Lower Atmosphere Research Group
An aerial view of a roll cloud produced by a "Morning Glory" wave over the Gulf of Carpentaria. Image taken by Professor Michael Reeder of Monash University around sunrise on the 24th September 2005.
The lower atmosphere research group is active in the following two broad areas:
Radar Entomology and Insect Migration (Alistair Drake)
• The development of Insect Monitoring Radar (IMR) technology and of procedures for interpreting IMR observation data. Recent research has focused on extracting as much information as possible from the echo signals in order to discriminate between different target types (locusts, moths, bugs, etc.), and on developing summaries and representations of the IMR data that can be produced routinely and that are readily assimilated by users in pest-management (especially locust-control) organizations. Effort is now being redirected to modifications of the radar design aimed at extending its applicability and increasing the confidence with which targets can be identified, and to laboratory measurements of target radar characters to facilitate interpretation of the radar data. In addition to work with the School's own IMRs, assistance is being given to two Chinese research groups currently establishing IMR capabilities.
• Improving understanding of locust migration in inland eastern Australia , and increasing the confidence with which locust migrations can be detected and forecast. This work draws on archival IMR datasets extending over several seasons, as well as continuing observations, and is being conducted in collaboration with entomologists and forecasters at the Australian Plague Locust Commission. The datasets are also being explored for more general insights into insect migratory activity and its relation to weather, climate, and geography.
Monitoring the atmospheric boundary layer (Barbara Burns, David Low, John Taylor)
• The development of ground-based systems for acoustic and electromagnetic remote sensing of the atmospheric boundary layer and the utilization of these systems for understanding the mean and turbulent structure of the atmospheric boundary layer. A major focus is on the interaction between the boundary layer and mesoscale meteorological phenomena such as fronts, local wind systems and gravity waves. These problems are being approached in observational and modelling studies.
• Investigation of the initiation and subsequent organization of convection, and the propagation of convective lines, via a "complex systems" approach.
• The algorithmic extraction of useful parameters (temperature, moisture, turbulence, etc) from atmospheric echoes: the process of modelling what contributes to electromagnetic and acoustic echoes from the atmosphere, and separating the individual contributions from each other.
• Instrumental comparisons: how different sensors see the same parcel of air in different ways. In particular, how turbulence is seen by different instruments.
• Investigation of algorithms for extracting water depth from hyperspectral imagery of coastal waters.
Members of the Lower Atmosphere Research Group
Academic Staff:
Dr Alistair Drake (a.drake@adfa.edu.au) BA (Hons), DPhil, Oxford, GradCertHEd, UNSW
Dr David Low (d.low@adfa.edu.au) BSc, PhD Adelaide, MAIP, MAMOS, MAGU
Dr John Taylor (j.taylor@adfa.edu.au) BSc, PhD ANU, MAIP, MAGU
Research Associate:
Dr Barbara Burns (part time) (barbara.burns@adfa.edu.au BSc Wisconsin, PhD Cornel (USA)
Research Students:
Kenn Batt - Research Topic - The observation and modelling of the summer-time easterly over the ACT
Haikou Wang - Research Topic - Evaluation of insect monitoring radar technology for monitoring locust migrations in inland eastern Australia (submitted 2007)
Recent Graduate Students:
Dr James Carmondy - Deriving bathymetry from multispectral and hyperspectral imagery, MSc Thesis
Dr Timothy Dean - Development and evaluation of automated radar systems for monitoring and characterising echoes from insect targets, PhD Thesis
Recent Honours Student:
Michael Bradshaw - Remote sensing of boundary layer temperature and stability profiles, BSc Hons Thesis
Collaborators:
T. Deveson (Australian Plague Locust Commission, Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra)
Dr R. Hughes (Maritime Operations Division, DSTO)
Prof. M. Reeder (Centre for Dynamical Meteorology and Oceanography, Monash University)
Dr D. Reynolds (University of Greenwich, Chatham, UK and Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK)
Assoc. Prof. H. Sidhu (PEMS, UNSW@ADFA)
Dr M. Steinbauer (Australian Plague Locust Commission, Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra)
H. Wang (Australian Plague Locust Commission, Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra)
Normanton Races- Racing at Normanton while the Doppler acoustic wind profiler collects data in the background.
Image by Professor Michael Reeder of Monash University, September 2005.