NOAA, NASA host media event on El Niño research, use of NASA Global Hawk

Scientists available for interviews, tours of Global Hawk drone, command center

NOAA and NASA will host a media event Friday, Feb. 5, on an unprecedented NOAA-led effort to better understand how the current El Niño’s unusually warm ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific are producing extreme precipitation on the West Coast, thousands of miles away.

Journalists will hear from a panel of NOAA and NASA experts about the land, sea and air research campaign designed to improve weather forecasts and models. As part of the effort, NOAA is deploying the G-IV aircraft from Hawaii, the NASA Global Hawk from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Center, NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown at sea, collecting data with several land-based instruments.

On Friday, media will be invited to tour the Global Hawk and its command centeratt NASA’s Armstrong Flight Center in Edwards, California.

WHAT:
Media event, expert panel, tours of Global Hawk and command center

WHEN:
Friday, Feb. 5
Media arrival: 8 a.m. PT, News conference: 9 a.m. PT
Tour of Global Hawk flight center: 10 a.m. PT, tour of Global Hawk unmanned aircraft: 10:30 a.m. PT

Reporters unable to attend in person will be able to dial in to hear the news conference at 9 a.m. PT. Call in numbers are: Domestic: 800-475-0381, International: 212-519-0807
Passcode: snow

WHERE:  
NASA’s Armstrong Flight Center, 4800 Lily Drive, Edwards, California  93623
Visitors will meet at Edwards Air Force Base West Gate Visitor Control Center.

Directions from Los Angeles to West Gate: Take S.R. 14 North toward Palmdale, also known as the Antelope Valley Freeway. Continue on the 14 Freeway, past Palmdale and Lancaster, to the town of Rosamond. Exit the 14 Freeway at Rosamond Blvd. and turn right (east). Continue on Rosamond Blvd. through the town of Rosamond for approximately 15 miles (24 km) to the main base.

WHO:

  • Robert “Robin” Webb, Ph.D., director of Physical Science Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory
  • Robbie Hood, director of NOAA Unmanned Aircraft System Program
  • Gary Wick, NOAA project scientist
  • Gerry Heymsfield, Ph.D., research meteorologist, NASA Goddard
  • Frank Cutler, NASA Global Hawk project manager

Reporters must register in advance to attend the press conference in person. Please send RSVP with name, affiliation, and citizenship of all crew members to: Kate Squires at 661-810-4978 or by email at kate.k.squires@nasa.gov by 10 a.m. on Feb. 3. Members of news crews will require full security screening, so please arrive at Edwards Air Force Base West Gate by 8:00 a.m. Arrivals after 8:30 a.m. are not guaranteed entry.

For more information on NOAA’s Rapid Response El Niño research go to: http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/enso/

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and our other social media channels.

Contact
NOAA: Theo Stein
303-497-6288
NASA: Kate K. Squires
661-810-4978