ACARS

Automated Communication and Recording System

AES

Atmospheric Environment Service (Canada)

ARM

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program (DOE)

ASOS

Automated Surface Observing System (NOAA)

AVHRR

Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (NOAA)

BALTEX

Baltic Sea Experiment (northern Europe)

BATS

Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme

BOREAS

Boreal Ecosystems-Atmosphere Study

BSRN

Baseline Surface Radiation (measurement) Network SRB Climatology Project (GEWEX)

CAGEX

CERES-ARM-GEWEX experiment

CART

Cloud and Radiation Testbed (ARM)

CASES

Cooperative Atmosphere-Surface Exchange Study

CASH

Commercial Aircraft Sensing of Humidity

CCM

Community Climate Model

CD-ROM

Compact Disk, Read-Only Memory

CERES

Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (NASA)

CLAVR

Clouds from the AVHRR

CLIVAR

Climate Variability and Prediction Program

CMC

Canadian Meteorological Centre

CRM

Cloud-resolving models

CSA

continental-scale area

DAAC

Data Acquisition and Archive Center (NASA)

DACOM

Data Collection and Management

4DDA

four-dimensional data assimilation

DMSS

Data Management and Service System (GCIP)

DOD

Department of Defense

DOE

Department of Energy

DOI

Department of Interior

ECMWF

European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts

EDAS

Eta Model Data Assimilation System (NCEP)

EDC

Earth Resources Observation Satellite Data Center (USGS)

ENSO

El Niño-Southern Oscillation

EOP

Enhanced Observing Period

EOS

Earth Observing System (NASA, MTPE)

ERBE

Earth Radiation Budget Experiment

ESOP

Enhanced Seasonal Observing Period

Eta

(Name of an NMC model using the Greek letter for the vertical coordinate)

FIFE

First ISLSCP Field Experiment

FSL

Forecast Systems Laboratory (NOAA)

GAME

GEWEX Asian Monsoon Experiment

GCIP

GEWEX Continental-Scale International Project

GCM

general circulation (atmospheric) model

GCMD

Global Change Master Directory (NASA-EOSDIS)

GCSS

GEWEX Cloud Systems Study

GDAS

Global Data Assimilation System (NCEP)

GEWEX

Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (WCRP)

GHP

GEWEX Hydrometeorology Panel

GIDS

GCIP Initial Data Set

GIST

GCIP Implementation System Test

GOALS

Global Ocean-Atmosphere-Land System

GOES

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (NOAA)

GPCP

Global Precipitation Climatology Project (WCRP)

GPS

global positioning system

GREDS

GCIP Reference Data Set

GTS

Global Telecommunications System

HAPEX

Hydrologic-Atmospheric Pilot Experiment (France)

IEOS

International Earth Observing System

IGBP

International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme

IGPO

International GEWEX Project Office

IOP

intensive observational period

IR

infrared

ISA

intermediate-scale area

ISCCP

International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project

ISLSCP

International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project

LBA

Land Biosphere-Atmosphere program (Brazil)

LDAS

Land Data Assimilation System

LSA

large-scale (study) area (GCIP)

LSA-SW

LSA-Southwest

LSP

land surface parameterization

MAGS

MacKenzie River GEWEX Study

MAPS

Mesoscale Analysis and Prediction System (NCEP)

MOLTS

Model Output Location Time Series

MORDS

Model Output Reduced Data Set

MTPE

Mission to Planet Earth (NASA)

NASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NCAR

National Center for Atmospheric Research

NCDC

National Climate Data Center (NOAA)

NCEP

National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NOAA)

NDVI

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (AVHRR)

NESDIS

National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service

NEXRAD

Next-Generation Weather Radar system (see also WSR-88D)

NMC

National Meteorological Center (recently changed to National Centers for Environmental Prediction, NCEP)

NOAA

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NRC

National Research Council

NRCS

Natural Resource Conservation Service

NWP

numerical weather prediction

NWS

National Weather Service

OH

Office of Hydrology (NOAA)

PACS

Pan-American Climate Study

PBL

Planetary Boundary Layer

PILPS

Project for Intercomparison of Land Surface Parameterization Schemes (GEWEX)

RAMS

Regional Area Modeling System

RASS

radioacoustic sensing system

RFE

regional finite element

RS

remote sensing

SCS

Soil Conservation Service (recently changed to Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)

SRB

Surface Radiation Budget

SSA

small-scale area

SSM/I

Special Sensor Microwave Imager (DOD, DMSP)

SSURGO

Soil Survey Geographic Database (USDA)

STATSGO

State Soil Geographic Database (USDA)

SURFRAD

Surface Radiation Budget Network (NOAA)

TIROS

Television and Infrared Observation Satellite

TKE

Turbulent Kinetic Energy

TOVS

TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder

TRMM

Tropical Rain Measuring Mission (NASDA-NASA)

TVA

Tennessee Valley Authority

UCAR

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

USACE

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

USDA

U.S. Department of Agriculture

USGS

U.S. Geological Survey

USWRP

U.S. Weather Research Program

VAD

velocity azimuth display

VORTEX

Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment

WCRP

World Climate Research Programme

WSR-88D

Weather Surveillance Radar 1988-Doppler (see also NEXRAD)

WWW

World Wide Web