During its inaugural community night this summer, the Southwest Urban Corridor Integrated Field Laboratory (SW-IFL) will provide an opportunity for the general public to learn more about its ground-breaking research on mitigating excessive heat in Arizona.
SW-IFL is a cooperative venture of two national laboratories, three public institutions in Arizona, industry researchers, and financing from the U.S. Department of Energy. Researchers from the University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, IBM, and other universities lead the teams in this laboratory, which is housed in the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at Arizona State University.
What is the mission of the lab? To investigate the complex interactions among intense heat, air pollution, and scarce water resources in Arizona’s fast-urbanizing megaregion, which spans the state from the border with Mexico in the south to the Navajo Nation in the north. In addition to offering the public, decision-makers, and stakeholders robust solutions to mitigate excessive heat and climate change, SW-IFL aims to actively interact with them.
The laboratory will use truck-mounted mobile observatories, vehicle-based temperature traverses, and stationary weather stations to collect critical atmospheric research data throughout the summer. During this period of rigorous observation, gathering weather-variable measurements is the primary objective. The trucks will make stops at SW-IFL Community Night along the route through the Phoenix metropolitan region.
On Saturday, June 22, from 5 to 8 p.m., SW-IFL Community Night will be held as a part of the Desert Botanical Garden’s ‘Flashlight Nights’. The public is welcome to visit the garden after nightfall and take a break from the heat. Visitors can interact with SW-IFL researchers, examine scientific apparatus, and take part in hands-on interactive demos.
