 |
 |
| UNIVERSITY EDUCATION : Faculty | Courses | Fellowships | Students | Graduates | Partners |
|
a few recent graduates |
Molly Mcallister, M.S.Advisor: Konrad Steffen, Geography Cyclone Occurrence in the Arctic 1963-2002: Impacts on Greenland Ice Sheet Melt Cycles 1979-2002Does a relationship exist between cyclone frequencies in the North Atlantic and the dominant index of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)? Do cyclones influence melt area on the Greenland ice sheet? This thesis work has explored these two questions through the analysis of NCEP/NCAR sea level pressure data spanning the period 1963-2002, passive microwave melt data spanning the period 1979-2002, and the derived NAO index for the respective time periods and focusing on the months April-October. Through correlation analysis and case studies it has been determined that the NAO is directly related to cyclone frequency but not as strongly to melt area. Melt area on the Greenland ice sheet is affected greatly by cyclones that originate in the lower latitudes and are accompanied by strong temperature gradients. |
