NWRA Company Overview

NorthWest Research Associates, Inc., (NWRA) is a small scientific research group with a primary focus in the geophysical sciences that includes, but is not limited to: oceanography, sea-ice mechanics, and atmospheric, ionospheric, and solar physics. NWRA is owned and operated by the Principal Investigators of the company and has over 80 employees in three office locations.

NWRA Mission Statement: To provide an environment for unencumbered science, in which scientists and engineers can achieve excellence in basic and applied research.

The NWRA team provides:

• Leadership - NWRA’s management personnel possess advanced technical skills and knowledge coupled with leadership and management skills. This combination of skills integrates practical technical experience into the management of technology-based enterprises.
• Team atmosphere - NWRA's mission is to identify and research novel ideas in the geosciences arena.
• Expertise - NWRA is comprised of innovative research scientists, engineers, scientific programmers and technical staff.
• Commitment - NWRA's administrative personnel to having open communication, producing quality work, and maintaining standards.

In addition to the Corporate headquarters in Redmond, Washington, NWRA has employees in Boulder, Colorado; and in Monterey, California.

Science Activity Examples

• Solar Physics - Space Weather (93 million miles away)
• Observation and model studies of the Sun’s interior (helioseismology) - far-side imaging
• Observation and model studies of solar magnetic fields, specializing in active regions and solar flares/Coronal Mass Ejections
• Thermosphere & Ionosphere - Space Weather (110 km up)
• Model studies on the effect of deep convection on the dynamics of the thermosphere and ionosphere
• Observation and model studies on the effect of solar activity on the ionosphere
• Modeling of electron density distribution & associated radio wave propagation effects
• Applications in HF Communication and Over-the-Horizon Radar
• VHF/UHF radar ionization-induced propagation effects
• Mesosphere & Stratosphere (10-110km up)
• Theoretical, model, and observation studies of planetary and gravity waves and the effects on climate
• Methods for estimating winds and temperatures remotely (satellite retrieval methods)
• Troposphere (mostly breathable stuff)
• Studies of "global dimming and brightening" and its implications in climate forcing and water/carbon feedbacks
• Atmospheric water cycle and climate change
• Aerosol and radiation measurements in urban environs and the effect on ecosystems
• Tropospheric climate effects from stratospheric change (e.g., effects of ozone depletion on high-latitude climate)
• Observational studies of the vertical coupling with Stratosphere/Mesosphere planetary waves and of tropical planetary waves
• Land-Ocean-Atmosphere Boundary Layer
• Solar energy flux assessment
• Micro-Meteorology
• Remote sensing of ocean surface winds, biological activity, surface-gravity waves
• Measurements, analysis, and modeling of heat flux in high-wind, spray conditions
• Operational Ocean Forecasting
• Oceanography
• Observations of eddies and waves in Lagrangian datasets
• Subpolar oceanography and mode water formation processes
• Observation and model studies of internal waves and turbulence
• Observation studies in nearshore waves, currents, and sediment transport - coastal erosion
• Sea Ice
• Development of sea-ice dynamic models for climate studies and for ice forecasting
• Measurements, analysis, and modeling of arctic surface fluxes
• Ocean Bottom
• Hot Thermal Vents: Observational studies of mass and energy transport into and out of the crust
• Classical Fluid Dynamics
• Laboratory, modeling, and observational studies of turbulence and vortices, including airplane wake vortices
• Theoretical studies - the transition from laminar to turbulent flow that is controlled by the stress state and generates velocity discontinuities in the flow (a.k.a. turbulence)
• Theoretical studies on the excitation of gravity waves from the divergence of horizontal flux of vertical momentum
• Applications in Signal Processing & Higher-Order Statistics
• Nonstationary signal analysis methods for physical processes
• Data Assimilation
• Bayesian Hierarchical Modeling
• EEG analysis of speech and intended speech
• Blind identification of communication signals (e.g., radio frequency scene analysis)