About 200 seventh graders from Hampton Cove Middle School toured the NSSTC as part of a day-long field trip to learn about careers in science, technology, engineering and math. At Cramer Hall they visited the National Weather Service Office, visited UAH's mobile severe weather research fleet, and learned a little bit about career opportunities in atmospheric science.

The UAH Severe Weather and Radar Groups are observing the 1 year anniversary of the April 27th Outbreak today by recreating the events of that day in real-time on twitter.

You can follow the timeline of events along with radar images, storm surveys, tornado pictures, youtube videos, and research images by following @uahsevere or you can link directly to the timeline without a twitter account at:

https://twitter.com/#!/uahsevere

Christy talks at Earthweek Event

Dr. John Christy discussed the science (i.e., the numbers) of climate change
and carbon-based energy at an Earth Week presentation Friday in the
University Center. He also presented information about an environmentally
and economically sustainable system that would use irrigation to bring
agriculture back to Alabama.

 

Murphy honored by College of Science

Todd Murphy, a doctoral student in atmospheric science, has been named one of the top graduate research assistants in UAHuntsville's College of Science for 2011-12.

While his research into storm formation and the April 27, 2011, storms that hit Alabama and the southeast U.S. might be ground breaking, it hasn't been the highlight of his semester. Instead, that happens most Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, when he gets to teach a class in synoptic meteorology.
 
"I'm very much enjoying it," he said. He especially enjoys seeing the "ah ha!" moment when a student comprehends a concept. "That's happened a few times this semester. Synoptic meteorology builds on several concepts, so you build up and build up and suddenly, it clicks. You can see it in their faces, like they're thinking, 'I understand this now. It all makes sense.'
 
"That's the fun part, seeing that light come on."

read more ...

ESS Plant Sale!

The UAH Community Garden's Heirloom Plant Sale is underway and early response has been good. Dozens of different types of heirloom (not genetically engineered) plants are on sale in time for spring planting, including a variety of peppers, tomatoes, and herbs. They also have onions, asparagus and three types of eggplant! Profits support the community garden.

The sale continues today (Friday) until 5 p.m. and continues on Saturday, April 14, and Thursday, April 19, from noon until 5 p.m. both days. The sale is at the community garden greenhouse, which is east of WLRH behind the Physical Plant shed and greenhouse. A map showing the exact location is available online at: http://nsstc.uah.edu/essa/



Tiffany Webb, a junior majoring in Earth system science, has been awarded a Research and Creative Experience for Undergraduates summer fellowship at UAHuntsville.

Her research this wummer will look at ways to improve UAH's sustainability and its "green" index by studying programs at other university's and through practical measures specific to the UAHuntsville campus.

She will focus on literature review and interviews with people who are implementing programs at other campuses. She will also conduct projects using global information systems and remote sensing to address specific environmental and ecological issues at UAH, including energy efficiency, waste management, water conservation, transportation, dining and education.

Her final project will propose plans of action in those areas. The detailed proposal will include cost-benefit analyses.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for me to expand my knowledge of effective research and sustainable implementation," she said, "as well as work toward making positive changes in the Huntsville community.

"A graduate of the 2011 ESS summer study abroad program in Panama, Webb is focusing her Earth system science studies on the human dimensions track.

UAH alumnus wins NOAA award.

Jianglong Zhang, '04 Ph.D., atmospheric science, will receive the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's David Johnson Award in March for his innovative work with complex data gathered by satellites.

An assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of North Dakota, Zhang has focused on remote sensing of atmospheric aerosols and using data collected by satellites in near real time in forecast models.

read more ...

Despite this winter's snow drought, California's snow isn't disappearing

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Feb. 14, 2012) — During some winters a significant amount of snow falls on parts of California. During other winters — like this one (so far) — there is much less snow. But more than 130 years of snow data show that over time snowfall in California is neither increasing nor decreasing.

The analysis of snowfall data from as far back as 1878 found no long-term trend in how much snow falls in the state, especially in the critical western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains, said John Christy, director of the Earth System Science Center at The University of Alabama in Huntsville.

"There isn't a trend significantly different from zero for the whole period," Christy said. "I also looked at just the past 50 years and there is no trend over this recent stretch either."

Details of Christy's research have been accepted for publication and released on-line by the American Meteorological Society's "Journal of Hydrometeorology."*

read more...

UAH team helping Japanese space program launch safely

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Feb. 2, 2012) -- A team of scientists from The University of Alabama in Huntsville's Earth System Science Center (ESSC) is working with the Japanese space agency to develop new rules to protect spacecraft from lightning.

Data from instruments being installed aboard a small jet will help the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) develop guidelines that can be used to determine which clouds over the Tanegashima Space Center launch site pose the threat of triggering a lightning bolt that could damage or destroy a launch vehicle.

A problem, according to Hugh Christian, an ESSC principal research scientist, is that when the Japanese apply NASA's rules for launch safety to their climatological conditions, they find those rules to be very restrictive.

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New class will teach applications of weather and climate modeling

A class offered for the first time this spring will offer answers to a math-related question that many students start asking about the time they hit algebra: How will I ever use this?

In this case, the new class in the Atmospheric Science Department at The University of Alabama in Huntsville will answer that question as it relates to the complex and mathematically intensive world of atmospheric modeling — the mathematical tools that scientists use to understand and predict the weather, and to study climate change.

"These models are also tools with a variety of practical applications," said Udaysankar Nair, the assistant professor who will teach the class. "This class will have a real world orientation, focusing on how we use research and modeling tools to help people make more informed decisions.

read more...

Dr. Sundar Christopher's book for graduate students and advisors is now available through AGU. Navigating Graduate School and Beyond: A Career Guide for Graduate Students and a Must Read for Every Advisor outlines the steps and skills necessary to succeed in graduate school and in your
career.

You can purchase the book at http://www.agu.org/pubs/books/

More details and material for instructors including presentations, proposals, and other information can be found here : http://sachristopher.wordpress.com/