located in a highly affluent tracts/block groups outside the city. PurpleAir has multiple monitors placed throughout the city but are co-located to the prominent White L that stretches from Roland Park to Fells Point (Brown 2016). PurpleAir placed their monitors in well-known historical areas within Baltimore City and with the city being majority 62.8% African American, residents who are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) are less accounted for in the air quality data. The city structure of Baltimore displays racial capitalism and suburban segregation and is a gateway for creating other large metropolitan cites across the United States (Glotzer 2020). Our research question asks whether there is a racial disparity between the PurpleAir monitors and their geographic locations to those who are affluent and those who are BIPOC in Baltimore City. We want to investigate the gap of geographic locations containing the PurpleAir monitors starting with Baltimore City then moving on to the MSAs. To test our hypothesis, we pulled all of the EPA/PurpleAir air quality monitors using API keys from open sourced websites. Then concentrated on the 2016-2020 5-year ACS survey data from the US Census Bureau and gathered unique fields needed to complete the analysis. Using spatial statistics and GIS software, we created tables, maps, and plots to confirm our hypothesis. Our findings determined that there is a significant median household income and percent BIPOC difference when comparing PurpleAir tracts in MSAs, especially in the Baltimore City area. We need more EPA and PurpleAir air quality monitors as there is not enough in Baltimore City. PurpleAir monitors are in predominantly Whiter tracts and block groups. For Portland and Seattle MSAs, there are so many PurpleAir monitors that are measuring the majority of White tracts/block groups that it is skewing the data. Lastly, we have a scale issue because Seattle and Portland have more PurpleAir monitors compared to Baltimore City and Philadelphia MSAs. We see a high amount of racial capitalism and highly uneven geographies in MSAs such as Portland and Seattle because of this.

NOAA Seminar Series: Evaluation of operational flood forecasting models in Puerto Rico
2023-06-21 13:00 - 13:30
Title: Evaluation of operational flood forecasting models in Puerto Rico
Speaker: Gerado Trossi Torres, NOAA EPP/MSI CESSRST-II Fellow at UPRM
Date: June 21, 20223
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Venue: Virtual
Meeting Link : https://meet.google.com/eeu-gete-ueb
Learn more about the speaker
Abstract: The aim of this project NOAA Experiential Research and Training Opportunities (NERTO) project carried out at the Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in San Juan, Puerto Rico (PR) is to analyze hydrological data from the National Water Model (NWM) and compare it with observed data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The established case study was a flash rainfall event in February of 2022. This rainfall event lasted three days, which precipitation accumulations from 1 to 16 inches were measured, affecting around 29 municipalities. The study examines 13 USGS stations where the most significant river flow occurred, surpassing the established river flood stages, covering 10 of the 29 affected municipalities. The NWM output data from two of four configurations added in the model’s latest version were analyzed, specifically for Puerto Rico. Within these configurations, two variables are considered to conduct the analysis. The first variable, RAINRATE, offers the rainfall forecast for the event over PR. The second variable, streamflow, was used to develop the flow behavior throughout the 48 hours of the event.
The streamflow forecast was evaluated with observed data during the event measured by USGS stations. From our results, three stations were chosen that represent different forecast scenarios. In the first scenario, a station in Caguas had a precipitation accumulation of 2-inch with low projected streamflow of 500 cubic feet per second (cfs). The second scenario is a station in Naguabo with a 2-inch accumulation measured, and the projected streamflow was predominantly high at 7000cfs. The last scenario station at Patillas with a buildup of 0.5 inches with projected streamflow of 1800cfs. The main observation in these three scenarios was that the most significant influence on the behavior is the topography around the station and the direction of its downstream flowline. In a station located in a valley, the model will not predict an immediate response compared to a station with steep topography.

NOAA Seminar Series: Enhancing NWS Heat Services through Urban Heat Island (UHI) Mapping Information
2023-06-14 13:00 - 14:00
Title: Enhancing NWS Heat Services through Urban Heat Island (UHI) Mapping Information
Speaker: Ileana Morales, NOAA EPP/MSI CESSRST-II Fellow at UTEP
Mentors: Danielle Nagele, NOAA NWS
Date: June 14, 20223
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Venue: Virtual
Meeting Link : Google Meet
Learn more about the speaker
Abstract: The global climate crisis is a prevalent issue that will disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. With rising temperatures, susceptibility to heat effects has caused concern about thermal comfort and urban heat during the summer. Prior work has indicated that urban heat islands (UHI) can have adverse health outcomes and can be exacerbated depending on geographic location, race-ethnicity, housing characteristics, and socioeconomic disparities. When a comparison was made to demographic data the NIHHIS/NOAA UHI Mapping Campaigns conducted throughout the U.S indicated specific disproportionate heat effect throughout the different cities mapped. This current study analyzes the UHI effect throughout the city of San Diego by performing a spatial analysis combining physical and social vulnerability. In addition, it examines how this information can be used by National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) and their partners to create more effective heat products and messaging. We conducted informational interviews with WFO meteorologist and their partners on how to provide useful information based on the combination of UHI and social vulnerability data. Ultimately, we formulated some recommendations and best practices by which WFOs and their partners can use to identify and address high-risk social-physical geographies in San Diego City, using methods that can be transferred to other sites.

NOAA Seminar Series: Modeling Complex 3-D Coastal-Urban Impacts on Air Quality Distribution
2023-02-23 13:00 - 14:00
Title: Modeling Complex 3-D Coastal-Urban Impacts on Air Quality Distribution: Evaluation Based on High-Spatial-Resolution NO2 Retrievals
Speaker: Harold Gamarro, NOAA EPP/MSI CESSRST-II Fellow at CCNY
Date: February 23, 20223
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Venue: Exhibit Room, Steinman Hall at the Grove School of Engineering (1st floor)
Registration Link
Download the flyer here
Harold is a Ph.D. student in the Mechanical Engineering department at CCNY. He was awarded a NOAA EPP/MSI Graduate Fellowship for the
inaugural class of 2021 and completed his fellowship year with the NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory. His research focuses on expanding our understanding of how cities interact with the atmosphere in the context of a changing climate, as well as the consequences these interactions have on the exposure of people and infrastructure to weather extremes (Heat and Air Quality).

NOAA EPP/MSI CSC Education Seminar Series: All about NOAA
2023-02-23 12:30 - 13:30
NOAA EPP/MSI CSC Education Seminar Series; a collaboration between NOAA EPP/MSI Cooperative Science Centers-CCME II, NCASS II, LMRCSC II, and CESSRST II was launched today.
Title: All about NOAA
Date: February 23, 2023
Time: 12:30pm
Speakers: Jason Tuell, Chris Kelble, Joseph Pica, and Jon Hare
Virtual: please use this zoom link to register
During the seminar, speakers- Jason Tuell (NWS), Chris Kelble (OAR), Joseph Pica (NESDIS), and Jon Hare (NMFS) provide insights on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its mission through their own experiences. They talk about NOAA workforce and opportunities for CSC students.
The purpose of the NOAA EPP/MSI CSC Education Seminar Series is to provide a platform for cross center education and training collaborations and engagement for all CSC student in NOAA mission training and opportunities
This seminar series provides the NOAA EPP/MSI Fellows an opportunity to meet with the entire CSC community and fellows/peers from other three NOAA Centers, interact and network with NOAA professionals to gain knowledge about NOAA and its missions, and build connections/pathways to potential NOAA mission enterprise workforce opportunities; gain the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session.
