Carbon Sequestration
Atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) has been steadily increasing in the past several decades. Associated effects on global climate patterns and the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems are of concern. One way to mitigate the increase in CO2 is to remove it from the atmosphere by increasing the amount of carbon (C) stored (sequestered) in soil.
Climate Assessment
Timely and reliable climate information is critical to improving our ability to more effectively manage climate variability. The faculty and staff of the Applied Climate Science (ACS) group of SNR are actively involved in research in a number of different areas.
Climate Variability
The earth's climate has always been changing. Only the rate of the change differed from time to time, showing variations of very different temporal scales in the climate system.
Crop Simulation
Crop simulation modeling is a powerful scientific tool that can be used to explore several avenues of research in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Processes in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum occur at the electron level over the smallest of time scales.
Drought
Research and outreach activities on drought planning and mitigation are conducted largely through the National Drought Mitigation Center's (NDMC) program, located in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The NDMC's mission is to lessen societal vulnerability to drought through a risk-based management approach.
Instrumentation
Instrumentation deals with the broad topic of sensors that measure the properties of the atmosphere. In our particular case, we are focused on the lower boundary layer of the atmosphere and the underlying surfaces, both vegetation and soils.
Micrometeorology
Micrometeorology is the study of the meteorology near the ground, generally defined within the first few meters above the earth's surface in which plants and animals live. Microclimate deals with the long-term averages of micrometeorological variables as well as their seasonal and annual changes.
Remote Sensing
Remote sensing can assist in the estimation of vegetation and its characteristics and productivity. In addition, because of the link between remote sensing and vegetation biophysical properties, remote sensing can serve an essential role in estimating exchanges of energy, carbon dioxide, and water vapor between the atmosphere and vegetation.
Severe Storms
Nebraska, because of its location near the center of the continental 48 states and the heart of the Great Plains, experiences a wide variety of weather ranging from winter blizzards to spring and summer tornadoes. Our location provides an ideal opportunity to conduct field-oriented severe storms research.
Water Balance
Water balance is re-emerging as an area important to a better understanding of man's influences on the climate. This is because the energy available at the earth's surface must generally go into evaporation or sensible heat.