Research

The fire and smoke modeling group focuses on improving understanding of how fires interact with the atmosphere creating their own weather and how wildfire smoke impacts air quality. The goal is to improve fire spread and air quality forecasting capabilities by integrating fire detections, weather observations, and fuel data.

Experimental fire modeling portal: http://demo.openwfm.org/sj/

Cloud and Aerosol

The Cloud and Aerosol Group conducts research projects that involve aircraft-based observations, instrument calibrations, climate model simulations, satellite remote sensing and air pollution. Some of the ongoing projects include ice and mixed-phase cloud formation and interaction with aerosols, high-latitudinal cloud processes in the Arctic, Antarctica and Southern Ocean.

Modeling Winds on Earth and Mars, and Impacts

Using state of the art computer models, we are able to understand the genesis and behavior of the great dust storms seen on Mars. Also studying how the Earth’s air flow can have a huge impact on local rainfall.

Climate Change Education Research

Our program is comprehensive, but our fundamental difference is the focus on helping students create agency about their learning and the world they live in.

Fire Weather Research Laboratory

The lab's goal is to better understand wildland fire behavior by studying fire-atmospheric interactions. The lab provides the fire modeling community datasets for model evaluation and development. In addition, the lab provides community outreach to grade schools in the Wildland-Urban Interface.

The Walsh Lab: Where Oceans, Education and Justice Connect

Exploring questions related to understanding climate changes and how we can support all communities in equitably adapting to and mitigating impacts of those changes in their everyday lives.

Lines of work include science education to support just learning and responses to climate change, and paleoclimatological studies in the ocean sciences.

Topic Specialists