ATMS 611 Project Ideas (return to main page).
0. Any aspect of clouds, but especially a project that relates to their formation, precipitation, dynamic nature, variable type, and radiative impacts. I would like to develop a massive project that predicts, or at least diagnoses, clouds in Reno and also predicts their radiative impacts for comparison with measurements. Atmospheric science is fiddling around with aerosol, trace gases, and fluid dynamics, and is ignoring the need to understand clouds (to understand is to predict: to have a model sufficient for reproducing what happens in nature.)
1. Analyze the meteorology associated with Pakistani floods in summer 2010.
2. Analyze the meteorology of the Russian fires in summer 2010.
3. Analyze the new record hailstone and the meteorology around its formation: cloud physics.
4. Use a web camera to take time lapse video of clouds and estimate cloudiness. Look at properties of standing wave clouds, lenticulars. Describe all cloud types observed.
5. For a student that is interested in becoming a professor, assist with grading, and by holding problem sessions for undergraduates.
6. Aerosol and cloud interactions with respect to cloud physics and cloud albedo: aerosol indirect effect.
7. Spectral measurements and interpretations of downwelling infrared radiation in the atmosphere using our FTIR spectrometer on the 4th floor of the Physics building.
8. Dust impacts on radiative forcing by cirrus clouds: effect of windblown dust on cirrus microphysics and radiation.
9. Details of a satellite used in the NASA A Train for satellite remote sensing.
10. NASA's A-Train for satellite remote sensing.
11. Radar remote sensing of hydrometeors.
12. Theory of the rainbow, maybe with demonstrations using a laser pointer and pendant water drops.
13. Lidar remote sensing of the atmosphere.
14. NASA Aeronet network of sun photometers and use of them to obtain cloud optical depth.
15. DOE sites for atmospheric radiation measurements around the world.
16. Fluid dynamics simulations of the Earth's atmosphere using a record player and a heated and cooled tank of water.
17. Impacts of coatings on the optical properties of aerosols.
18. Simple models for atmospheric boundary layer dynamics.
19. Life cycle of marine stratus clouds.
20. Formation and life cycle of cirrus clouds.
21. Life cycle of cumulus clouds.
22. Lightning characteristics and mechanisms.
23. Cloud condensation nuclei.
24. Ionosphere formation, description, and dynamics.
25. Mesosphere dynamics.
26. Stratosphere dynamics.
27. Black and brown carbon aerosol, formation, composition, and optical properties.
28. Sound propagation in the atmosphere.
29. Sodar measurements.
30. Physics of soils with respect to atmospheric interactions of heat and mass transfer.
31. Snow albedo as a function of snow age and/or deposition of air pollution.
32. Alternative alternative energy schemes.
33. Fall speed of hydrometeors, drizzle, rain drops, snow, hail, graupel; Importance for getting this right for atmospheric models.
34. Coagulation and coalescence.
35. Formation of precipitation.