 Pictured left to right: Pat Zmarzly (CR-AVE), Bryan Pilson (N-AMMA), Mike Carrithers (TC4) The most recent research projects participated in by SPEC Inc. | |
 In July and August of 2007 SPEC participated in the Tropical Composition, Cloud and Climate Coupling (TC4) project in Costa Rica. This was the largest NASA earth science project of 2007 and utilizied 3 research aircraft. SPEC instrumented both the DC-8 Airborne Laboratory and the NASA WB57. Both aircraft had a CPI and 2D-S installed with a Transmissometer that measures light extinction in clouds also on the WB57. The measurments taken will help researchers better understand characteristics of anvils, cirrus, and stratus clouds in the tropics. SPEC personnel: Paul Lawson (PI), Bryan Pilson (Project Manager and Lead DC-8 Instrument Technician), Mike Carrithers (Lead WB57 Instrument Technician), Mo and Brad (Data Analysis) | |
 In August and September 2006 SPEC participated in the NASA - African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Activites (N-AMMA) project. SPEC flew the CPI and 2D-S on the University of North Dakota DC-8 Airbone Laboratory. The aircraft was stationed on the island of Sal, part of the Cape Verde islands off the coast of Africa. This highly publicized project seeked to understand the origins and development of hurricanes and tropical storms that form off the coast of Africa that later threaten the other side of the Atlantic. SPEC personnel: Paul Lawson (PI), Bryan Pilson (Integration Coordinator and Instrument Technician), Brandt Irion (Instrument Technician), | |
 Costa Rica Aura Validation Experiment (CR-AVE) - a NASA research project in January and February 2006 intended to validate the ozone data retrieved by the Aura Satellite. SPEC's role was secondary, capturing particle data of subvisible cirrus and anvil blowoff with the CPI and 2D-S. Both instruments performed exceedingly well in the most extreme conditions they have ever encountered: temperatures less than -90 degrees Celsius and atmospheric pressures less than 0.7 PSI. | |
 Rain in Cumulus over the Ocean - a research project funded by NSF run from December 2004 through January 2005. The main focus was trade wind cumulus research using three research aircraft working in coordination, two sounding locations including NOAA's ship the Seward Johnson and a radar location on Barbuda. SPEC flew the CPI and 2D-S on the NCAR C-130. |
 Mid Latitude Cirrus Experiment - A joint NASA and DOE research project in April and May 2004. WB-57 research aircraft flew in cirrus primarily over DOE's ARM SGP site to study cirrus clouds effects on Earth's radiation budget. SPEC flew a CPI on the WB-57 and flew a coordinated flight with the WB-57 using the SPEC Learjet in wave clouds over Colorado. |
 The Cirrus Regional Study of Tropical Anvils and Cirrus Layers - Florida Area Cirrus Experiment (CRYSTAL-FACE) - A multi-agency research program that studied anvils and upper-level cirrus over Florida in July 2002. Remote sensing satellites, 7 research planes, and radar sites were utilized. SPEC flew a CPI on NASA's WB-57 and a CPI flew on the UND Citation. |
 South Pole Station Ice Crystal Study - NSF funded project in 2001 and 2002 using 2 CPI's to collect images of ice crystals at the South Pole. Research centered on habit classification and their relationship with environmental factors. |
Alliance Icing Research Study - a collaborative effort involving several Canadian and U.S. research agencies and universities. The main research goal was to improve the ability to remotely sense aircraft icing regions using satellite, aircraft or ground based systems thus improving the ability to forecast icing conditions and understand how the conditions form. The SPEC Learjet equipped with a CPI and other instruments flew along the ground based radar's path to make comparisons between the data collection methods. To the right is a comparison of radar versus in situ data conducting during the project. |
|
 The Fourth Convection and Moisture Experiment - NASA project in 2001, data collected within thunderstorms, hurricanes and tropical storms in Florida. CPI flew on NASA DC-8. |
 First ISCCP Regional Experiment - Arctic Cloud Experiment (FIRE-ACE); Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) - NSF funded project in 1998 in the Arctic Ocean off northern coast of Alaska to study arctic clouds and their effect on the surface heat budget. CPI flew on the NCAR C-130. |
 TRMM Kwajalien Experiement - NASA project in 1999 for ground validation of TRMM satelite instruments. Data collected over ocean near Kwajalien Atoll in Pacific Ocean. 3 total CPIs were onboard the Convair, Citation, and DC-8 research aircraft. |
 TRMM Texas and Florida Underflights (TEFLUN) A and B - NASA funded project in 1998 and 2000 for ground validation of TRMM satelite. SPEC Learjet and CPI flew during projects. |
 | |
 | |
 |
SPEC Inc. |