CASPER - Coupled Air Sea Processes and Electromagnetic ducting Research (Credit: Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey)

DISCUSSION: CASPER the Coupled Air Sea Processes and Electromagnetic ducting Research is a Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) sponsored by the U.S. Office of Research and the Department of Defense. The principle investigator of CASPER is Professor Qing Wang from Monterey’s Naval Postgraduate School (NPS).

According to NPS the research objective of CASPER is to “fully characterize the Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer (MABL) as it’s related to electromagnetic wave propagation (EM) in coastal environments.” CASPER goes on to provide details on the blending altitude sampling concept which will allow researchers to obtain critical information on, “upper ocean, surface layer, boundary layer mean profiles and boundary layer turbulence.”

Research conducted allowed students to deploy a Sensor Hosting Autonomous Remote Craft (SHARC) off the coast of California to investigate these processes. Data collected could prove to be invaluable as the US Navy wishes to further strengthen their understanding of atmospheric effects on EM.

Processes such as boundary layer mean profiles and boundary layer turbulence assist researchers like meteorologists to investigate the air layers near the surface which may be affected by the diurnal heat cycle, moisture and momentum transfers.

For information on other ongoing research and other meteorological processes visit the Global Weather and Climate Center.

©2017 Meteorologist Jessica Olsen


Resources:

“Research Plan Overview.” CASPER: Overview, met.nps.edu/~qwang/casper/research/overview.php.