UNIVERSITY CORPORATION FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
Organization Details
Mission Statement
SEE SCHEDULE OUNIVERSITY CORPORATION FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH (UCAR), ON BEHALF OF, AND IN COOPERATION WITH ITS MEMBER UNIVERSITY MEMBERS, IS ENGAGED IN THE MANAGEMENT OF LONG-TERM ATMOSPHERIC AND RELATED RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES, AND OF SCIENTIFIC FACILITIES, MOSTLY THROUGH THE OPERATION OF THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH. IT ALSO ASSUMES THE ROLES OF SCIENTIFIC LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY ON THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL BASIS AND PROVIDES SERVICES TO THE RESEARCH COMMUNITY SUCH AS VISITOR PROGRAMS, THE DISSEMINATION OF SCIENTIFIC DATA, COMPUTING, RADAR AND AIRCRAFT FACILITIES AND FOSTERING NEW AND IMPROVED RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THE ACADEMIC RESEARCH COMMUNITY AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
Financial Information (2024)
Recent Progress (2026)
UCAR delivered transformative advances in atmospheric science capabilities during the first four months of 2026, highlighted by the release of the groundbreaking MESACLIP dataset containing over six petabytes of climate simulations spanning 4,500 years. The organization significantly enhanced operational forecasting through the Winter Icing and Storms Project, reducing computational runtime from 12 to 5 hours for aviation safety, and launched new AI-driven weather prediction models in partnership with NOAA. A major milestone was the reopening of Mauna Loa Solar Observatory after its 2022 volcanic closure, now providing critical space weather warnings for NASA's Artemis II mission. UCAR expanded community engagement through twelve AI workshops and continued public education via the Explorer Series, while completing the Southern Ocean Carbon Gas Observatory project in Antarctica that advanced understanding of ocean-atmosphere carbon exchange.
Key Achievements
- 🤖Launched Medium-Range, Real-Time Convective Hazard Forecasts leveraging AI weather models to improve storm prediction capabilities.
- 🔬Mesa Lab facilities provided specialized research environment for studying atmospheric phenomena including storms and mountain air currents.
- 🎓Mesa Lab Visitor Center delivered interactive exhibits and hands-on learning experiences about Earth's atmosphere and weather research.
- 🌊2016 ORCAS campaign data informed new study revealing Southern Ocean biological productivity exceeds previous estimates.
- 🎤NSF NCAR scientist presented TEDxBoulder talk on Earth system interconnectedness and natural disaster connections.