GeoResources Institute Researcher a second year EIGS/NASA Fellow

February 2, 2005

Valentine Anantharaj, Research Associate III in the GeoResources Institute, is currently enrolled in the Computational Engineering Ph.D. program at Mississippi State University. He holds a B.Sc. in Physics and M.S. in Meteorology. Valentine is a second year EIGS/NASA Fellow.

Working under the direction of Dr. Roger King, the primary objective of Valentine's project "Application of MODIS Data to Improve Land Surface Parameterization in Mesoscale Numerical Weather Production Models," is to understand how data from NASA's MODIS sensors can be incorporated into the COAMPS numerical weather prediction (NWP) model. The MODIS multi-temporal observations help determine what land use and land cover (LULC) changes in the earth have occurred over time; and when and where they happen. This information can be used in the COAMPS model in the parameterization of the exchange of energy, moisture, and momentum between the earth's atmosphere and the biosphere. These improvements in the weather forecast information can benefit the U.S. agricultural and energy industry. Valentine presented the preliminary results of his research during a poster session at the International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (IGARSS) Conference, September 2004.

You may contact Valentine at val@gri.msstate.edu.