DOE Climate Scientist Appointed as New Interagency Coordinating Committee Lead

Summary

Jason Tomlinson, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), has been appointed the new lead for the Interagency Coordinating Committee for Airborne Geosciences Research and Applications (ICCAGRA).  The role of ICCAGRA is to improve cooperation, foster awareness, facilitate communication among sponsoring agencies having airborne platforms and instruments for research and applications, and serve as a resource to senior level management on airborne geosciences issues. The focus is to increase the effective utilization of the Federal airborne fleet in support of airborne geoscience research programs conducted by the individual agencies.  Tomlinson is the operation lead of DOE’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility’s (ACRF’s Aerial Vehicles Program and serves in a number of research and science support capacities. This appointment represents other Federal agency’s recognition of DOE capabilities in conducting suborbital or aerial platform (both piloted and unpiloted) measurements of atmospheric properties related to climate science and improving remote sensing retrievals of climate-related parameters. Additionally, it builds on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of Energy, addressing Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Global Observing System Science Research, signed October 2007. Mr. Tomlinson’s first role will be to coordinate and plan a joint meeting with European equivalent of ICCAGRA, the European Fleet for Airborne Research (EUFAR), at the 33^rd International Symposium Remote Sensing of Environment meeting in Lago Maggiore, Italy, May 4-8, 2009.