Is the air in Mobile safer before or after a hurricane? In terms of air quality, is it healthier to jog at 6:00 AM or during Mobile rush-hour traffic? A handful of ASMS physics students have embarked on a three-year study to answer these and other air-quality and weather-related questions. Under the auspices of physics instructors Dr. Garvin Wattuhewa and Dr. Donald Wheeler, these students have constructed two autonomous, solar-powered, weather stations that will measure wind speed and direction, air temperature, rainfall, sunlight intensity, ground moisture, and particulate concentration in Mobile’s atmosphere. In addition, the devices will allow students to also study how electric fields change as thunderstorms approach and pass over the city. “There is so much data that can be collected using these devices,” says Wattuhewa. “The hard part will be narrowing down which direction we should pursue. However, it is important to remember that the goal of this project is to teach these students how to successfully conduct scientific research.” The devices, a combination of instruments and panels set atop a metal tripod, will be set up in two locations in Mobile, one being on the ASMS campus along Dauphin Street. However, if necessary, the devices can be moved to collect data from various locations.
The devices can also be modified to study and gather other types of information. “That is the great thing about these machines,” says Wheeler. “They are totally customizable. If a student is really interested in pursuing a specific research angle, there are so many instruments we can attach to these machines.” “We’d never get to work on a project like this at our other high schools,” says ASMS junior Kalen Terry. “This is an advanced research project and I’m happy to have the opportunity to work on it.” Along with Terry, Charles Hoequist, Mike Zhang, Brad Pansing, Robert Jefferson, William Nobel, and Kevin Beale have been working on this project since they were sophomores. They will continue working on the project next year, their senior year. Eventually, the hope is that the research will lead to findings that could be published in a scientific journal. According to Wattuhewa, the first round of research data will be collected and analyzed in the spring of 2007. |
