Stimulus bill includes big money for science
The $789 billion stimulus package passed by Congress and signed into law on February 13 gives some $21.5 billion for scientific research and development across all agencies, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. "The stimulus package is a singular event in the history of science funding," said John Marburger, former presidential science adviser and head of the Office of Science and Technology Policy under George W. Bush. Indeed, the coming year will be a good year to be a graduate student. The extra $3 billion given to the National Science Foundation will go to fund a wide variety of scientific research at universities.
According to an article in last week's Nature magazine, here is a breakdown on who gets what among the government's scientific agencies:
National Science Foundation
Stimulus: $3 billion
2008 budget: $6.1 billion
Highlights: $2.5 billion will go towards external research grants, including $300 million for instrumentation. A separate allowance of $400 million will go to construction of major facilities.
Department of Energy
Stimulus: About $40 billion
2008 budget: $23.9 billion
Highlights: Includes $11 billion for the electric grid, $5 billion for weatherproofing homes, $3.4 billion for fossil energy R&D and $2 billion for battery research. The Office of Science, which funds basic research, receives $1.6 billion. A separate $400 million will kick-start the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy.
NASA
Stimulus: $1 billion
2008 budget: $17.2 billion
Highlights: $400 million for science. The joint House-Senate Conference report specifies that "Funding is included herein to accelerate the development of the tier 1 set of Earth science climate research missions recommended by the National Academies Decadal Survey and to increase the agency's supercomputing capabilities". Another $400 million could be spent on rocket development to shrink a "gap" in human spaceflight capability caused by retirement of the space shuttle.
The bill also specifies, "The conference agreement includes $50,000,000 for cross agency support. In allocating these funds, NASA shall give its highest priority to restore NASA-owned facilities damaged from hurricanes and other natural disasters occurring during calendar year 2008."
It is uncertain whether NASA will try to replace the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) satellite, which crashed into the ocean near Antarctica yesterday when the satellite failed to separate from its booster rocket. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory would have been a big help in determining how CO2 cycles between the atmosphere, ocean, and biosphere. Fortunately, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully launched a related satellite, the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite IBUKI (GOSAT), on January 23. GOSAT focuses primarily on carbon dioxide and methane sources.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Stimulus: $830 million
2008 budget: $3.9 billion
Highlights:
The joint House-Senate Conference report specifies that "$600,000,000 should be spent for construction and repair of NOAA facilities, ships and equipment, to improve weather forecasting and to support satellite development. Of the amounts provided, $170,000,000 shall address critical gaps in climate modeling and establish climate data records for continuing research into the cause, effects and ways to mitigate climate change."
National Institutes of Health
Stimulus: $10 billion
2008 budget: $29.6 billion
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Stimulus: $580 million
2008 budget: $737 million
The money must be spent quickly
Agencies have 60 days to present spending plans to the White House. The money must be spent quickly, with most of the spending required to be completed by September 30, 2010. There is no money earmarked for hurricane science, but the $600 million in NOAA's slice of the pie to help support satellite development could go towards a new QuikSCAT satellite, which would be a big help for marine forecasts and our ability to detect developing tropical storms. The main area hurricane science could use some stimulus money is for basic research into the hurricane intensification problem. I hope NOAA, NASA, and NSF see fit to spend part of the windfall on the people and computers needed to tackle this vital need. I'll have more on the subject of hurricane research progress and needs next week, when I'll be blogging from the 63rd Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference in Tampa, Florida.
You can find the full text of the stimulus bill at the White House web site.
Jeff Masters
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I haven't seen IvanSurvivor in a couple of months....
TROPICAL CYCLONE OUTLOOK
Forecast for area south of 10S between 110E-125E
2:15 PM WDT February 26 2009
=====================================
At midday WDT Thursday a weak tropical low was located near 13.5S 125E, around 200 kilometres west northwest of Kalumburu. The low is expected to move generally southwestwards over the next few days. It is not expected to develop into a cyclone during Thursday or Friday but is likely to develop on Saturday as it moves towards the Pilbara coast. This system is likely to produce significant rainfall in areas of the Pilbara over the weekend. Tropical Cyclone Development Potential
====================================
Friday: Moderate
Saturday: High
Sunday: High
------------------------------------------------------------
Tropical Cyclone Warning Center Perth
TROPICAL CYCLONE OUTLOOK
Forecast for area south of 10S between 90E-110E
1:00 PM WDT February 26 2009
=====================================
At midday WDT a low was located near 9S 101E. It is expected to gradually develop further in the following days and drift southeast. The low is likely to reach cyclone intensity over the weekend.
Tropical Cyclone Development Potential
====================================
Friday: Low
Saturday: Moderate
Sunday: High
--
Two cyclones at the same time potential in the Indian Ocean east of 90E, not including the hint of another one in the southwest Indian Ocean.
Tropical Cyclone Outlook
FORECAST NORTHERN TERRITORY AREA BETWEEN 125E-142E
2:15 pm CST February 26 2009
===============================================
A TROPICAL LOW [1001 hPa] is located in the Timor Sea. At 9am it was near 12.5S 127.0E, or about 420 km west of Darwin and moving towards the west-southwest at about 8 km/h.
The low is expected to continue to move west-southwest near the northern Kimberley coast of WA and is expected to be west of 125E
There are no other significant lows in the Northern Region and Gulf of Carpentaria.
Tropical Cyclone Formation Potential
====================================
Friday: Low
Saturday: Low
Sunday: Low
--
please refer to the TC Outlook for Northwest Australia for further information.
Western Australia 110E-125E
Cyclone Advice #1
3:50 PM WDT February 26 2009
=================================
At 3:00 PM WDT, A TROPICAL LOW [1001 hPa] located at 13.3S 125.0E, or 210 kms west northwest of Kalumburu and 250 kms north northeast of Kuri Bay has 10 minute sustained winds of 25 knots with gusts of 40 knots. The tropical low is reported as moving towards the west-southwest at 8 knots.
The low is likely to develop into a tropical cyclone on Saturday as it moves to the southwest towards the Pilbara coast. Gales are not expected in coastal areas today or Friday but may develop overnight Saturday or during Sunday.
Widespread heavy rain is likely in the Pilbara from Saturday evening as the system approaches the Pilbara coast, and significant flooding may result
Tropcial Cyclone Watch
=======================
A Cyclone WATCH has been declared for a developing tropical low for Pilbara coastal areas from Wallal to Exmouth
Next Tropical Cyclone Advice is at 10:00 PM WDT..
You might Still Be Waiting for that 500 points. Apparently you don't understand WallStreet after listening to Obama's Speech. It was all about spending, and you think WallStreet likes that. I don't think so. As i said in November, the DOW will drop like a rock, and it has done just that!
where'd it go?
Complete Blog Refresh
Mirror Site
I am also trying something new with these link
Display Current
CWPPRA's Restoration Projects Link
TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVICE NUMBER 2
Issued at 10:00 pm WDT on Thursday, 26 February 2009
BY THE BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY
TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING CENTRE PERTH
A Cyclone WATCH continues for a developing tropical low for Pilbara coastal
areas from Wallal to Exmouth.
At 9:00 pm WDT a Tropical Low was estimated to be
320 kilometres west of Kalumburu and
200 kilometres north northwest of Kuri Bay and
moving west southwest at 15 kilometres per hour.
The low is likely to develop into a tropical cyclone on Saturday as it moves to
the southwest towards the Pilbara coast. Gales are not expected in coastal areas
on Friday but may develop overnight Saturday or during Sunday.
Widespread heavy rain is likely in the Pilbara from Saturday evening as the
system approaches the Pilbara coast, and significant flooding may result.
Details of Tropical Low at 9:00 pm WDT:
.Centre located near...... 13.9 degrees South 123.7 degrees East
.Location accuracy........ within 110 kilometres
.Recent movement.......... towards the west southwest at 15 kilometres per hour
.Wind gusts near centre... 75 kilometres per hour
.Severity category........ below cyclone intensity
.Central pressure......... 1002 hectoPascals
Flooding may return to Pilbara
Thursday February 26, 2009
Only two weeks after the western Pilbara experienced flooding rain, it appears more is on the way as a tropical low shows signs of developing into a cyclone.
The low has been tracking west from the Gulf of Carpentaria bringing bursts of heavy showers and storms to the Top End and northern Kimberley. In the last few days places in the Top End have had 50 to 100mm and these sorts of falls are turning up in the northern Kimberley.
The low, currently off the Kimberley coast is likely to develop into a cyclone in the next day or two and run roughly parallel to the northern WA coastline. This will take heavy rain and storms and strong winds to the Pilbara.
At this stage the Kimberley's wettest period will be between now and early on the weekend, while the Pilbara's wettest period will be over the weekend and early next week. Parts of the Pilbara are likely to collect 100 to 200 millimetres of rain, particularly in the Port Hedland, Roeburne and Karratha areas. The Kimberley will not be as wet, with mostly less than 100mm likely.
The low or cyclone should then head further west taking most of the rain with it.
Some rain should spread over the interior early next week.
- Weatherzone
Television footage showed a cloud of ash billowing into the sky over the town of Chaiten, which lies about six miles from the crater.
Authorities evacuated 160 people from the area. Around 7,000 nearby residents were evacuated last year after the volcano, dormant for thousands of years, erupted. The government is planning to relocate the town.
Officials from Chile's national emergency office, Onemi, flew over the volcano and saw a kilometer-long crack in the cone of ash that has steadily grown in the crater, part of which has collapsed.
"Large quantities of gases and pyroclastic material were observed," Onemi said in a statement, adding that rains in the area combined with the ash could cause flooding in and around the town of Chaiten, located 760 miles south of the capital Santiago.
However, while there was a large volume of ash, there had been none of the earth tremors or groaning sounds that accompanied the initial eruption last year, it said.
Interior Minister Edmundo Perez Yoma ordered all government personnel out of the area, and called on around 30 to 40 civilians who refuse to leave to follow suit.
"It is dangerous to stay in the area. They must leave," Perez Yoma said. "We have insisted for a long time now that it is completely irresponsible to keep living in the town."
"If they insist on staying there, they do so at their own risk," he added. "We can't keep risking public money or the lives of public workers to protect a few who don't want to face reality."
The government insists on moving the entire town. But some residents vow to stay put and are unfazed.
"I looked up and saw a tremendous column (of ash), just like in the beginning, one-and-a-half kilometers high," Claudio Chelgui, a resident who decided to return to Chaiten despite government warnings, told local radio.
"I didn't see much because it was overcast, and there was this huge column and fierce sound."
Emergency officials are exasperated.
"We have repeatedly said there is a red alert and that people should not be there, and if that had been respected, then police would not be evacuating people," an Onemi official said, asking not to be named.
He said the volcano has been in a permanent state of eruption since May of last year, when a cloud of debris soared as high as 20 miles into the air. The cloud was kept aloft for weeks by the pressure of constant eruptions, covering towns in neighboring Argentina with volcanic ash.
Chile's chain of volcanoes, the second-largest in the world after Indonesia, includes some 2,000 -- of which 500 are potentially active.
Yes, that's what I was talking about...
stormw:good to see/here from you,great info as usual,I was asking about you the other day,are you going to the hurricane conference????
Can you dump us some links to the info. I woulds sure like to dust off my scope and view ittonight if it is still around. Hopefully, SW FL can see it. Thanks
I assume this thing is not easy to track since it appears to be moving fast. Does anyone have a good directional link for location of said item.
J/K
Honestly TS,
Nothing would suprise me anymore reguarding the Stock Market.
Afternoon Folks; I remember Halley's quite well; drove down to a dark bridge at the start of the Florida Keys with the some friends (the Card Sound Bridge)and sat there in awe until sunrise; then kept driving down to the Tiki Bar in Islamorada for the "after-party"...
Interesting read on our new budget. I wonder how this will impact the speanding items in the Doc's post. 10 year budget seems to be a far reach.
The FDIC report comes out within the hour. Mr. Spin may see his number pursuant to that report. Lets hope not.
There are so many examples of this, they are impossible for me to list in such a small space.
From the Abstracts Booklet for the 63rd Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference:
NOAA Aircraft Operations Center (AOC)
2008 Seasonal Summary and Future Plans
AOC continues to upgrade its aircraft and instrumentation, and in 2009 expects to accomplish the following:
Complete Depot Level Maintenance on one of our WP-3Ds, N42RF
Complete the installation of the tail Doppler radar on the NOAA G-IV
Begin testing the new G-IV TDR in storm environment
Accept delivery of and begin instrument installations on N44RF, NOAA’s 3rd P-3
Complete Hi-Speed Satellite communications aboard the two current P-3s
Installation of RVP-8 radar digital signal processor on at least one P-3
Begin operation of 2nd generation AVAPS dropsonde system
Begin integration of new aircraft data system (AAMPS)
Sounds like it's a good thing they have "something called 'volcano monitoring'"!
I'm "monitoring" the weather for central NC Sunday night -- looked like the models were trending in an interesting direction, with the possibility of significant snow to cap off two inches of rain earlier in the weekend. We've had a number of snow false alarms already this season; we'll see whether this one's any better founded.
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