C. Bruce Baker Quoted in Journal Article on Improving Weather Prediction via Drone Usage

June 2019

Dr. Baker, Director of ARL’s Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division (ATDD), was one of the experts interviewed for a recent article in Meteorological Technology International. Titled “Within Limits,” the article by Keri Allan appeared in the publication’s April 2019 issue. In it, Baker explains how and why the usage of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) is becoming more prevalent in meteorological research. He also provides some insights into a NOAA field campaign named Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes EXperiment-Southeast, or VORTEX-SE, that utilized sUAS to study where and when severe storms will develop. Baker and his staff at ATDD are currently performing research activities in close collaboration with the agency’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program, whose director is also quoted in the article.

About ATDD’s sUAS Efforts: ATDD participated in the VORTEX-SE project conducted in Northern Alabama in 2016 and 2017 and is preparing to participate in the Chequamegon Heterogeneous Ecosystem Energy-balance Study Enabled by a High-density Extensive Array of Detectors (CHEESEHEAD) field campaign from mid-summer to early fall 2019. CHEESEHEAD will take place in Park Falls, Wisconsin, and involves three intensive observation periods (IOPs). ATDD will operate its sUAS as observing platforms during the three IOPs spanning 7-13 July, 18-24 August, and 22-28 September, demonstrating state-of-the-art land-surface characterization with regard to spatial resolution and time. Data collected during the campaign will show how UAS observations can bridge the data gap from in-situ to model grid sizes.