(May 14, 2018) -- Firat Testik, professor of civil and environmental engineering at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), has received a three-year, $430,581 grant from the National Science Foundation to support his work about the microphysics of rainfall. Testik will use the funding to better understand the fundamental dynamics of raindrops, which could lead to better rainfall estimations and climate modeling in the future.
The average person is used to seeing a weather forecast on television based on radar data, which is used to measure the amount of rainfall in any single area. The technology works by sending directional pulses of microwave radiation that bounce off the raindrops and send signals back indicating the amount of rainfall.
“There are uncertainties and errors associated with weather radar,” Testik said. “This system relies on an assumption of the size distribution of raindrops, which is currently impossible to accurately predict. Our goal is to be able to better understand the size distribution and velocity of falling raindrops under different environmental conditions.”
Additionally, radar assumes all drops fall from the sky at terminal speeds. In a previous research project, Testik created an observation tool that allowed him to see that raindrops fall at different velocities and can have vastly different shapes and sizes than those assumed in radar estimations, which can affect attempts to predict the intensity of rainfall.
“This is very fundamental research, so it can have a vast array of applications,” he said. “In addition to improving weather radar predictions, this knowledge can be utilized for telecommunications applications to prevent their signals from being disrupted. It could even be applied to understand soil erosion over time.”
The central focus of Testik’s work going forward will be to better understand the collisions between raindrops as they fall from the sky. He’s previously noted that especially large drops break apart before they reach the ground, but often times will swallow many other drops on their way down.
“The idea is to have a comprehensive understanding of the way the wind and turbulence of a storm affects the motion of these drops,” Testik said. “Our current technology is only giving us its best guess when it estimates rainfall. We can do better, and with this new wider knowledge we will do better.”
Testik joined UTSA in 2015. He is the director of the UTSA Flow Physics Laboratory, which focus on the study of a wide range of natural and man-made flow problems in coastal, oceanic, atmospheric and overland environments.
Learn more about the UTSA Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
The UTSA Office of Undergraduate is proud to celebrate National Undergraduate Research with an annual event sponsored by the (OUR) featuring students will showcase undergraduate student research and creative endeavors from all disciplines across campus.
Various LocationsDía en la Sombrilla, formerly Fiesta UTSA, is a festival hosted each spring as a part of Fiesta® San Antonio events. Sponsored by Roadrunner Productions, the event features music, food, confetti, games, event t-shirts, and more.
Sombrilla Plaza and Central Plaza, Main CampusFiesta Arts Fair features contemporary art from more than 100 artists from across the U.S., Fiesta favorite foods, drinks, live music by local and regional performers, and a Young Artists Garden providing opportunities for budding artists to learn, explore and express their creativity.
UTSA Southwest CampusJoin the PEACE Center and Wellbeing Services for Denim Day, a day of learning about the importance of consent and why we wear denim on the last Wednesday of the month each April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Stop by our Denim Day display to take a photo in front of our Denim Wall, spin the "Is It Consent?" Wheel, and get a Concha or goodie.
Student Union Window Lounge, Main CampusLearn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.
Virtual EventThis event is to achnowlege the graduating seniors and induct the new cohart of scholars to our program.
North Paseo Building (NPB 5.140,) Main CampusCelebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.
AlamodomeThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.