Research Statement

As a physical geographer, I have a strong background in geomorphology, rock weathering, mountain geography, and mountain weather / microclimate. Within these areas, my research specialty lies in connecting natural and physical process to landsurface texture. My most active research area rests in understanding at fine spatial and temporal scales the relationship between cloud-to-ground lightning and mountainous landscapes. This geomorphometric approach requires the precise measurement and mapping of the process (lightning activity) and the form (the underlying landscape surface characterized through digital elevation models (DEMs)). This body of work is relevant in mountain geography, research and operational meteorology, and risk assessment from a lightning avoidance / lightning vulnerability perspective. The research area extends GIS, geovisualization, geomorphometry, and an understanding of the role of fine-scale (< 1km) landsurface texture into meteorology. Another research area in which I am active centers on working with undergradate students, masters students, and a PhD student on a long-term environmental monitoring project that looks at kinematics of a rock glacier in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. This work is set in the context of climate change and involves working at high-altitudes with geoscience technologies that include drones, total station survey, and conductivity meters.