David R. Brooks, PhD

President Institute for Earth Science Research and Education 2686 Overhill Drive Eagleville, Pennsylvania 19403 USA Phone: 610-584-5619 E-mail: brooksdr@drexel.edu Drexel University Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics

Much of the work described on this site has been made possible by support from the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration.

Pyranometer kit from the Institute for Earth Science Research and Education, for measuring solar radiation at Earth's surface. $20, including shipping in U.S.
Also, NEW two-channel (broadband-near IR) radiometer/reflectometer from IESRE.

Northern(?) Leopard Frog (Rana Pipiens?) October 9, 2009. This frog is perched half submerged on a rock in the very small pond (less than 1 m2 we have on our front patio. This photo was taken in the afternoon with a Canon PowerShot A590 camera, using its image stabilization mode and no flash.

You can now use your PayPal account to purchase instruments from IESRE.

Notes from a Temperate Climate. A site dedicated to students, teachers, and my friends living in Thailand's tropical climate.

In light of recent controversy surrounding poor siting of many "official" weather stations around the country, this link to information about sites in Pennsylvania, with photos from 1983 and 2003, is very interesting: http://pasc.met.psu.edu/PA_Climatologist/cooptan/. Almost without exception, the quality of these sites is good and the surrounding environment has not changed significantly.

Insolation data from McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

These data were collected with an Institute for Earth Science Research and Education pyranometer taken to Antarctica by Ann Linsley, a teacher at Bellaire High School, Bellaire, Texas. It is not surprising that, under these extreme conditions, the pyranometer data do not agree perfectly with a clear-sky solar noon insolation model that assumes a much different atmosphere. Thanks, Ann!