Observe
Snow pits, GPR, seismic refraction, canopy measurements, stream discharge, and snow geophysical instrumentation.
Research approach
Connecting scales, methods, and measurements.
My work moves between direct field observations, process understanding, computational modeling, and remote sensing. The goal is to turn physically meaningful measurements into spatially continuous information that can improve snow characterization and, ultimately, hydrologic prediction.
Characterize
Snow density, SWE, liquid water content, stratigraphy, grain properties, terrain, canopy, and subsurface structure.
Model
SnowModel, statistical regression, mixed-effects modeling, spatial statistics, variograms, and geospatial workflows.
Scale up
UAVSAR, NISAR, Google Earth Engine, LiDAR, Sentinel-1, and ground-penetrating radar for distributed snow information.
Current PhD research
Featured research projects
My dissertation research focuses on L-band InSAR feasibility, the physical and terrain controls on radar coherence, and spatial variability in snow density across contrasting snow environments.
Published research
L-band InSAR feasibility mapping for SWE retrieval
I mapped where L-band InSAR is most likely to provide reliable changes in snow water equivalent across western U.S. mountain ecoregions. The framework combines forest cover, snow wetness, snow class, and radar geometry to identify seasonal and regional limits on retrieval feasibility.
Read the paper →
Manuscript in preparation
What controls L-band InSAR coherence in mountain snow?
Using NASA SnowEx 2020 UAVSAR observations in the Jemez Mountains, I test how canopy cover, local incidence angle, modeled liquid water content, and topography influence interferometric coherence. SnowModel provides spatially distributed snow conditions that are integrated with radar and terrain data using regression and mixed-effects models.
Ongoing research
Spatial variability of GPR-derived snow density in Alaska
I use SnowEx 2023 Alaska ground-penetrating radar observations to investigate how snow density and SWE vary across tundra and boreal forest environments. GPR travel times are combined with coincident snow-depth observations, and spatial structure is quantified with semivariograms from within-spiral to between-site scales.
Field research & observations
Measuring the snowpack directly.
Field observations anchor my remote-sensing and modeling work in the physical snowpack. I have worked with snow-pit measurements, ground-penetrating radar, liquid-water-content sensors, seismic refraction, canopy measurements, and stream-discharge surveys in mountain environments.
Master's research
Soil structure, management, and flow pathways.
Before moving into snow hydrology, my master's research used high-resolution X-ray computed tomography to quantify how conservation management, tillage, image resolution, and sample size influence soil pore architecture.
Cover crop effects on X-ray CT-derived soil pores
Quantified how cover crops altered macroporosity, pore number density, and connectivity within strip-tillage cotton soils.
View publication →
Strip tillage versus conventional tillage
Compared pore-network properties across tillage systems and growing seasons to evaluate the effects of disturbance and reconsolidation.
View publication →
Image resolution and soil-core size
Evaluated tradeoffs among CT resolution, field of view, sample diameter, pore detection, anisotropy, and connectivity.
View publication →Research toolkit
Methods and tools I work with
My research combines programming, hydrologic and snow modeling, geospatial analysis, field instrumentation, and laboratory methods rather than relying on a single data source or scale.
Programming
Python, R, SAS, Fortran, SQLite, Bash
Snow & hydrologic models
SnowModel, HEC-HMS, MODFLOW, SWAT, HYDRUS-1D, RETC, Rosetta
Remote sensing
UAVSAR L-band InSAR, NISAR workflows, Sentinel-1, airborne LiDAR, GPR
Geospatial analysis
Google Earth Engine, ArcGIS, ArcPy, xarray, GeoPandas, Rasterio, ImageJ
Field instrumentation
MagnaProbe, WISe, Infrasnow, capacitance plate, GPR, seismic arrays, snow samplers, LAI measurements
Laboratory methods
X-ray CT, soil hydrometer, loss on ignition, bulk density, pH/EC, rainfall simulation and tracer experiments
Selected publications
Research outputs
Peer-reviewed work spanning snow remote sensing, soil pore architecture, conservation agriculture, and water movement through soils.
2025
Effect of Image Resolution and Soil Core Diameter on Soil Pore Characteristics Quantified Using X-Ray Computed Tomography