CROCUS URBAN CANYON

The CROCUS Urban Canyon campaign studied how Chicago’s built environment influenced local Earth systems. Researchers measured temperature, atmospheric composition, wind speed and direction and more. The data will provide insights for understanding and planning for Earth system extremes. 

The campaign ran from July 15, 2024 until July 29, 2024. During this two-week period, scientists and researchers were highly visible as they launched weather balloons and took measurements at mobile weather monitoring stations both down the Roosevelt Road corridor (starting at University of Illinois Chicago and ending at the Shedd Aquarium) and across the city.

HAPPENING NOW

CROCUS URBAN FLOODING AND RAINFALL

The CROCUS Flooding and Rainfall campaign is studying urban flooding and the way the city of Chicago interacts with storm systems moving across the region. The team is making observations on atmospheric conditions that lead to high precipitation events and researching solutions for mitigating the impacts of those Earth system extremes.

To gather data, researchers are launching weather balloons in Chicago’s Humboldt Park and the town of Morris outside of the city. They are also deploying the world-class SPARC atmospheric research trailer deep in the urban environment. Data from these locations will help the team understand distinct differences in atmospheric structure. Additionally, CROCUS’s micronet now contains an extensive biogeochemical network to investigate how soils and plants react to precipitation events.