Dissertations and Theses
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Evaluating the performance of PATMOS-x in global and regional analyses of clouds as they relate to Earth’s planetary albedo
(University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2025)In 2023, the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System - Energy Balanced and Filled (CERES-EBAF) dataset revealed a record low planetary albedo. Due to the dominant role of clouds in Earth’s albedo, we hypothesize that ... -
An unusual case of rapid cyclogenesis in the northeast Pacific basin
(University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2025)In late November 2019, a record-setting extratropical cyclone rapidly intensified in the northeast Pacific basin over a relatively cold sea surface and near steep topography along the United States West Coast. Cyclogenesis ... -
Impacts of temperature-dependent heating demand on wintertime emissions
(University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2025)Most residences are heated by burning fuels, such as natural gas, heating oil, or wood, which emits combustion byproducts into the atmosphere. Space heating demand is dependent on outdoor temperatures, so the impact of ... -
Invisible Threads: How Jet Stream Shifts areAmplifying Clear Air Turbulence in U.S.Aviation (1980 - 2023)
(University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2025)Over the last 10 years, there has been a noticeable increase in Clear Air Turbulence (CAT)incidents reported by commercial airlines, including several recent accidents that have resulted in passenger injuries. This trend ... -
Persistent radiative states in the Arctic: Drivers, trends, and model representation
(University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2025)The Arctic climate is rapidly changing. The ability for the high latitudes to effectively emit longwave radiation to space is vital for shedding excess energy received in the tropics, thus regulating the global energy ... -
Deciphering the mysteries of hailstone formation: Linking satellite and physicochemical studies of hail in Argentina
(University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2025)This dissertation advances our understanding of hail formation processes and environments in Argentina, a global hail hotspot, through a multi-scale analysis spanning from individual particles to storm-scale characteristics. ... -
Changes in clouds over the four decades using PATMOS-xv6.0: Radiative effects and controlling factors
(University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2025)Satellite-based global cloud data records are crucial for understanding the impact of regional weather changes and global climate variations due to the direct and indirect radiative forcing of clouds. In this dissertation, ... -
Observing the truth: Recording Earth’s changing flow of energy
(University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2025)The receipt of energy within our atmosphere is the fundamental driver of the climate system. Our ability to accurately measure this exchange of energy and establish a reliable understanding of its trend and variability is ... -
Spatial and temporal analysis of the Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment (PREFIRE) intersections
(University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2025)The Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment (PREFIRE) will use two 6U CubeSats to continuously measure spectral far-infrared (FIR) emissions for the first time in the modern satellite era. By strategically ... -
Investigating the influence of atmospheric CO2, bathymetry, and salinity on Archean Ocean circulation
(University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2025)During part of the Archean Eon (4 to 2.5 billion years ago), it is estimated that Earth experienced near-global ocean coverage. Little is known about the ocean during this time,but it coincides with—and may have been ... -
Where has all the energy gone? Quantifying advective energy fluxes with dense tower networks
(University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2024)Accurate and extensive measurements of the exchange of energy between the land surface and atmosphere are needed for building and improving models of the earth’s climate system. The eddy covariance (EC) method, used to ... -
Characteristics of the Northern Hemisphere warm season tropopause-level jet and associated trends
(University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2024)One of the most familiar structural features of Earth’s atmosphere are the tropopause-level wind speed maxima known as jet streams or jets. These jets can be separated into two main types based on their differing means of ... -
Evaluating near-storm environmental moisture relative to tropical deep convection growth using CPEX-CV airborne data
(University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2024)Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) associated with African easterly waves (AEWs) that propagate and intensify over the tropical East Atlantic may serve as precursors for tropical cyclones. Previous studies utilizing ... -
Analysis of the thermodynamics and dynamics of tropical mesoscale convective systems
(University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2024)Satellite data combined with a reanalysis product is used to identify the thermodynamic and dynamic controls that govern mesoscale convective systems (MCSs). Composites are made of MCSs occurring within the tropics (30ºS ... -
Deep learning for thunderstorm nowcasting using satellite and radar observations
(University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2024)The current scientific understanding of convection from a geostationary satellite and ground-based radar perspective is used to inform the development and evaluation of a deep learning model (called ThunderCast) for ... -
Governing thermodynamic ttructure of Tropical East Pacific and African Easterly Waves and their representation in CMIP6 models
(University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2024)Easterly Waves (EWs) are convectively coupled systems of alternating high and low pressure that propagate westward in the Tropics with a period of 3-6 days and horizontal scale of ∼3000 km. They are most commonly observed ... -
Antarctic extreme snowfall: A CloudSat and CALIPSO satellite perspective
(2024)The Antarctic Ice Sheet is a critical component of the Earth’s climate system, with its role in global sea level regulation becoming increasingly significant in a warming climate. Snowfall is a key factor in ice mass ... -
Saharan dust impact on radiative heating rate errors inherent in reanalysis data in the African Easterly Wave development region
(University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2024)Saharan dust outbreaks strongly impact the atmosphere’s energy balance, as their radiative effects can alter atmospheric heating rates by several degrees per day. However, numerical weather prediction models often struggle ... -
Environmental Conditions Impacting Late-Summer Sea Ice Concentration Predictability in the Northwest Passage
(University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2024)The Northwest Passage, located in the Canadian Archipelago, is a conglomerate of sea routes that connect the eastern and western sides of the North American continent. Historically, sea ice in the region has made it difficult ... -
Impact of tropical and boreal biomass burning on atmospheric composition
(University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2024)Atmospheric trace gases and aerosols emitted from biomass burning significantly influence atmospheric composition globally and locally on short-term and climatological time scales. Global chemical transport models (CTMs) ...
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