• About
    • Login
    View Item 
    •   Institutional Repository Home
    • Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    • Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    •   Institutional Repository Home
    • Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    • Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Browse

    All of Institutional RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsDepartmentThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsDepartment

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    SATELLITE MEASUREMENTS OF FALLING SNOW: METHODS AND APPLICATIONS

    Duffy, George
    0000-0003-2613-2979
    : http://hdl.handle.net/1803/16049
    : 2020-04-07

    Abstract

    Satellite Measurements of Falling Snow: methods and applications Abstract Half of all precipitation on the planet begins as snow and snow represents the surface precipitation for much of the planet during winter months. Most of this snow is unmeasured, either because it is falling through the open sky, because it falls on uninhabited regions of the planet, or because it melts into the ocean. The most comprehensive method of measuring all snow throughout the planet and atmosphere is through radar satellites. Satellite radar measurements of falling snow have rarely been utilized, however, and many basic tendencies of global falling snow have yet to be investigated. In this dissertation, I use satellite observations and satellite evaluation experiments to investigate two applications of falling snow measurements for Earth Science research problems: determining the influence of melting snow in the ocean surface heat budget and measuring the size of snow particles inside of precipitating clouds. Using CloudSat and climate reanalysis, I demonstrate that melting snow can often dominate the cooling flow into the ocean during snow storms, and that melting snow could be an important contributor to the polar ocean heat budget. I also develop the first empirically based satellite retrieval method for snow particle size in clouds that demonstrates no change in accuracy between different experimental settings. I use this method to reveal apparent biases in currently used retrieval algorithms.
    Show full item record

    Files in this item

    Icon
    Name:
    DUFFY-DISSERTATION-2020.pdf
    Size:
    4.430Mb
    Format:
    PDF
    View/Open

    This item appears in the following collection(s):

    • Electronic Theses and Dissertations

    Connect with Vanderbilt Libraries

    Your Vanderbilt

    • Alumni
    • Current Students
    • Faculty & Staff
    • International Students
    • Media
    • Parents & Family
    • Prospective Students
    • Researchers
    • Sports Fans
    • Visitors & Neighbors

    Support the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries

    Support the Library...Give Now

    Gifts to the Libraries support the learning and research needs of the entire Vanderbilt community. Learn more about giving to the Libraries.

    Become a Friend of the Libraries

    Quick Links

    • Hours
    • About
    • Employment
    • Staff Directory
    • Accessibility Services
    • Contact
    • Vanderbilt Home
    • Privacy Policy