From the ocean to the exosphere, we’re dedicated to advancing Earth system science for the betterment of society– not just on #EarthDay but every day! 🌎 Our experts harness observations, models, instruments, HPC & other resources to ensure NSF NCAR supports cutting-edge research.
A cloudy blue sky over a green grassy field
Happy Earth Day! 🌎
Today is a chance to pause and get curious about the planet we call home! From the air we breathe to the water we rely on, Earth is full of systems, stories, and connections waiting to be explored.
On 4/23/26, the Longmont Museum is hosting a special Explorer Series film screening of Gathered in Darkness, a documentary produced about the Citizen CATE 2024 mission. After the film, hear from the lead scientists & filmmaker about the filming & data collection process.
https://bit.ly/3QbN11a
Growing cumulus clouds
Thunderstorms are powerful, complex, and surprisingly common—there are about 2,000 happening around the world at any given moment! ⛈️
However, not all thunderstorms are the same! Thunderstorms can be categorized by convection cell structure, or by the location they form and the reason the air rises.
Join Us Today! 1-2 PM (MT) 🎯 Michelle Harrold, John Halley Gotway, Christina Kalb presents: 🎯 METplus: A Community Framework for Flexible and Reproducible Model Evaluation
🌎 RAL Seminar Series - Explore, Learn, Connect 🌎
Watch Live: ral.ucar.edu/live
Looking forward to this RAL Seminar next week! Highlighting METplus verification & its role in advancing model evaluation. Thanks to the DTC's Michelle Harrold, John Halley Gotway, & Christina Kalb for their leadership & contributions. Explore more about METplus! dtcenter.org/metplus
We’re looking for community input! During the last two weeks of April, we are hosting AI Community Engagement Workshops, seeking input on AI and machine learning in Earth system science. There will be twelve 90-minute sessions on six topics.
⏰ Register by 5p.m. MT tomorrow
https://bit.ly/4te00ht
A scientist in a big curly white wig standing behind a booth, demonstrating an activity using two two-liter bottles attached at their openings
We’re excited to be part of Party for Our Planet at the Children’s Museum of Denver this Friday! 🌎
Stop downloading terabytes. Start scaling science. 🚀
Mya Sears (@ncar-eol.bsky.social) cut her data workflow from weeks to under a minute using GDEX. 🤯
Watch GDEX Unlocked: youtu.be/PQLyEAy2LgM
Join the community commons: rebrand.ly/gdexsub-blu
#NSFNCAR #DataScience #HPC @ncar-ucar.bsky.social
Let’s explore machine learning and subseasonal forecasting! In Tuesday's virtual Explorer Series conversation, Kirsten Mayer discusses how NSF NCAR scientists use machine learning to uncover what conditions make long range forecasts more accurate.
Details: https://bit.ly/48tYsr5
“This new, advanced aviation icing & turbulence forecast system is another milestone in our efforts to continuously improve the safety & efficiency of our national airspace system,” said Wiebke Deierling, lead of NSF NCAR’s aviation turbulence group. Learn more! news.ucar.edu/133066/new-a...
WRF-Hydro Application for National Water Availability Assessment (NWAA): A Comprehensive Retrospective Analysis of Water Availability Across the CONUS
Understanding water availability across the US is more important than ever. In partnership with USGS, our WRF-Hydro® team has developed 40+ years of high-res hydrologic simulations across CONUS, unlocking new understanding of droughts, trends, & future water scenarios. ral.ucar.edu/news/wrf-hyd...
Panelists will discuss the WRF to MPAS transition during this webinar.
Learn how MPAS is gaining ground as WRF’s successor, with research and operations shifting across sectors. The NWS Director at AMS2026 urged a unified modeling foundation, calling for academia, government, and industry to align and collaborate.
Register: https://bit.ly/4lL9Owh
Eight people sitting at tables with laptops and worksheets watching four people present at the front of the room
Three teachers sitting at a table working on activity adaptations
We're excited to announce the release of our Adapted GLOBE Weather Pathways lessons!
Nine kids standing in the shade in a grassy field holding infrared thermometers
Turn your schoolyard into a science lab 🌞🌳
In our classroom activity, Cool Playgrounds, students investigate how temperature varies across different surfaces like grass, asphalt, and shaded areas, then use their findings to design a cooler playground.
Doppler on wheels during an intensive observation period in Fort Stockton, TX. Dark storm clouds on the horizon with a rainbow over the blue flatbed truck.
What is an atmospheric science field project?
Scientists from many disciplines—such as atmospheric science, oceanography, geology, and even social science—often work together to study specific weather and environmental phenomena.
A Survey of North American Polar–Subtropical Jet Superposition Events: Development, Impacts, & Future Changes Andrew Winters, Asst Professor, ATOC CU Boulder
🌎 Explore, Learn, Connect - RAL/MMM Joint Seminar 🌎
☁️ A Survey of North American Polar–Subtropical Jet Superposition Events: Development, Impacts, & Future Changes
☁️ Andrew Winters, Asst Professor, ATOC CU Boulder
☁️ WED, April 15, 2026 | 1-2 PM (MT) | Free Hybrid Event ral.ucar.edu/events/2026/...
HUMID Aims to Reduce the Life-threatening Impacts of Extreme Urban Heat: High-resolution Urban Meteorology
☀️🌆 How hot is your neighborhood? The new HUMID Dashboard makes decades of high-resolution urban temperature data easy to explore, helping cities pinpoint "hot spots" & plan cooling strategies to protect communities.
💡Research improving urban resilience: gis.ucar.edu/news/humid-a...
The Mauna Loa Solar Observatory site.
New road to MLSO
We’re not foolin’ you! The Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO) has officially reopened in time to assist NASA’s Artemis II mission with space weather warnings! It has been closed since Mauna Loa’s 2022 eruption blocked the road, making the site accessible only by helicopter for special operations.
Absolutely breathtaking view of the Artemis II launch.
Wow.
In the upcoming Explorer Series lecture, NSF NCAR’s Mariana Cains explores how convergence research and AI can help researchers address societal needs and hazardous weather for myriad situations. Join us on Wednesday, April 8, from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Mesa Lab and online.
https://bit.ly/4cgnQTm
Looking forward to this! 🌟 Thanks to our own Ligia Bernardet for being part of this important conversation.
A teacher with a laptop writing on an activity sheet during a professional development workshop
Looking for new ways to engage your students in Earth system science?
Join us for one of our upcoming virtual professional development workshops—designed to bring together real-world science and classroom-ready resources!
Five people sitting around a table with laptops open and pages from a classroom activity on top
Four educators standing around a table working on a demonstration with modeling clay on a cookie sheet
Recently, the SciEd team had the opportunity to partner with faculty at @lsu.bsky.social to host a one-day teacher workshop focused on hurricane science and resilience along the Gulf Coast.
An impressive view of the tornadic supercell that produced massive hail in Illinois earlier today.
Snowy rust red mountains on a cloudy day in Colorado
Cliffs along the Great Ocean Road on the Australian Coast
What’s beneath your feet? 🌍
The geosphere includes the solid part of our planet—rocks, minerals, soils, mountains, beaches, and even the molten rock deep inside Earth. But it’s not just about what the Earth is made of, it’s also about the powerful processes that constantly reshape the planet!
✈️ International Collaboration ✈️
Scientists from NSF NCAR’s CGD Lab are in Kyoto, Japan this week for the CMIP meeting, joining the global modeling community to coordinate experiments and improve tools for understanding Earth’s complex systems.
#EarthSystemScience #GlobalScience #NSFNCARCGD
Join Us Today! 1-2 PM (MT) 🍃 McKenzie Larson, Ph.D. Candidate, Dept of Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences (ATOC) - CU Boulder presents: 🍃 Future Changes to Extreme Downslope Windstorms Across the Northern Colorado Front Range
🌎 RAL Seminar Series - Explore, Learn, Connect 🌎
Watch Live: ral.ucar.edu/live
Satellite view of clouds over the continents
Earth is a system made up of many connected parts, often described as “spheres”: the atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, and geosphere. Studying these spheres helps scientists better understand how our planet works.
From chasing eclipses to improving space weather forecasts and everything in between, NSF NCAR is committed to producing valuable solar and space weather research to benefit both the scientific community and society at large. 🧵
