Summary

The Joint Airport Weather Studies (JAWS) Project, formed in 1980, conducted a major field investigation during the summer of 1982 (15 May to 13 August, inclusive) in and around Denver, Colorado. The project was jointly administrated by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the University of Chicago including collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The principle focus of JAWS was the convective microburst event, a small region of intense downflow and associated outflow which occurs in the convective boundary layer, usually but not always associated with thunderstorms. Microbursts can be lethal for a jet aircraft on takeoff or landing because of the extreme magnitude of the flows.