News & Events

NCAR's iconic Mesa Lab, designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei, was first dedicated in May 1967. Fifty years later, on Aug. 17, 2017, the lab was rededicated at this ceremony. Watch the remarks from speakers including NCAR Director Dr. Jim Hurrell, Dr. Sarah Ruth from the National Science Foundation (NSF),  Sandy Pei, son of I.M. Pei the Mesa Lab's visionary architect, Scott McCarthy, grandson of NCAR's visonary creator and first Director Walter Orr Roberts, U.S. Representative Jared Polis, Boulder City Mayor Pro-Tem Andrew Shoemaker, T.J. Mattimore, President of CO-LABS member Vaisala, Dr. Cliff Jacobs (former NSF) and former NCAR Director Dr. Robert Serafin.  

Hoping to view the August 21, 2017, total solar eclipse? Although the availability of hotel rooms and camping spots along the path of totality may dictate the viewing location for many eclipse chasers, there is another factor to consider: the weather. With that in mind, researchers from NREL's National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB), working with experts from Solar Resources Solutions, LLC, have created maps showing the probability of clear skies across the entire path of the eclipse.

Find more detail on this in the recent Energy Systems Integration News.

The total solar eclipse on Aug. 21 will be the first to cross the country from coast to coast in nearly a century, giving scientists in the United States a unique opportunity to observe the Sun's corona with an array of technologies and methodologies. The findings of the various eclipse experiments could advance our knowledge of the Sun's complex and mysterious magnetic field as well as its effect on Earth's atmosphere.

NCAR - The National Center for Atmospheric Research hosted a press conference on July 21, one month before the eclipse. Speakers from NCAR, the National Science Foundation (NSF) , and NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration highlighted how networks of ground-based telescopes, GPS sensors, and radio receivers, as well as specialized instruments on aircraft, satellites, and space-based observatories, will be used to observe the Sun during the eclipse.

The New York Times writes about the crucial research done at the "Arks of the Apocalypse" - locations around the globe that store, protect and study the genes of species we could lose due to effects of the Anthropocene (the Era of Man). Two of the 8 they highlight are right here in Colorado: The USDA's Genetic Preservation Lab in Ft. Collins and the USGS's National Ice Core Lab in Lakewood.  Note: CO-LABS members toured the USDA lab in April; we'll tour the Ice Core Lab in November. 

Read the Sunday New York Times Magazine article. 

The Federal Laboratory Consortium describes:  Mussels can attach to and clog pipes, pumps, trash racks, cooling water systems, fire protection systems, and virtually any water-related infrastructure surface, thereby reducing the reliability and efficiency of water and hydropower systems while simultaneously increasing maintenance costs.  BurRec  has developed a Mussel Detection and Monitoring Program to better understand the spread of mussels. This program cooperates with states and other partners to come up with proactive measures to provide the earliest detection possible for any new mussel introductions that can reduce the need to remove mussels or interrupt Reclamation’s facilities and structures.

Zebra and quagga mussels have recently invaded the Colorado River and other western water bodies. Detecting and preventing the spread of these mussels is, therefore, critical to the Bureau of Reclamation’s primary mission of water and hydropower delivery. To advance the capability of monitoring water bodies for the presence of mussels, Reclamation has entered into a CRADA with Fluid Imaging Technologies to conduct research for improving automated detection and quantification of invasive mussel larvae (also known as “veliger”). Larvae are 70 to 200 microns in size (about half the size of the period at the end of this sentence). Detecting and monitoring invasive mussel larvae is the cornerstone of an effective strategy to manage these invasive nuisances.