So, what do you study?
This is a question I hear often. Depending on who is asking, my answers can and must vary. For example, if I'm chatting with a high schooler I'm not going to say "I study the sensitivity of orographic precipitation to perturbations in microphysical parameter values and environmental conditions within an idealized moist, nearly neutral flow." That is way too much jargon that will immediately turn off any interest they may have had.
I recently attended a workshop at the University of Colorado - Boulder on effective public outreach and communication for scientists. The speaker emphasized three key goals to convey at a public outreach event:
Personal points
I recently attended a workshop at the University of Colorado - Boulder on effective public outreach and communication for scientists. The speaker emphasized three key goals to convey at a public outreach event:
- Content - provide some science information
- Process - provide a window into how science is done
- Person - show that you're a relatable, thoughtful scientist
I saw these three points and thought, this would be a great basis for my blog! My intent with this blog will be to provide some information about my own science interests and research, provide insight into how we do science (e.g., publications, conferences, programming, etc.), and show that I'm a regular person who has the privilege and opportunity to do science professionally.
As this is technically the first real blog entry, let me practice what I learned at the workshop on effectively introducing myself as a scientist.
The basic formula is: Who & where PLUS what PLUS personal points of interest
Who & where
I'm Annareli Morales and I'm a postdoctoral fellow at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, CO.
[A postdoctoral fellow is someone who has completed their PhD (postdoctoral) and has received a fellowship from an organization/institution after having to write an application where they proposed a research project or idea. My fellowship comes from the Advanced Study Program at NCAR.]
What
I focus on rain and snow formation over mountains.
[Specifically, I focus on the small-scale physical processes (e.g., condensation, melting, evaporation, aggregation of ice crystals, collection of cloud droplets by rain drops) that occur within a cloud to form hydrometeors (water in liquid or frozen form that falls from the sky) and how these processes are represented in a numerical weather model (a simplified set of mathematical equations placed into a computing system to describe the energy and motions of the atmosphere).
More specifically, I study how different environmental conditions (wind speed, temperature, moisture) in conjunction with different cloud and precipitation processes can impact how much, where, and what type of precipitation will fall out when an atmospheric river encounters a mountain. An atmospheric river (AR) is a long, narrow regions of high moisture amounts that transports moisture from the tropics to the extra-tropics. An AR is frequently found ahead of the cold front of an extra-tropical cyclone, occurring mostly during the winter months of each hemisphere. They are the largest "rivers" of freshwater in the world, and on average they can transport double the Amazon River flow. The orographic precipitation or precipitation generated or modified through the interaction of moist airflow with mountains can provide a large percentage of the annual precipitation over a region. For example, the orographic precipitation from ARs provides up to half of the annual precipitation over the U.S. West Coast, mainly through snowfall at high elevations (Dettinger et al. 2011, Water)]
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| Awesome schematic of precipitation mechanisms/processes that can happen in a cloud (from Steve Platnick, NASA) |
More specifically, I study how different environmental conditions (wind speed, temperature, moisture) in conjunction with different cloud and precipitation processes can impact how much, where, and what type of precipitation will fall out when an atmospheric river encounters a mountain. An atmospheric river (AR) is a long, narrow regions of high moisture amounts that transports moisture from the tropics to the extra-tropics. An AR is frequently found ahead of the cold front of an extra-tropical cyclone, occurring mostly during the winter months of each hemisphere. They are the largest "rivers" of freshwater in the world, and on average they can transport double the Amazon River flow. The orographic precipitation or precipitation generated or modified through the interaction of moist airflow with mountains can provide a large percentage of the annual precipitation over a region. For example, the orographic precipitation from ARs provides up to half of the annual precipitation over the U.S. West Coast, mainly through snowfall at high elevations (Dettinger et al. 2011, Water)]
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| Hiking up the red rocks in Sedona, Arizona. Great views of mountains and storms! |
Personal points
Outside of research, I enjoy volunteering at the public library, painting, embroidering, doing cross-stitch, hiking, and hugging my cat (her name is Figg).
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| Hiking in Santa Fe, New Mexico with my amazing friend, Leah! |
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| Figg and I |
In my past life, I played Varsity Tennis and Badminton in high school, was a part-time server for a catering company, worked as a student supervisor at the University of Illinois dining halls, and worked as an office assistant to a resident hall director.
Stay tuned for the next entry -- "How Science is Done: Conferences"
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