FAQ
Questions, answered directly
Short, self-contained answers about the center and the layer of atmosphere it studies. Every answer is drawn from the center's founding concept.
What is CLAUW?
CLAUW is the University at Albany's Research Center for Low Atmosphere and Urban Weather. It is hosted by UAlbany's Atmospheric Sciences Research Center (ASRC) and focuses on the atmospheric boundary layer — the layer of the atmosphere most influenced by the Earth's surface and human activity.
What is the atmospheric boundary layer?
The atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) extends roughly from 10 m to 2 km above the surface and is the layer of the atmosphere most influenced by the Earth's surface and human activity. Within it, the surface layer covers roughly 0 to 50 m and is directly influenced by buildings, infrastructure and terrain, while the boundary layer top sits at approximately 500 m to 2 km.
What does the center do?
The center's approach has four parts: measure — observe the ABL in real time; understand — model and predict boundary layer behavior; adapt — design operations for local conditions; and integrate — connect air, surface, and human systems.
Is CLAUW only about Urban Air Mobility?
No. Urban Air Mobility is the application the founding concept develops in depth, but the center's subject is the low atmosphere as a whole. The concept also identifies onshore and offshore interactions — maritime operations, offshore wind farms, coastal winds and sea breezes, coastal convection — urban and rural interactions across the marine, urban and rural boundary layers, and human system interactions.
Why does Urban Air Mobility depend on the boundary layer?
Urban Air Mobility vehicles operate within the atmospheric boundary layer, in an operating zone of roughly 50 m to 500 m, where interactions with the environment and human systems are strongest. Safe, sustainable and resilient UAM depends on understanding and operating within the boundary layer.
What weather conditions matter most in this layer?
The founding concept identifies five meteorological drivers: wind shear and turbulence, thermals and convection, temperature gradients, moisture and clouds, and visibility and precipitation.
What observing assets does the center leverage?
The New York State Mesonet, New York's early warning weather detection system, which operates six networks — standard, profile, flux, snow, urban and roadside — across 216 stations, reports every five minutes, and holds an archive of over 12.4 billion observations.
Why is UAlbany positioned to lead this work?
UAlbany ASRC is uniquely positioned to lead North American urban weather in support of the UAM industry, leveraging the NYS Mesonet, high resolution urban weather modeling, urban climate expertise, and strong ties to the industry.