ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Agreement with Magee Scientific to sell Model 2015 carbon analyzer
DRI Hosts U . S . Drought Monitor Forum
IN
April
of 2015 , the Desert Research Institute and the Western Regional Climate Center ( WRCC ) hosted the 2015 U . S . Drought Monitor ( USDM ) Forum in Reno , Nevada . This unique event included a keynote address from Ann Mills , Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment ( U . S . Department of Agriculture ) and Connie Woodhouse , Ph . D ., a paleo-climate researcher from the University of Arizona .
This biennial meeting brought together authors of the U . S . Drought Monitor as well as federal , state and local contributors to explore the drought situation across the Western U . S ., drought impacts , and provided a forum for discussion and improvements to the USDM . The final day of the forum was dedicated to a special session related to the ongoing drought in California and Nevada . Both states are entering a fifth consecutive year of drought , with several areas experiencing Level D4 – Exceptional Drought .
This session included updates from Nevada State Climatologist , Doug Boyle and California State Climatologist , Mike Anderson ; California Department of Water Resources Drought Emergency Program Manager , Bill Croyle ; and a Great Basin Season Fire Outlook from the Bureau of Land Management Meteorologist , Gina McGuire . An afternoon panel discussion focused on improving inter-agency and stakeholder collaboration with the USDM .
In August 2015 , DRI proudly announced it entered into agreement with Magee Scientific of Berkeley , California , and its European partner company Aerosol of Ljubljana , Slovenia , to manufacture and market the all-new DRI Model 2015 Multi-wavelength Laboratory Carbon Analyzer .
This cutting-edge instrument developed by Drs . Judy Chow and John Watson , internationally renowned DRI atmospheric scientists , provides advanced analysis of Black Carbon ( a component of soot ), and Brown Carbon ( emitted from smoldering fires or biomass burning ).
Black Carbon aerosol particles reduce visibility , adversely impact human health and are known to contribute to regional and global climate change . More recently , Brown Carbon ( lightabsorbing organic carbon ) has attracted interest as a possible cause of climate change .
Magee Scientific is the originator of the Aethalometer , the most widely used instrument for real-time measurement of Black Carbon aerosol particles in the atmosphere , and their instruments are installed on all continents . 11