NOAA Environmental Technology Laboratory

Located in Boulder, Colorado, ETL supports the strategic goals of NOAA and OAR through regionally specific research efforts in weather, climate, and air quality that exploit the Laboratory's unique expertise in remote sensing of the geophysical environment.

Microwave Systems Development Combining the study of advanced wave theory and new instrument development, Microwave Systems Development leads the advancement of microwave radiometry, radar, and acoustic remote sensing technology for applications in surveillance and environmental monitoring and prediction.

Optical Remote Sensing Demonstrating the applicability and benefits of new observations for current and envisioned NOAA core areas, including short term and medium range weather forecasting, regional air quality prediction, marine fisheries, and climate and global change research, Optical Remote Sensing combines the efforts of instrumentalists and scientists to ensure that state of the art observing systems are applied to relevant and important environmental issues.

Clouds, Radiation, and Surface Processes With a research emphasis on atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) physical processes and associated interactions with the surface (ocean, land, ice) and the free troposphere, Clouds, Radiation, and Surface Processes seeks fundamental understanding of environmental mechanisms to promote the development of parameterizations central to numerical models and diagnostic studies.

Regional Weather and Climate Applications Conducting research focused on improving the understanding and prediction of phenomena that span the interface of weather and climate, Regional Weather and Climate Applications explores physical processes, documents the capabilities and limitations of new observing systems, and develops new forecasting techniques for applications including predictions of coastal weather, tools to assist air quality, water, and energy resource managers, quantifying air-sea interaction processes, and resolving tropical and polar processes affecting mid-latitude weather.