Cross-Cutting Themes at ETL

ETL seeks to address complex environmental issues through a series of cross-cutting themes which link research to operations and provide for collaboration between inter-related fields such as hydrology, meteorology, oceanography, and numerical modeling. ETL expertise spans theoretical investigation, sensor development, field observation, and model development and verification to address these diverse needs.

Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) Program

The increasing complexity of environmental problems and the difficulty of translating fundamental understanding of PBL processes into information and products useful to the Nation places new demands on the research enterprise at the NOAA Ocean and Atmosphere laboratories. Because PBL research is distributed across NOAA, a cross-cutting PBL theme group was formed to achieve a more organized, holistic, and integrated attack on these problems. Our goals are to both advance the state of scientific knowledge and to advance the application of that knowledge.

Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH)

NOAA is one of eight federal agencies participating in the implementation of SEARCH. With a mission to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, and conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to meet the Nation's economic, social and environmental needs, NOAA has a particularly important role to play in SEARCH. NOAA has initiated its SEARCH program with seed activities that address high priority issues relating to the atmospheric and the cryosphere. The three primary foci of the current program are the implementation of the Arctic Atmospheric Observing Network, Arctic Sea Ice Observing Network, and Arctic Change Detection and System Analysis.

Research to Operations Testbeds

Hydrometeorology Testbed (HMT)

Boundary Layer Flux Testbed

The Boundary Layer Flux Testbed is an extension of ETL's extensive ocean flux measurements implemented on land to improve the understanding of boundary layer flux with regard to air quality and regional meteorology on the U.S. East Coast. It will be operated in conjunction with the ETL Boundary Layer Profiler Network during the summer of 2004.