Research

ATOMiC

ATOMiC

ATOMIC is a project with international collaboration that is intending to perform multi-faceted observations of Sea-Atmosphere Interactions in the formation of Atlantic Trade Wind Mesoscale Systems

MOSAiC

MOSAiC Project

Project Multidisciplinary-drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) is a collaborative effort with CIRES, NOAA, and CU-Boulder’s Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and Aerospace departments. This project will develop and deploy unmanned aircraft to operate at the farthest northern reaches of the planet to make critically needed measurements on the Arctic atmosphere and sea ice.

CU team deploys multiple drones in tornado study

Project TORUS

Project TORUS–or Targeted Observation by Radars and UAS of Supercells–is a two-year partnership between CU Boulder, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (which is leading the work), Texas Tech University, the University of Oklahoma and the National Severe Storms Laboratory. 

Read more: CU team deploys multiple drones in tornado study

UAE

Expanding internationally to assist UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Sciences

IRISS has traveled to Abu Dhabi, UAE to screen the territory for future project operations. The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science is an international research initiative designed to stimulate and promote scientific advancement and development of new technology. With this collaboration, IRISS will establish a prototype Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) platform for rainfall enhancement activities. In addition, the project plans for the development of new technology that will help optimize traditional seeding operations. 

Photo captured by: Cory Dixon | IRISS Chief Technologist 

NightFox

Project NightFOX

Project Nighttime Fire Observations Experiment (NightFOX) is a collaborative effort with CIRES, CU Boulder's Aerospace Department, CU Denver, NOAA, and the University of Utah. For the wildfire season, the team will develop and evaluate in-situ and remote sensing UAS payloads for fire measurements. 

MURI Balloon Prep

HYFLITS Project

The multidisciplinary HYFLITS team is composed of experts in the fields of in-situ atmospheric measurements and analysis, atmospheric modeling and forecasting, and aerothermodynamics and aero-optical modeling. Our goal is to ask and resolve questions related to how future hypersonic vehicle designs can account for the effects of ambient atmospheric turbulence and particles in the middle stratosphere.

The University of Colorado, Boulder created the Grand Challenge to cultivate partnerships with government and industry to pursue solutions for pressing challenges facing our world today. The Integrated Remote and In Situ Sensing (IRISS) initiative is a pillar of the CU Boulder Grand Challenge and provides 4D measurement capabilities to study phenomena at a distance and from within. IRISS gathers data from the natural world using ground sensors, unmanned aircraft, spacecraft, and other sensor systems. This information can be used to reveal valuable insight about myriad events like climate fluctuations, drought conditions, and forest dieback.

Recent Projects
Advancing Understanding of Weather in Heavily Populated Coastal Areas

IRISS has been deploying robotic aircraft around coastal cities to collect information on temperature, winds, humidity, and atmospheric particulate matter.

WMO-DC - The World Meteorological Organization Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Demonstration Campaign
TORUS - The TORUS Project improves the conceptual model of supercells by explicating the relationship of storm-generated boundaries and coherent structures within storm outflow to the generation/amplification of near-surface rotation

Project Targeted Observations by Radars and UAS of Supercells (TORUS) will aim to improve the conceptual model of supercells by explication the relationship of storm-generated boundaries and coherent structures within storm outflow to the generation/amplification of near-surface rotation. Over the course of two spring seasons (2019 + 2020), the TORUS team will cover about ~1,300,000 km to storm chase. With 42 scheduled days of coordinated deployments, the field campaigns will enable observational and numerical analyses of supercells and tornados.  

The TORUS Project improved the conceptual model of supercells by explication the relationship of storm-generated boundaries and coherent structures within storm outflow to the generation/amplification of near-surface rotation

HYFLITS - Our goal is to ask and resolve questions related to how future hypersonic vehicle designs can account for the effects of ambient atmospheric turbulence and particles in the middle stratosphere

Project Hypersonic FLight in the Turbulent Stratosphere is composed of a multidisciplinary team of experts in the fields of in-situ atmospheric measurements and analysis, atmospheric modeling and forecasting, and aerothermodynamics and aero-optical modeling. Our goal is to ask and resolve questions related to how future hypersonic vehicle designs can account for the effects of ambient atmospheric turbulence and particles in the middle stratosphere.

Project Multidisciplinary-drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) is a collaborative effort with CIRES, NOAA, and CU-Boulder’s Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and Aerospace departments. This project will develop and deploy unmanned aircraft to operate at the farthest northern reaches of the planet to make critically needed measurements on the Arctic atmosphere and sea ice.

UAEREP - Targeted Observation and Seeding using Autonomous Unmanned Aircraft Systems project is sensing clouds to identify potential for rain enhancement

Working with the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science, our team will use UAS to advance the effectiveness and efficiency of cloud seeding programs. Additionally, improved technology, as well as automation of cloud seeding operations while lowering the operational footprint will further optimize the productivity of cloud seeding programs.