Anne Nolin

Dr. Anne Nolin serves as Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Nevada, Reno, and contributes to the Graduate Program in Hydrologic Sciences. With three decades of expertise, she conducts pioneering research in snow hydrology and climate change impacts across global mountain systems from the Sierra Nevada to Greenland.

Education

• Ph.D. in Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara (1993)

Research Focus

Dr. Nolin investigates snow-forest-fire interactions, snowpack vulnerability in warming climates, and mountains as social-ecological systems. Her methodological approach integrates satellite remote sensing (MISR, InSAR), field measurements, and computational modeling to address critical questions about "at-risk" snow and glacier dynamics.

Publication Trends

Recent work (2023-2025) reveals strong emphasis on citizen science integration for precipitation phase detection, multi-sensor fusion (optical/radar) for snow water equivalent mapping, and transdisciplinary frameworks for mountain sustainability. Key themes include post-wildfire snow hydrology, atmospheric river impacts on snowpack, and accessible tools like SnowCloudMetrics for democratizing snow data.

Collaborative Leadership

• Co-leads NASA SnowEx field campaigns
• Principal investigator for Mountain Rain or Snow citizen science initiative
• Mentors graduate students in Geography and Hydrologic Sciences programs
• Active contributor to Mountain Sentinels Collaborative Network

Research Infrastructure

Directs the Computational Mountain Studies group and develops open-access platforms including SnowCloudMetrics and SnowCloudHydro, enabling community-driven snow data analysis. Her work bridges technical innovation with societal applications for water security in changing mountain environments.