Senior Research Project

All students graduating from the Department of Atmospheric & Hydrologic Sciences complete a capstone project during which they conduct scientific research while working with experts in their preferred content area and then share their results with peers, research mentors, and faculty members. Sample projects have focused on topics such as:

• effective interdisciplinary science communication tools, techniques, and impacts
• developing tools for teaching meteorology using virtual and augmented reality
• microphysics studies of raindrops and snowflake measurements
• meteorological instrument design, construction, and testing
• in-depth case studies involving analysis and modeling of severe weather events
• global interannual and interseasonal climate variability
• numerical modeling studies of weather and climate
• verification of fire weather tools using satellite observations
• use of groundwater modeling to trace sources of public water supplies to identify sourcewater prediction zones
• documenting the movement of contaminant plumes using computer modeling of groundwater flow
• designing solutions for local/regional companies to address real-world engineering problems
• paleontological research involving ancient environments and fossilized flora and fauna
• using a cement mixer to conduct research on boulder abrasion
• outcrop-scale field mapping of granites and basalt dikes at local rock exposures
• examining the impacts of soil and sediment characteristics on surface-water infiltration and groundwater