RESEARCH

MY RESEARCH PROGRAM

The common theme within my work focuses on how the atmosphere interacts with the Earth's surface in a physical sense so we can better understand the weather and climate processes that drive the weather/climate system. The planetary boundary layer (PBL) is the interface between the surface and free atmosphere, thus, PBL processes are critical when coupling the surface and atmosphere. Processes that involve heat (energy) and mass transfer (in the vertical and horizontal) in the PBL are directly responsible for low level cloud and precipitation development. Cloud and precipitation are two key climate elements. The interaction between the PBL and free atmosphere can also dictate the extent to which cloud and precipitation forms, including various types of severe weather.

I use field measurements and numerical modeling to better understand the processes and interactions discussed above.

  • Field measurements consist of ground-based / satellite-based remote sensing along with rawinsondes for atmospheric profiling and examining cloud characteristics as well as meteorological stations that measure basic state variables and surface energy balance (SEB) characteristics.
  • A variety of numerical models are used in-house and in collaboration with other researchers including GEM-LAM (Canadian mesoscale atmospheric model), WRF (a U.S. mesoscale atmospheric model), and one-dimensional column models.


A combination of field measurements, remote sensing and numerical modeling are used to:

  1. understand the coupled nature of weather and climate processes;
  2. ensure the models simulate the environment properly (model validation);
  3. improve the physical processes within the models (process parameterizations).


Mid-Latitude Research

A major drawback in numerical models of the atmosphere and climate models is their representation of PBL and surface-atmosphere interaction processes; for example, boundary layer and convective cloud/precipitation development. Research in this part of Canada primarily focuses on warm season processes, including: (1) boundary layer and convective cloud development, (2) severe thunderstorm development, and (3) surface controls on (1) and (2) via evapotranspiration and mesoscale circulations..

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REFEREED PUBLICATIONS (past 6 years)

JOURNALS

J. Brimelow, K. Szeto, B. Bonsal, J. Hanesiak, B. Kochtubajda, F. Evans and R. Stewart, 2014: Hydroclimatic aspects of the 2011 Assiniboine River Basin Flood, J. Hydrometeorol. (accepted).

Curry, M., J. Hanesiak and D. Sills, 2014: A radar-based investigation of lake breezes in southern Manitoba, Canada, Atmos-Ocean (accepted).

Brimelow, J.C., R.E. Stewart, J.M. Hanesiak, B. Kochtubajda, K. Szeto and B. Bonsal, 2014: Characterization and assessment of the devastating natural hazards across the Canadian Prairie Provinces from 2009 to 2011, Nat. Hazards, DOI 10.1007/s11069-014-1107-6.

Fargey, S., W. Henson, J.M. Hanesiak and R. Goodson, 2014: Characterization of an unexpected snowfall event in Iqaluit, Nunavut and surrounding area during the Storm Studies in the Arctic field project, JGR-Atmospheres, 119(9), 5492-5511.

Fargey, S., J. Hanesiak, R. Stewart, W. Strapp and M. Wolde, 2014: Aircraft observations of orographic cloud and precipitation features over southern Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, Atmos.-Ocean, 52, 54-76.

Hanesiak, J., J.C. Brimelow, A. Zadra, R. Goodson and G. Liu, 2013: Structure and predictive skill of strong northeasterly wind events using a limited area numerical weather prediction model at Iqaluit, Canada, Tellus A, 65, 19782, http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/tellusa.v65i0.19782.

Brimelow, J., J. Hanesiak, B. Burrows, 2011: Impacts of land-atmosphere feedbacks on deep, moist convection on the Canadian Prairies, Earth Interactions, 13 (No. 31), 1-29, DOI: 10.1175/2011EI407.1

Hanesiak and many authors, 2011: Characterization and summary of the 1999-2005 drought, DRI Special Issue, Atmos.-Ocean, 49, 421-452.

Brimelow, J., J. Hanesiak, B. Burrows, 2011: On the surface-convection feedback during drought periods on the Canadian Prairies, Earth Interactions, 15, 1-26, doi: 10.1175/2010E1381.1.

Taylor, N.M., D.M.L. Sills, J. Hanesiak, J.A. Milbrandt, C.D. Smith, G. Strong, S. Skone, P.J. McCarthy and J.C. Brimelow, 2011: The Understanding Severe Thunderstorms and Alberta Boundary Layers Experiment (UNSTABLE) 2008: Overview and Preliminary Results, Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 92, 739-763.

Hanesiak, J., M. Melsness and R.L. Raddatz, 2010: Observed and Modeled Growing Season Diurnal Precipitable Water Vapour in South-Central Canada, J. Appl. Meteorol. and Clim., 49, 2301-2314.

Hanesiak, J.M., R. Stewart, P. Taylor, G.W.K. Moore, D.G. Barber, G. McBean, W. Strapp, M. Wolde, R. Goodson, E. Hudson, D. Hudak, J. Scott, G. Liu, J. Gilligan, S. Biswas, D. Desjardins, R. Dyck, S. Fargey, R. Field, G. Gascon, M. Gordon, H. Greene, C. Hay, W. Henson, K. Hochheim, A. Laplante, R. Martin, M. Albarran-Melzer, S. Zhang, 2010: Storm Studies in the Arctic (STAR), Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 91, 47-68.

Deacu, D., A. Zadra and J. Hanesiak, 2010: Simulating Wind Channeling over Frobisher Bay and its Interaction with DownslopeWinds during the 7-8 November 2006 Wind Event, Atmos-Ocean., 48, 101-121.

Gordon, M., S. Biswas, P.A. Taylor, J. Hanesiak, M. Melzer and S. Fargey, 2010: Measurements of Drifting and Blowing Snow at Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada during the STAR Project, Atmos.-Ocean., 48, 81-100.

Brimelow, J.C., J.M. Hanesiak, R.L. Raddatz and M. Hayashi, 2010: Validation of ET estimates from the Canadian prairie agrometeorological model for contrasting vegetation types and growing seasons. Can. J. Water Res., 35(2), 209–230.

Brimelow, J.C., J.M. Hanesiak, and R.L. Raddatz, 2010: Validation of the Canadian prairie agrometeorological model and an examination of its sensitivity to soil hydraulic parameters using ensembles. Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 150, 100-114, doi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2009.09.006.

Hanesiak, J., A. Tat and R.L. Raddatz, 2009: Initial Soil Moisture as a Predictor of Subsequent Summer Severe Weather in the Cropped Grassland of the Canadian Prairie Provinces, Intl J. Climatology, 29(6), 899-909 DOI: 10.1002/joc.1743

Woodbury, A.D., J.M. Hanesiak, A.H. Bhuiyan and W. Akinremi, 2009: Observations of northern latitude ground-surface and surface-air temperatures, Geophysical Research Letters, 36, L07703, doi:10.1029/2009GL037400

Raddatz, R.L. and J.M. Hanesiak, 2008: Significant Summer Rainfall in the Canadian Prairie Provinces: Modes and Mechanisms 2000 – 2004, Intl J. Climatology, 28(12), 1607-1613, DOI: 10.1002/joc.1670

 

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