Department of Earth Sciences
Millersville Meteorology Celebrates 30 Years of Research
recent student projects
2025-2026
Josh Contrucci: Radar Studies Utilizing the MU Climavision Radar
Becky Butterfield: Tropical Cyclone Flooding in Appalachia
Austin Carroll: Tropical Cyclone Teleconnections
Tim August: Baroclinic and Barotropic Atmospheric Models Study
Niko Omiridis: Tropical Cyclone Air-Sea Interaction
Austin Stankus: Tropical Cyclones and Tornadogenesis
2024-2025
Mark Battle: NEXRAD Radar Gaps and Impacts on Meteorology and Emergency Management Communities
Alex Sullivan: The Utility of X-Band Radars in the Refinements of QPEs
Eliza Fries: A study of ENSO and Potential Impacts on the South Dakota Fire Weather Season
2023-2024
Ryan Argenti, Rhiannon Cahoe, Gabe Keller, Gabe Pena, Anthony Haberman, Grace Dauch, Jacob Biondo: Thermodynamic Investigation of LCL Thresholds at Tornadogenesis and its Influence in the Northeast and Great Plains (TILTTING)
Josh Kinsky: A Climatological Survey of NE Winter Storms
Alex Massa: Pollution in Western and Southern Africa
Victoria McPeek: A Study of Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and Potential Impacts on Tropical Storm Activity
Hannah Warner: A Study of Hazardous Weather Messaging
Alison Krantz: Tornado Generated Fire Vortices
Keelie Steiner: Study of Aerosols and Atmospheric Chemistry
VALIDATION OF SODAR/RASS MEASUREMENTS WITH RAWINDSONDE RETRIEVALS
From 2018-2023, Millersville faculty and students conducted a series of rawinsonde launches over the course of 2-3 days for the purpose of validating the wind and virtual temperatures measurements obtained by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) using a Scintec Acoustic SODAR system with a RASS extension. Typically, three meteorology students from Millersville University assisted the ACHD with a research initiative involving Sound Detection and Ranging (SODAR) observations and Radio Acoustic Sounding System (RASS) retrievals with rawinsonde measurements in Clairton, Pennsylvania. Under the direction of faculty members Drs. Greg Blumberg and Richard Clark, as well as Weather Center Director Kyle Elliott, the students launched weather balloons to validate the on-site SODAR measurement - a requirement of the EPA. A radiosonde, or instrument used to transmit pressure, temperature, and relative humidity measurements at various levels of the atmosphere, was attached to each balloon. When a radiosonde is tracked so that wind speed and direction measurements are also provided, it is called a rawinsonde observation. The data was used to better understand the changes in the diurnal transition of the planetary boundary layer in the Monongahela Valley and its impact on the transport of pollutants.