natalia Galin
Fulbright Postgraduate Scholar in Science and Engineering sponsored by BHP Billiton
“Antarctic sea ice and its snow cover are integral components of the global climate system, yet their thickness and variability are poorly understood and their representation in global climate models is poor.”
Natalia Galin has won the 2008 Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship in Science and Engineering sponsored by BHP Billiton. Natalia is currently working towards a PhD in Geophysics, Remote Sensing at the University of Tasmania (UTas) and with her Fulbright Scholarship will continue her research at the Centre for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas and NASA/Goddard Space Flight Centre in Maryland.
Natalia’s research aims to bring together geophysics and radar engineering to develop an airborne radar capable of measuring the depth of the snow cover on Antarctic sea ice.
“The Polar regions play a key role in the Earth’s climate system, with sea ice having a major influence on ocean-atmosphere interaction and ocean circulation,” explains Natalia. “The bright surface of the sea ice reflects incoming solar radiation back into space that would otherwise be absorbed by the ocean, while the thickness of ice determines how effectively the ocean is insulated from the cold atmosphere. The addition of snow to the surface of the sea ice compounds many climate processes and can have a dramatic effect on the heat-exchange between the ocean and atmosphere.”
Satellites using laser or radar altimetry are currently used to estimate sea ice thickness – difficult when up to 90 per cent of the sea ice can be submerged. To date, no accurate method to remotely estimate snow thickness exits. Natalia’s research will help develop a new airborne radar that can be flown over sea ice areas and accurately measure snow cover thickness. This will greatly improve the accuracy of sea ice studies and consequently, our understanding of the global climate system.
“CReSIS is a world-wide leader in polar remote sensing and attracts a wide network of partner universities all contributing and working towards the same goal of a greater understanding the role of Polar regions in the Earth’s climate,” explains Natalia. “With CReSIS contributing the radar engineering expertise and University of Tasmania the practical and experimental knowledge of snow, we hope to tackle this task.”
Natalia work also has the potential to assist in the development of new radar tools and satellite sensors equipped with more accurate instrumentation, and the potential to estimate other physical properties of snow.
Natalia is a graduate in Electrical Engineering with First Class Honours from the University of New South Wales. Throughout her academic career she has been recognised with a wide range of research and industry scholarships and awards for excellence, and is currently completing her PhD through an Australian Postgraduate Award and a UTas Scholarship.