UCAR partnering with UA on innovative radars
$6 million project will bolster water resource management
Aug 30, 2018 - by Staff
Researchers at The University of Alabama will lead a project to develop and deploy radars that obtain information about snow and soil moisture to help manage the nation’s water resources.
The project is funded through $6 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in partnership with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR).
It includes $5 million for the university and $1 million to UCAR to establish new capabilities for the National Water Model, the nation’s first-ever continental-scale hydrologic prediction system.
“This is excellent news for The University of Alabama, our state, and the nation,” said U.S. Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama. “The research made possible by this $6 million grant will drive scientific advances to help improve the nation’s water prediction capabilities and forecasts. I am proud to have helped secure this funding that will better protect the lives and property of all Americans.”
“Water managers, public safety officials and business leaders are seeking this kind of intelligence to protect lives and property and safeguard our economy,” said UCAR President Antonio Busalacchi. “This project is further evidence of the productive and maturing relationship that exists among UCAR, UA and NOAA to grow the nation’s water prediction capabilities. It is a perfect example of an academic-government partnership that we need more of to move cutting edge research into operational forecasting.”