Researchers from France and Japan recently tested the AeroClipper in Hagåtña, Guam.

University of Guam’s NASA Guam EPSCoR program is proud to sponsor a public lecture titled “The AeroClipper Project: the process of collecting data of developing and mature tropical typhoons in real time” by Jean-Phillippe Duvel, a tropical meteorologist from the Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Miki Hattori, a meteorologist from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). The AeroClipper Project is currently being conducted on Guam, launching from the Hagatna Boat Basin. Researchers are hoping to use the data collected from the project to improve weather forecasting models.

The AeroClipper is a streamlined balloon equipped with various instruments to collect air and sea data in real time.  This is in conjunction with NASA Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) (https://www.nasa.gov/cygnss/).  CYGNSS uses eight micro-satellites to measure wind speeds over Earth's oceans, increasing the ability of scientists to understand and predict hurricanes. Each satellite will take information based on the signals from four GPS satellites.  The data collected from the AeroClipper can help calibrate and ground-truth CYGNSS datasets.

Researchers have coordinated with personnel from Government of Guam and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS).  “The AeroClipper Project opens the door to a whole new approach to collecting near-surface data inside developing and mature tropical cyclones. This data could prove valuable in improving computer forecast guidance on cyclogenesis and intensification,” says Brandon Aydlett, NWS meteorologist.

“Oftentimes researchers pass through Guam doing incredibly interesting work and the general public usually hears about it in passing.  This is a wonderful opportunity to hear about some exciting collaborative data collection that furthers not only NWS’s mission, but also one of NASA’s missions (CYGNSS),” states Dr. Romina King, associate director of NASA Guam EPSCoR. 

The public lecture will take place at the University of Guam Lecture Hall from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 19, 2017.  The lecture is free of charge and open to the public.

For more information about NWS’s involvement with the AeroClipper, please contact Brandon Aydlett via email at William.aydlett@noaa.gov.  For more information about NASA Guam EPSCoR, please contact Dr. Romina King at roking@triton.uog.edu.