U. professor awarded $1.9 million grant
Priya Iyer
Issue date: 2/16/07 Section: News
Everyone has heard of global warming, the heating of the Earth's crust over a period of time, resulting in increased temperatures in the Earth's atmosphere. However, a different phenomenon that also occurs in the Earth's atmosphere is global cooling, or the rapid cooling of the Earth's surface.
"Global warming and global cooling are complements of each other," explained Alan Bandy, professor of atmospheric chemistry. Bandy was recently awarded $1.9 million grant to further his research into the effect of global cooling on the world. The grant was awarded to him by the National Science Foundation.
Armed with a group of trained students, professionals and meteorologists, Bandy plans to prove the effects of global cooling and how it impacts the world. The experiment, called PASE (Pacific Atmospheric Sulfur Experiment) will test the chemistry and physics of sulfur in the troposphere near the Christmas Islands, located in the Republic of Kiribati.
This experiment will take place from late July to early September and will consist of 13 nine-hour flights. During these flights, Bandy will test the different aspects of the chemicals in the atmosphere. He will measure cloud density, the amount of gas-based sulfur in the air, and the amount of aerosol in the air.
"Science is an interesting thing in which experiments play an important role," Bandy said. "Modeling is done, but experiments decide. You can make all the models you want, unless you have data to back up that model you don't have a thing."
In the years ahead we need to know and understand both global warming and global cooling, as they will affect everyone in different ways. From weather disasters, to an increasing loss of crops, the effects may be felt worldwide.
Today, more people than ever before are working to try and prevent global warming. It's a hot topic in environmental groups and even the U.S. Congress. However, according to Bandy, global cooling is the concept that we should be just as concerned about, not because of its effects, but because of the little knowledge we have about the subject. Bandy hopes to expand what little understanding of global cooling the society has.
"In order to understand the global change as a whole, we have to know what the cooling terms are and what controls them," Bandy said.
The NSF was created in 1950 by Congress to further advancement in science. The Foundation has a budget of $5.5 billion dollars a year to distribute to the research studies that, in the long run, will yield scientific results.
"Global warming and global cooling are complements of each other," explained Alan Bandy, professor of atmospheric chemistry. Bandy was recently awarded $1.9 million grant to further his research into the effect of global cooling on the world. The grant was awarded to him by the National Science Foundation.
Armed with a group of trained students, professionals and meteorologists, Bandy plans to prove the effects of global cooling and how it impacts the world. The experiment, called PASE (Pacific Atmospheric Sulfur Experiment) will test the chemistry and physics of sulfur in the troposphere near the Christmas Islands, located in the Republic of Kiribati.
This experiment will take place from late July to early September and will consist of 13 nine-hour flights. During these flights, Bandy will test the different aspects of the chemicals in the atmosphere. He will measure cloud density, the amount of gas-based sulfur in the air, and the amount of aerosol in the air.
"Science is an interesting thing in which experiments play an important role," Bandy said. "Modeling is done, but experiments decide. You can make all the models you want, unless you have data to back up that model you don't have a thing."
In the years ahead we need to know and understand both global warming and global cooling, as they will affect everyone in different ways. From weather disasters, to an increasing loss of crops, the effects may be felt worldwide.
Today, more people than ever before are working to try and prevent global warming. It's a hot topic in environmental groups and even the U.S. Congress. However, according to Bandy, global cooling is the concept that we should be just as concerned about, not because of its effects, but because of the little knowledge we have about the subject. Bandy hopes to expand what little understanding of global cooling the society has.
"In order to understand the global change as a whole, we have to know what the cooling terms are and what controls them," Bandy said.
The NSF was created in 1950 by Congress to further advancement in science. The Foundation has a budget of $5.5 billion dollars a year to distribute to the research studies that, in the long run, will yield scientific results.
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