Autumn 2014 Atmospheric Circulation Newsletter of the Atmospheric Sciences Department

A Field Study on Winter-Time Ozone Pollution in Eastern Utah by Professor Becky Alexander n January and February of 2014, graduate Istudent Maria Zatko and Associate Professor Becky Alexander participated in the 2014 Uintah Basin Winter Ozone Study (UBWOS) in eastern Utah, which was led by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists in the Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, CO. Alexander and Zatko joined other research groups from around the United States and Canada to perform atmospheric chemistry measurements in this remote region of ubiquitous oil and gas drilling. Ground-level ozone forms during chemical reactions in the atmosphere between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides, both of which have large sources from human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels. Ozone formation also requires sunlight; thus, sunny, high-populated areas such as Los Angeles are best known for having unhealthy levels of ozone. So it was a surprise when extremely high concentrations of ground- level ozone were measured during the winter in remote locations of Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. The current limit for ozone is set to 75 parts-per-billion (ppbv); however, ozone concentrations in the Uintah Basin frequently Graduate student Maria Zatko sampling from her snow pit. You can see in the picture a power exceed the EPA limit during winter and can plant and natural gas well in the background. reach as high as twice this value. Designing policies that will result in the reduction of ozone Professor Alexander’s group has been getting the word out and was instrumental in the concentrations down to healthier levels requires studying the impacts of snow chemistry on polar success of the crowdfunding campaign. an understanding of where the ingredients for ice core records, but very little is known about Once in Utah, Zatko collected around 200 ozone formation (VOCs and nitrogen oxides) this chemistry in the seasonally snow-covered snow samples over the course of the month- are coming from. mid-latitudes. Prof. Alexander learned about the long campaign. She also collected daily aerosol The previous UBWOS field campaigns of hypothesis of snow chemistry being an important samples with assistance from collaborators at 2012 and 2013 revealed that high ozone amounts contributor to the ozone problem in Utah during NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Lab in only occur when snow is on the ground. Snow the Atmospheric Chemistry Gordon Conference can influence the formation of ground-level in the summer of 2013. Alexander’s group was Seattle. At the time of writing in the summer ozone formation in three ways. First, snow poised to contribute to a better understanding of 2014, Maria Zatko and UW undergraduate reflects most incoming ultra-violet radiation, of the importance of snow chemistry for ozone student Lauren Easley are busy measuring the which increases the amount of sunlight required formation in Utah; however, it was unclear at optical properties of the snow samples and the for the formation of ozone. Second, the that time if the UBWOS field campaign would isotopic composition of nitrate in the snow and presence of snow on the ground can contribute take place in 2014. After NOAA gave the go- aerosol samples. The latter is very sensitive to to a strong temperature inversion, which acts to ahead for the field campaign in November 2013, snow chemical reactions, and will be used to concentrate ozone close to the surface. Third, Alexander and Zatko launched a crowdfunding calculate the recycling rates of reactive nitrogen chemical reactions in the snow can act to recycle campaign on what is now Experiment.com. through the Utah snow pack. Their calculations nitrogen oxides back to the atmosphere after Over the course of about 30 days they raised will be used by air quality modelers in order their original deposition to the snow surface, $12,000, enough to support Maria’s travel to to inform policymakers on the most effective increasing the formation rates of ground-level Utah and to cover the costs of sample analysis. ozone. This third effect, snow chemistry, is A total of 155 people contributed to the project strategy to improve air quality in eastern Utah. highly uncertain, but was hypothesized to be an via Experiment.com with an average donation Updates on the progress of this project are being important contributor to the high concentrations of about $75. Advertising of the crowdfunding posted to: https://experiment.com/projects/ of ground-level ozone observed during the 2013 campaign by Professor Cliff Mass on his popular how-does-natural-gas-fracking-contribute-to- UBWOS field campaign. weather blog proved to be very effective at air-pollution/updates.

1 Department of Atmospheric Sciences Chair’s Column the application rate of these excellent students and increasing our visibility among underrepre- East Asia and Pacific Summer reetings, friends! I recently completed sented students. In the coming year, I hope to Institute Fellowship Program Gmy second year as chair, and although expand efforts to bring top scholars in the field a sample size of two provides a sketchy basis to give seminars and meet with our faculty and by Crystal McClure, Graduate Student for analysis, I feel like the health of the depart- students to increase collaborative opportunities. ment is very good right now. Our undergradu- Our social events bring our faculty, staff, and here are many reasons to go abroad: ate program is significantly larger than it was students together. Friends are always welcome Tmeeting new people, learning about just 5 years ago (we graduated a class of 23 last at these events, so please join us at our Winter another culture, developing international June—among the biggest ever!) and we recently Holiday Social on 4 December 2014. You are research projects, enjoying new foods, etc. I welcomed 15 first-year graduate students. We also welcome to join us at our monthly “Sec- was lucky enough to be able to experience all also welcomed new Assistant Professor Dae- ond Friday” events, at a local pub, or in nice of these things in China this summer during the hyun Kim this past winter from Columbia Uni- weather, kegs and barbecue behind our build- East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute (EAPSI) versity. Professor Kim specializes in cumulus ing. We would also love to see you at the AMS fellowship program funded by NSF. This pro- convection and the influence of convection on Annual Meeting, where we will host a gather- gram funds U.S. graduate students for an 8-10 large-scale circulations like the Madden-Julian ing on 6 January at Pizzeria Bianco. For more week summer internship in various countries Oscillation. information or to RSVP for any of these events, such as: China, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Your gifts allow us to meet our mission and please contact Debbie at [email protected] / 206- and South Korea. reach for our aspirations as a department. Spe- 543-4250. Forty students participated in the China pro- cifically, your gifts support graduate student As for undergraduate scholarships, I have gram this year, making it one of the biggest recruitment, undergraduate scholarships, visit- good news and a request! The good news is that groups in the entire EAPSI Program. Each per- ing scholars, and social events. For example, we endowed a new fund this year, the Mindlin son applying for this funding had to find a host to meet our goal of increasing diversity among Endowed Fund for Undergraduate Student adviser in their destination country and write atmospheric scientists, we hosted a visit this fall Support, in order to recruit top undergraduate a proposal for a summer project that could be by SOARS scholars, with the goal of enhancing scholars. completed in the time period of the fellowship. Now for the request: we would like My work this summer was with Dr. to establish an endowment in honor Shuxiao Wang at Tsinghua University in Bei- of the founder of the department, jing, China. Along with her graduate student, Phil Church. We hear from early graduates of the department about Prof. Fengyang Wang, we studied oxidized mercury Church and the enormous influence he species emitted from coal-fired power plants by had on establishing the culture of the using their drop-tube furnace (which simulates department. We think it would be fit- a coal-fired power plant on a small scale). We ting to honor this legacy, and if you were even granted access to take samples inside would like to help us reach our goal of an operating coal-fired power plant outside of establishing this fund, please contact Beijing! China is currently investing heavily in Caroline Rosevear at [email protected] science and technology and is an excellent place / 206-221-0562. for the development of international research That’s all for this year. Best wishes projects. My work in Dr. Wang’s group this sum- for happy holidays, and stay in touch mer has provided me with contacts that I will use over the coming year. the rest of my graduate and professional career. Along with work, I also traveled with 39 other Greg Hakim behind the Fleagle desk. Greg Hakim amazing U.S. scientists who are really making a difference in each of their fields. Our group of Department News Scholarship, and Creative Activity Award. U.S. students in Beijing went on weekend trips Bradley Colman, Affiliate Associate Profes- to many parts of China including Zhangjiajie romotions—Robert Wood was pro- sor, was elected to the Washington State Acad- (pictured below). Getting to spend time in China Pmoted to Professor of Atmospheric Sci- emy of Sciences. Brad is currently Principal and learn both scientifically and culturally was ences with tenure. Kudos were given by Dean Program Manager at Microsoft, and formerly an opportunity of a lifetime. Graumlich for his “spectacular contributions to the Meteorologist in Charge at the National Applications for this fellowship through NSF atmospheric sciences” in scholarship, teaching, Weather Service headquarters in Seattle. are due by November 13, 2014 and annually and service. Eric Salathé was promoted to Ad- Congratulations to Professor Cliff Mass and thereafter on the second Thursday in November. junct Associate Professor. Kristen Rasmussen. They have each won a Faculty Awards and Honors—Professors 2013-2014 College of the Environment Award David Battisti and Qiang Fu have been elected for Outstanding Community Impact. Kristen as Fellows of the American Geophysical Union. won the student award and Cliff won the faculty This is a tremendous honor, extended to only award. one in a thousand AGU members very year. Student Technology Fee Award—The de- Professor Cecilia Bitz has been awarded partment received an award for 2014. Thanks the first Francis Bretherton Climate and Global to the students’ and chair’s endorsements, and Dynamics Visitorship at the National Center for Harry Edmon’s proposal. The award will fund Atmospheric Research. 18 HP workstations with additional memory, Professor Christopher Bretherton has and 5 displays. been elected to the University Corporation for Student Awards—Luke Madaus received Atmospheric Research Board of Trustees. an award from the AMS WAF/NWP committee A group of U.S. students visiting Zhangjiajie Professor Daniel Jaffe is the recipient of National Forest Park, which is located in the the 2014 UW Bothell Distinguished Research, (Dept. News—Continued on page 8) Hunan Province in south-central China.

2 Atmospheric Circulation Video Making Group: A Year in Review by Maximo Menchaca, Graduate Student

ifaugheljerjy…Ready?” I am sitting in lowing current merry-go- “Rthe back seat of a car piloted by Chris round videos was proving driving north on I-5, and Bryce, sitting in Liz’s difficult. car with Ana, sounds like he’s gargling. We are In the end, we decid- trying to coordinate a shot for our latest outreach ed to combine the first video and trying to use our phones as walkie- and second videos into talkies. It isn’t working very well. one, scrapping the Red This latest film, about the Coriolis effect, Square demonstration has been over a year in the making. It has gone for a video geared to- through numerous iterations, cuts, detours, and wards the general public intermissions. This all started after the filming that would convey two of our “Ocean Acidification” video in May 2012, main concepts: differ- when the outreach video group began to look for ent frames of reference a new topic. We decided to next try our hand at and length/time scales. the Coriolis effect, but this posed a challenging Hopefully, this would Bryce and Ana plan a shot at Cowan Park. pedagogical problem. Our first drafting of script be an effective introduc- ideas produced some creative but difficult out- tion to many of the troublesome concepts of convey rising greenhouse gas concentrations lines, ranging from intercontinental games of the Coriolis effect. Our other video would still AND rising sea levels. catch and Coriolis influenced games of Battle- focus on the limitations of the angular momen- Connect4Climate appreciated our end result. ship to a vendetta snuff film. (The scientific value tum explanation of the Coriolis effect. Since They even added a post on their website, com- of these stories varied.) We weren’t happy with we viewed the merry-go-round videos already mending it as a featured video in the competi- any of these as frame stories. All of our previ- available with disdain, the script began to take tion and claiming it was a creative “stop mo- ous videos concerned topics people could see on an investigative reporter feel, uncovering the tion” film. The reality may not have been as in everyday life—everyone has seen clouds or shortcomings of other Coriolis videos. Dale and impressive, but still required preparation and experienced the power of pressure. But the Cori- his machine would come to the rescue of those painful takes. Chris and I scrambled to make a olis effect takes place over very large time and students/victims confused by these other videos. “SAVE THE COAL” sign and the arrows before length scales—and toilets and merry-go-rounds, This scripting process has taken us over a the actual filming in Dargan’s dining room the the two phenomena people most commonly asso- year, but we have also been busy with other next day. Chris controlled the arrows by pull- ciate with the Coriolis effect, aren’t even correct projects. Last March, Dale and Dargan sub- ing strings, Liz was ready to drop the sign at the applications! Not only would our video on the mitted a paper to Physics Today explaining the specified time, Bryce operated Cole, and I both Coriolis effect have to be instructive, it also had power of latent heat. They already had a demo held up the poster board and made sure every- to be destructive to remove these misconceptions. ready to go, so the outreach group quickly wrote thing was timed correctly with the music. And Weekly outreach meeting ideas coalesced into up a script to supply a video as supplemental we were all standing in a space 3 foot square. a trilogy of films. For the first video, we decided material. The paper was geared towards keeping While the video did not make the top 5 (guar- to try a demo similar to the one used by hood- your drinks cool on a hot day, and we revised anteeing a trip to Italy), it was picked among winkers at the equator armed with a small basin, the final 25 finalists. We also received another, this idea to warming up a frozen drink quickly. some water, and a gullible audience. They show odder consolation prize. Connect4Climate sent The article was quickly picked up in media all that water in the basin drains counterclockwise us release waivers, informing us that our video over the world, and the video rode the coattails in the Northern hemisphere and clockwise in would soon be shown on MTV Italy. Science of this viral wave, quickly becoming our most the Southern, and then attribute this to the Co- outreach can crop up in many different places, popular outreach film. While the film was over- riolis effect, not the angular momentum created and sometimes nothing quite hits the spot like all praised for its ability to relate the concept of by moving the basin. We hoped to recreate this climate change inspiration after you’ve finished demo out on Red Square, crowdsourcing our latent heat, some reviewers were unhappy with watching the Italian version of “Punk’d.” footage to dispel this myth perpetuated by these the quality of acting present therein. True art is But for now, we are trying to line up our filming equator equivocators. Our second video would rarely appreciated in its own time. on the highway. Chris and Liz are trying to drive be geared towards ATMS 101 students, further Our second project also happened com- at a constant speed, let alone avoid ambient traf- using the angular momentum explanation to pro- pletely by chance. Connect4Climate, a global fic that is unaware of the movie magic happening vide a non-mathematical treatment for confused coalition sponsored by the World Bank, hosted here. We’ll then have all the footage we need for students. The final video would build further on a competition for 30-second videos to “inspire” our first Coriolis video—all that is left to do is re- this by using Dale’s Coriolis machine. climate change awareness in the viewer. We cord the narration. And we’ve been trying to line up The writing of each video would require dif- came up with the idea of a “Save the Coal” some high-profile talent to star as our investigative ferent approaches. For the first video, we would video in the style of celebrity “Save the World” reporter in the second video. There are still many need to formulate questions that would cull the songs. We already had our actor—the Cole/ hours of filming, discussion, and editing ahead be- responses we wanted out of the general public, Coal puppet, but lacked a set. Perhaps we could fore our duology is ready, but the payoff, of both while the latter two required stories and scripts. provide a striking background, something like relating science to the public as well as sarcastic Our ideas kept shifting as we reorganized the the Mauna Loa CO2 concentration graph. But YouTube comments, is well worth it. concepts we hoped to convey. We couldn’t re- would a viewer be able to focus on the song and member hearing about the Coriolis effect before simultaneously understand the graph? Our first Consultation, Inspiration, Cast and Crew taking our own introductory atmospheric science solution was to actually prepare some yarn and for Our Video Provided by courses, so what could we expect from an aver- pull it through pegs to represent the graph, to Professors Dale Durran and Dargan Frierson, age undergrad walking through Red Square? And show the time progression of rising greenhouse and Graduate Students Bryce Harrop, for our second video, trying to use the angular gas concentrations. But then—why a graph at Elizabeth Maroon, Maximo Menchaca, momentum concept in a way that wasn’t just fol- all? We decided upward pointing arrows could Ana Ordonez, and Chris Terai

3 Department of Atmospheric Sciences John M. Wallace Emeritus Professor Professional Biography by Daniel T. McCoy, Graduate Student phenomena; along with Asked about what some of his favorite prob- techniques such as lems to work on have been, Mike says that, of compositing, the use of course, like many other scientists, he tends to the so-called empirical think that the research he is doing right at the orthogonal functions moment is the most interesting. He reflects that was a significant com- one of the more exciting periods of research in ponent of this move- his career was in the 1980s when he was study- ment. Early visionaries ing teleconnection patterns with Dave Gutzler such as Mike with their and the signature of the El Niño Southern Oscil- use of objective ana- lation with John Horel. He recalls thinking to lytical tools to study himself at the time ‘This is really the best I have atmospheric phenom- seen of my career so far; this could very well be ena helped form some the high point.’ of the staple techniques Having contributed so extensively to our of atmospheric sci- understanding of the climate and Earth system, ences. it seems reasonable to ask Mike’s opinion on In 1966 Mike joined the outlook of the atmospheric sciences. “We Jim Holton, Richard J. Reed, and Mike Wallace the University of Wash- are so lucky to have a field with a cohesive core at the University of Washington in 1969. ington as an assistant to it that we can all contribute to it in different ven at a young age Mike Wallace was professor. He rapidly advanced from an asso- ways.” His hope is that the field can maintain Edrawn to the weather. He recalls growing ciate position on to full professorship in 1975. this momentum and focus given that it has been up in western Massachusetts listening to meteo- At the University of Washington Mike has such a productive mode for the field in the past. rologists on the radio station WBZ from Boston. published prolifically and with great success. He also notes that the science of weather pre- Amusingly enough, this was also the station He notes that one of the aids to his work was diction has been a very important component of that Richard J. Reed was associated with before the savvy adoption of quantum leaps in com- the atmospheric sciences in the past and that he taking a position at University of Washington, putational and observational technology. For views the research to be done in this area as far where they later met in person. instance, advances such as those in coverage in from over. “There are still some frontiers in the In the late 1950s there was little professional both simulated and observed data allowed study future as we continue to try to extend the range call for atmospheric scientists. The mailman had of longer range interactions between atmo- and to predict on smaller scales and to deal with informed his father that the Webb Institute of spheric anomalies at much greater range than the issues of uncertainty and probability through Naval Architecture provided a good education had been hitherto possible. the ensemble forecast; to understand the modes with free tuition, room, and board, and so, in The 1970s also saw the writing and publica- in which forecasts fail and to confront chaos; 1958 Mike enrolled in the Webb Institute. While tion of Atmospheric Sciences, An Introductory and that can also be a focus for a lot of the phys- perfectly capable of excelling in his classes, in Survey, which was a joint project between Mike ical meteorology.” which he earned A’s, his heart was not in the and Peter Hobbs. The text was originally envi- Mike also points to the dangers of political creation of sea-worthy vessels. Indeed, Mike’s sioned by Hobbs to serve as an overall introduc- pressure and the struggle to obtain research interest in weather continued unabated. The tion to atmospheric sciences. Hobbs wrote the funding as potentially leading to a decrease in night before his boiler design final, a blizzard sections on physics and chemistry and Mike diversity in atmospheric sciences research and descended over the Webb Institute’s home in wrote the sections on dynamics, radiation, and a retreat from the strengths of the field. “This Glen Cove, New York. The excitement of nature meteorology. The first publication of Atmo- can lead to a large number of people studying expending itself around him kept him from spheric Sciences, An Introductory Survey was in esoteric pieces of the global warming problem.” sleeping the entire night. Despite this distrac- 1977, and it is currently in its second edition and Such a decline in research diversity runs the tion, he completed boiler design and graduated serves as the seminal introductory graduate text risk of building too extensively in a direction in the atmospheric sciences. from the Webb Institute in 1962. that is not necessarily very robust and that relies Careful and insightful research has won Mike on a large amount of funding for this type of At this time luminaries of the atmospheric the recognition of peers and professional organi- research, which might prove relatively transient. sciences had gathered at MIT, and Mike entered zations. He is the recipient of numerous awards “If we retain the integrity of the field so that the the PhD program there studying with Reginald from the American Meteorological Society science is good, then it is much more robust and Newell. As he did at the Webb Institute, Mike and American Geophysical Union; the Alfred it builds on our strength.” was to excel at his studies and was awarded A’s P. Sloan fellowship; and the National Science in most of his classes, except linear algebra, in Foundation creativity award. In addition to rec- which he scored a D. He reflects that this might ognition from the wider academic community, be due to mild dyslexia on his part more than the University of Washington has singularly any other factor. This was to prove somewhat shown their appreciation for his contributions in ironic given that one his many contributions to making the atmospheric sciences department a atmospheric science was the study of telecon- central player in the scientific community. In nections (the relation at long distance of anoma- 2010 the building housing the Joint Institute for lies in the climate system) utilizing linear alge- the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean, which bra techniques. Mike had been director of from 1982–1987 and During the 1960s atmospheric sciences was again from 2003–2006, was named in his honor. undergoing a transition away from analyzing Although flattered, he was taken aback by hav- isolated case studies and toward a more sys- ing a building named after him. tematic and objective analysis of atmospheric At the Wallace Symposium in 2009.

4 Atmospheric Circulation Terai, Christopher R., Using VOCALS Maroon, Elizabeth A., The Location of Tropical Congratulations to REx C-130 Aircraft Measurements to Precipitation in Idealized Atmospheric Understand Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation General Circulation Models Forced with Graduates Interactions in Marine Stratocumulus Andes Topography and Surface Heat Fluxes Doctor of Philosophy (Bretherton & Wood) (Frierson & Battisti) Wigder, Nicole Lynn, Influence of Baseline Air McClure, Crystal D., Evaluation of the KCl Berner, Andrew H., Exploring Aerosol- Masses and Wildland Fires on Air Quality Denuder Method for Gaseous Oxidized Cloud-Precipitation Feedbacks on Marine in the Western United States (Jaffe) Mercury using HgBr2 at an In-Service Low Cloud Induced by Natural and AMNet Site (Jaffe) Anthropogenic Perturbations in a Cloud Menchaca, Maximo Q., Modeling a Midlatitude Resolving Model (Bretherton & Wood) Master of Science Cyclone Impinging on Localized Orography Brown, Bonnie Rachel, An Ensemble Adames, Angel F., The Global Scale Structure (Durran) Numerical Modeling Study of Atlantic Basin of the MJO (Wallace) Tetreault-Pinard, Etienne, Linking Soil Hurricane Intensification(Hakim) Baughman, Eowyn C., Exploring Moisture and Summertime Surface Evans, Stuart M., Atmospheric Classification Meteorological and Biomass Burning Temperature Variability (Battisti) as a Cloud and Precipitation Evaluation Aerosol Influences on Marine Stratocumulus Tool in Models and Observations in the Southeast Atlantic using WRF-Chem (Ackerman) (Wood) Bachelor of Science Friedman, Beth J., Field and Laboratory Baylon, Leo Miguel Paolo M., Ozone Jonathan D. Acker Perspectives on the Cloud Nucleating Enhancement in Western U.S. Wildfire Kevin Robert Bartelt Abilities of Aerosol Particles (Thornton) Plumes at the Mt. Bachelor Observatory: Kelley Jo Bayern Hills, Matthew O. G., The Downstream Decay The Role of NOx (Jaffe) Ashleigh Avalon Benedetti-Saputo of Trapped Lee Waves (Durran) Dang, Cheng, Light-Absorbing Particulates in Jessica Mae Caubre McCusker, Kelly E., Investigations of the Seasonal Snow in Western Megan Michelle Chaplin Climate System Response to Climate (Fu & Wallace) Robert Duane Dascenzo Engineering in a Hierarchy of Models (Bitz DeHart, Jennifer C., Quadrant Distribution of Dylan James Flynn & Battisti) Tropical Cyclone Inner-Core Kinematics in Alexandria Charlotte Gingrey Pendergrass, Angeline G., Time-Averaged Relation to Environmental Shear (Houze) Joseph Andrew Hayman Data Assimilation for Midlatitude Climates: Dixon, Kenneth, Assimilation of Lightning Benjamin Michael Hedwall Towards Paleoclimate Applications Data by Nudging Tropospheric Water Vapor Nathan John Iannuccillo (Hartmann) and Applications to Numerical Forecasts of Shane Anthony Phillips Scheff, Jacob S., Understanding the Responses Convective Events (Mass) Gabriel Leo Ratener of Precipitation, Evaporative Demand, and Hryniw, Natalia, Scalar and Multivariate Jacob Mitchell Rissberger Terrestrial Water Availability to Planetary Approaches for Optimal Network Design in Anthony William Rodriguez Temperature in Climate Models (Frierson) Antarctica (Hakim) Adam James Silver Sofen, Eric D., Isotopic Investigation of Lapo, Karl E., Understanding How Spencer Jordan Tack Anthropogenic- and Climate-Driven Uncertainty in the Forcing Irradiances Jonathan Linh Tam Tran Changes in Sulfate and Nitrate Aerosol Impacts Simulations of Snow (Lundquist) Nghi Dinh Tran Production (Alexander)

Elynn Wu / Dargan Frierson: Career Hadley Undergraduate and Circulation. Last Millennium Climate Scholarships and Faculty Research Change in CMIP5 Models. Awards The following undergraduate students and facul- 2014 ARCS Fellowship: ty members worked together during the past year: Jessica Haskins Russell Barton / Robert Wood: Low Clouds Welcome to New over Oceans. Graduate Students 2014 National Science Foundation (NSF) Ryan Barton / Robert Wood: Stratocumulus Graduate Research Fellowship: Sim. for 2014–2015 Isabel McCoy Megan Chaplin / Robert Houze: Precip Cloud Systems, Global Precipitation & Orographic Megan Chaplin (Houze) 2014 Program on Climate Change (PCC) Effects. Lexie Goldberger (Thornton) Fellowship: Alexandria Gingrey / Robert Houze: Precip Jessica Haskins (Thornton) Ashley Spevacek Cloud Systems, Global Precipitation, Isabel McCoy (Wood) Dynamo, Orographic Effects & Amie Cloud Jeremy McGibbon (Bretherton) American Meteorology Society: Processes. Conor McNicolas (Mass) Jessica Haskins Malek Parker / Robert Houze: Global Ping-Ping Narenpitak (Bretherton) Isabel McCoy Precipitation. Kuan-Ting O (Wood) Malek Parker / Abigail Swann: Determining Stephanie Rushley (Kim) IGERT Program on Climate Change: a Relationship between Soil Moisture and Maximum Temperatures. Ashly Spevacek (Frierson) Stephen Po-Chedley Joncharles Tenbusch / Dennis Hartmann: Hsiu-Hui Tseng (Fu) Reed-Caldwell Undergraduate Scholarship: Climate Variability 4. Nicholas Weber (Mass) Lauren Whybrew / Joel Thornton: An Jonathan Weyn-Vanhentenryck (Durran) Lauren Whybrew Examination of Ultrafine Particulate Matter Wei Zhao (Fu & Marchand) in Port Angeles, Washington.

5 Department of Atmospheric Sciences Donor Recognition The Department of Atmospheric Sciences gratefully acknowledges the donors who have generously supported us during the past fiscal year July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014.

Individual Donors Margaret Holton Vernon & Laurel Redecker Andrew Ackerman Charlotte Hopper Robert & Britt Reeves Thomas & Linda Ackerman James Illman John Rehr Sheal Anderson Donald & Lisa Immerwahr Katherine & Lee Reinleitner Anonymous Nicolas Irving Robert Ridihalgh Gifford Asher Marc Islam Kermit Ritland Julia Bacharach & Daniel Cory Dan Jaffe Monte Robinson Henry & Linda Baddley Jr. Karen James & Dexter McCulloch Steven Robinson Bruno Barrette Michael Johnson Dale Rogers David Battisti & Lynn McMurdie Richard & LaVonne Johnson Steven Rolfe Robert Baughman John & Vivian Karamanian Jason Ross David & Lois Bauman Liz & Ronald Keeshan Bernard & Nora Rossiter Geoff Beacon Larry Kingsbury David Sarver Christopher Beck Thomas & Laura Kleespies Janet & Donald Schmitt Robert Berkovitz Stephen Klein Eric & Anna Schoening Harold Bernard Jr. & Christina Hilland-Bernard Rosemary & William Kneeling John Schwabacher Thomas & Carol Borda Kevin & Sheri Kodama David Sellers Mark & Diana Borges Frank Krentz Kyong Seo Cornelius & Catherine Borman Terence Kubar Judith Shoshana S. Edward & Janet Boselly III Dennis Lamb & Patricia Skrentny-Lamb Parikhit & Amanda Sinha Carolyn Bowman Sandra Lane W. David & Kaaran Slawson Charles & Mary Brock Margaret Le Mone & Peter Gilman David Smith Casey Burns & Nancy Ball John Leathers James & Sonja Staley Edward & Terry Carr Christopher & Jonell Lee Raymond Staley John Carrier William Levering III & Susan Hert Jordan Sutton Alden & Diane Chace Jr. Alison Lewis Robert Thompson Jr. Nicola Chapman William Lipscomb Jon Valentine Xinhua Cheng Lincoln & Janet Loehr Al Vaskas William Clugston Mario Lopez Kimm Viebrock & Michael Nesteroff Ann Cronin Arthur Loring Carol & William Viertel Neven Curlin Janet Lowry Noel Wade David Cuthbert Mark Lutz Norman & Barbara Wagner Todd & Tamara Dankers Paul Maier Jr. John & Susan Wallace Michael De Haan Ray Makela & Brenda Hunt Robert Waltemate Clara Deser Charles Malmgren Jinyan Wang & Junning Zhao Sarah Doherty Clifford & Caroline Mass Walter & Patricia Warden Dale Durran & Janice Tervonen Graham Mathes Marvin & Joan Wayne Imke Durre Mark Mauer & Susan Johnson Jean & Richard Weick Charles & Mary Elderkin Frances McLaughlin Jonathan Weil Roy Emory Justin Minder Albert Werner Charles Erwin Scott Morgan Richard Wieland Brad Ferrier & Linda Carter-Ferrier Elizabeth Muench William & Carole Wieland Emily Fischer Joanna Muench & Craig Lee Michael Winter Emily Fondaw Steven Mullen & Rita Jackson-Mullen Michael Winton & Gretel LaVieri Thomas & June Frey Gretchen Mullendore & Gregory Ostermeier Debra Wolf Dargan Frierson & Julie Bannester Jim & Michele Murphy Lixin Zeng Qiang Fu & Muyin Wang Frederick & Judith Murray Xiaoli Zhu & Juan Liang Mark & Ann Gaponoff Gerald Myers Xun Zhu & Wei Liu Marcus Gillette Louisa Nance Paquita Zuidema Judith Gray Paula Nemzek Arthur Grunbaum Thomas Newbauer Corporate, Foundation, Organization Donors Gregory & Lynne Hakim Frank & Irene Nishimoto American Meteorological Society Dennis & Lorraine Hartmann Janice Obuchowski & Albert Halprin Anonymous Robert Henry Michael O’Connell AT&T Foundation Jay & Debbie Hermsmeier Charles Orwig The Boeing Company Edward Hindman Rajul Pandya & Amy Alter-Pandya Coastal Environmental Systems, Inc. Peter Hobbs (D) Ethan Patashnik Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Sylvia Hobbs Clayton Paulson Microsoft Corporation James & Alma Holcomb Jr. Leonhard Pfister Snohomish County Master Gardener Fnd.

6 Atmospheric Circulation Alumni News Elizabeth Barnes (’12, Ph.D.) has been selected to receive the 2014 James R. Holton Junior Scientist Award, Atmospheric Sciences Section of the Amer- ican Geophysical Union. The award will be pre- sented at the AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco. H. W. “Buzz” Bernard (’75, B.S.) is a retired meteorologist and writer. His third novel, Supercell, set against tornado chasing on the Great Plains, was released in November 2013. This spring it reach #4 on Amazon’s Kindle best-seller list. The book was a semifinalist in the Georgia Author of the Year com- petition. His debut novel, Eyewall, about a Cat 5 hurricane that strikes the Georgia coast, was a Kin- dle #1 best seller in 2011. He just completed the first draft of Blizzard, which will complete his “weather thriller trilogy.” He didn’t set out to write a trilogy, it just worked out that way. There’s no timetable yet for the release of Blizzard. His books are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Tami Bond (’00, Ph.D.) has received a 2014 MacArthur Fellowship. She is a Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Jeff Castle (’94, B.S.) was recently promoted to Chief Meteorologist at KSLA-TV in Shreve- port, LA (see http://www.ksla.com/story/25891211/ chief-meteorologist-jeff-castle). David Dempsey (’85, Ph.D.) has been on the President Barack Obama conducts a “Weather from the White House” interview with Jeff Renner, faculty in the Department of Geosciences at San Seattle-NBC, to discuss the findings in the third U.S. National Climate Assessment, in the Rose Francisco State University since 1989. He started Garden of the White House, May 6, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson) (Alumni News—Continued on page 8) Giving to the Department of Atmospheric Sciences Please consider supporting the activities of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences. Your gift strengthens the core of the UW through recruitment and retention of world-class students and faculty. Your support of undergraduate and graduate students helps to cre- ate the next generation of scientific leaders. Help us to ensure that the department continues to be a leader in weather, climate andquality. Yes, I want to support the Department of Atmospheric Sciences! I have enclosed $______to support Friends of Atmospheric Sciences Fund Atmospheric Sciences Graduate Education Fund Richard and Joan Reed Atmospheric Sciences Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship Fund James Holton Endowed Graduate Support Fund Visa Mastercard American Express Card Number ______Expiration Date (mm/yyyy) ______Signature______Name (First, Last) ______Address______City, State, Zip ______Home Phone No.______Work Phone No. ______This is a matching gift (Enclose matching form) This is a joint gift Your gift is tax-deductible as specified in IRS regulations. Pursuant to RCW 19.09, the University of Washington is registered as a charitable organization with the Secretary of State, state of Washington. To make your gift by phone, please call 1-877-UW-GIFTS (1-877-894-4387). Please send your check, payable to the “University of Washington” to: Debra Wolf, Assistant to the Chair, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Box 351640, Seattle, Washington 98195-1640 To make your gift online, log onto www.atmos.washington.edu/about/support.shtml or www.washington.edu/giving/make-a-gift. Appeal Code: ASN14 7 Department of Atmospheric Sciences

Contact Us Department of Atmospheric Sciences University of Washington Box 351640 Seattle, Washington 98195-1640 Phone (206) 543-4250 Fax (206) 543-0308 http://www.atmos.washington.edu

Gregory J. Hakim, Chair Debra Wolf, Editor

Atmospheric Circulation is published annually for alumni, friends, and members of the University of Washington Department of Atmospheric Sciences. This is the fourteenth issue.

Please send alumni news, comments, questions, corrections and address updates to [email protected] or call (206) 543-4250.

Alumni News, cont. from page 7 Alumni Event at the AMS Dept. News, cont. from page 2 lans are in the works for a department for his “outstanding oral presentation” on Rapid, serving as Chair of the Department (recently Short-Term Forecast Adjustment Through renamed to Department of Earth & Climate Sci- Palumni dinner in Phoenix AZ during the week of the 95th American Meteorological Offline Ensemble Data Assimilation (Feb. ences) this fall semester. Society Meeting. Keep tuned for more infor- 2014). Nick Siler won best student presentation Aaron Hill (’12, B.S.) has been accepted in a mation on the department’s home page News at the AMS Mountain Meteorology Conference Ph.D. track at Texas Tech University, extending his sidebar or http://www.atmos.washington.edu/ in San Diego (August 2014). Lauren Whybrew current M.S. track. outreach/news.shtml. To ensure your email received a Mary Gates Research Scholarship Joel (’97, Ph.D.) and Brittany Norris, are invitation is sent to your current address, you (May 2014). Nicole Wigder won first place for pleased to announce the birth of their fifth child, can update your contact information by go- her student oral presentation at the AMS 16th James Lanning Norris, on July 19. ing to www.washington.edu/alumni/subscribe/ Conference on Atmospheric Chemistry. Jeff Renner (’88, B.S.), Chief Meteorologist address-change.html or contacting the depart- Brandon Ray was accepted into the inaugu- ral 2013–2014 Arctic Research Fellows program. at KING TV in Seattle, was one of eight broadcast ment at [email protected]. The program at the UW is designed “to foster meteorologists invited to the White House in May innovative research projects that strengthen area to interview President Obama and administration Public Lectures studies at the UW and build research linkages advisors and cabinet officials regarding the new across disciplines, particularly between the natu- National Climate Assessment. Photo on page 7. he fourth Peter V. Hobbs Memorial ral and social sciences and the humanities.” Josh Smith (’12, B.S.) began working as an TEndowed Lecture in Experimental Welcome to Assistant Professor Daehyun entry level forecaster for the National Weather Ser- Meteorology was given on January 23, 2014. The Kim. His research interests are in climate vice in Pendleton OR in July 2012. Last year, he speaker was Prof. Paul Markowski (Pennsylvania dynamics, climate modeling, cloud physics and transferred to the Seattle NWS office and currently State University). The lecture was entitled Storm cumulus parameterization. He was a research Chasing: What I’ve Learned. forecasts for western WA. Josh enjoys participating professor at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Dr. Richard Rotunno (National Center for in weather-related community outreach events in of Columbia University and a recipient of the Atmospheric Research) was invited to visit the American Geophysical Union James R. Holton the NW. In his spare time, he likes to participate in department as the Graduate Students’ Distin- outdoor activities and travel. Junior Scientist Award. guished Visiting Lecturer. He gave a public lec- Professor Stephen Warren retired in June ture on June 5 entitled Tornadoes in Observations and was honored with the position of Emeritus and Theory. Professor. For upcoming public lectures, please check Baby News—Prof. Dargan Frierson and our Department’s front page News feed at atmos. Julie Bannester welcomed Eleanor Bannester washington.edu or under Events & Outreach. Frierson on August 1.

8