Zachary Fair
Ph.D. Candidate
Education:
M.S., Climate & Space Science and Engineering
University of Michigan (2018)
B.S., Meteorology
Minor, Physics
North Carolina State University (2015)
Research Interests: ^top
- Remote sensing and laser altimetry
- Glacier/snowpack hydrology
- Data validation and assessment
- Atmosphere-cryosphere interactions
- Radiative transfer
Research Synopsis
My research emphasizes remote sensing of the cryosphere. Currently, I have a particular interest in the assessment of remote sensing retrieval techniques. I recently completed a project analyzing the effects of impurities and solar geometry on the retrieval of snowpack properties. I am now performing validation work for the Ice, Clouds, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) mission. This work utilizes airborne lidar, satellite altimetry, and airborne hyperspectral data to examine the effects of snow on ICESat-2 surface height measurements.
Biography: ^top
I am a fifth year Ph.D. student currently working under Dr. Mark Flanner. Before my graduate studies, I was a student at NC State University for meteorology. There, I focused on aerosols and photochemistry before transitioning to radiative transfer and remote sensing.
I have performed additional work at NASA Langley Research Center as an intern for the Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) and Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) missions.
In addition to conducting research, I have an interest in teaching and science communication.
Professional Service: ^top
- Co-President for the Graduate and Undergraduate Student Organization (GUStO), 2019-2020
- Member of American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- Member of American Meteorological Society (AMS)
Awards: ^top
- NASA Earth and Space Science Fellow, 2017-2020
- NCSU Dean’s List, 2013-2015
- Carolinas Air Pollution Control Association Scholarship, 2015-2016
Publications: ^top
Fair, Z., M. Flanner, K. M. Brunt, H. A. Fricker, A. S. Gardner, (2020). Using ICESat-2 and Operation IceBridge altimetry for supraglacial lake depth retrievals. The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2020-136, in review.