Introducing the Bulletin of Atmospheric Science and Technology

The rapid technological development of the past few decades has allowed for an unprecedented wealth of data about ourselves and our planet. The cost reduction of space platforms, the microelectronic revolution and the nearly exponential increase in computer power have been generating novel opportunities to explore and understand the world around us. Tools and theoretical approaches, capable of putting together all the insights we may possibly gain from all these new streams of data in a multidisciplinary framework, are still being developed. We are hence faced with both a unique challenge and an opportunity to make a significant progress in many scientific fields, first and foremost in the atmospheric and climate sciences. We are pleased to announce here the launch of the Bulletin of Atmospheric Science and Technology (BAST), a new peer-reviewed journal which is meant to bridge this gap in the broad area of the atmospheric sciences. The journal encourages a cross-disciplinary approach with an emphasis on new sensor technologies and systems, combined observational and modeling techniques, innovative numerical methods, data analysis, and retrieval techniques. BAST offers a platform to share new ideas and fresh developments to stimulate research activities focusing on urban, coastal, marine, rural, and mountain environments. Particular attention will be given to cross-disciplinary studies, especially those involving citizens for the collection of crowd-sourced data and those devoted to the characterization of uncertainties and homogenization of methods. BAST aims at connecting weather and climate communities using both observational and modeling approaches, creating a forum hosting discussion and brainstorming activities. The journal also hopes to attract contributions reporting approaches or techniques from other scientific fields that can be applicable to atmospheric sciences, as well as contributions where technological developments are discussed alongside with their scientific and societal impacts. In this sense BAST will provide a new platform to support the technological revolution towards a climate-smart society through the collection and exploitation of big data. The journal will give visibility to international experiments and projects in atmospheric science and technology, illustrating preliminary or consolidated results from these initiatives. Additional fields of interest are : environmental protection; observation, understanding, and modeling of hazardous and extreme events and mitigation of their impacts; development of new sensing tools integrating satellite information with surface or airborne measurements; operation of unmanned and remotely piloted air vehicles equipped with sensors of small size and weight, especially remote sensors, pushing electro-optical-mechanical components towards a continuously increasing miniaturization. Research articles, Review articles, Technical reports, Brief reports, Letters and News are welcome. While keeping the focus of the journal on scientific research, the “Bulletin” format provides appropriate visibility to contributions from the operational side, i.e., meteorological services and private companies developing sensors and products of interest to the atmospheric science and technology community. Below we provide a more detailed description of the topics that will be emphasized and fostered in BAST.