Dr. Tashiana Osborne

Friday, June 6^th, 2014 Hokitika, South Island, New Zealand

I’ve travelled all the way to beautiful Hokitika, New Zealand during NZ winter to work on the NSF/NCAR-EOL/Naval Research Lab DEEPWAVE mission.  I’ll be launching daily weather balloons (upsondes) from the Hokitika Airport and forecasting and monitoring days with conditions that may produce internal atmospheric gravity waves.  

These days are called Intensive Observing Periods (IOPs) where we’ll launch additional upsondes, and dropsondes will be released from NSF/NCAR’s HIAPER GV.  The HIAPER research aircraft is now in Christchurch and, on IOP days, will fly over regions where gravity waves are expected.  Data from these flights, upsondes, dropsondes, and various instruments will help us better understand the development of deeply-propagating gravity waves.  I’ll also be working on research involving stereo-photogrammetry with Dr. Brian Billings to provide more information on wave and cloud formation.  I’m thrilled to be part of DEEPWAVE and to be working with such talented individuals!

{Today’s actually a big day for DEEPWAVE New Zealand–our first Intensive Observing Period (IOP) to search for atmospheric gravity waves…Let the hunt begin!  I’ll post an update on the experience.

Truly,

Tash