 |
 |
 |
| Daphne S. Zaras |
Associate Researcher
Mesoscale Research and Applications Division
National Severe Storms Laboratory
NOAA Environmental Research Laboratories in Norman, OK
In 1990, Daphne Zaras earned
a B.A. in Physics with a minor in Mathematics at Anderson University in Anderson,
IN. She completed her M.S. in Atmospheric Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
in 1992.
Zaras began her career in meteorology at the National Severe Storms Laboratory.
She examines how satellite data can be used to analyze thunderstorms. In addition,
she works to integrate satellite data with radar and other kinds of data. Her
main project currently is the development of an algorithm to process satellite
data. The algorithm is designed to determine if thunderstorms are likely to
produce or be producing tornadoes or other severe weather.
On a typical day,
Daphne Zaras looks at the current and recent weather to see if there were any
severe weather events that could help to test her algorithm. Zaras says that "Any
given day on this project might include: 1) Deciding how to make the computer
do calculations which might provide information on storm severity and write that
code; 2) checking the output of the algorithm to make sure it's correct; 3) working
on the display of the output in another piece of software; 4) looking at the
output, the data, and the severe weather reports to decide if the code (and the
concept that it uses) was useful; 5) reading papers about what other researchers
have done, and thinking about whether or not I should retest their results with
the better data we have today, or implement what they discovered; and 6) writing
papers and making presentations about the work to share with others, both within
the NSSL and at national conferences. We are going to have National Weather Service
forecasters test this algorithm to evaluate how useful it is, so I will work
on training them in how to use it."
Daphne likes outdoor activities, such
as canoeing, hiking, camping, birding, exploring mountains (and other geographically
interesting areas), and gardening. She also enjoys watching storms, watercolor
painting, building things, playing with technology (such as a new computer),
photography, and getting together with friends for dinner, watching shows like
Star Trek, or just having a good time. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
