Ben Martinez Ph.D. ’26
Recent doctoral graduate is redefining weather forecasting at the edge of space
Thunderstorms may seem far removed from satellites orbiting hundreds of miles above Earth. But for Ben Martinez, the connection between weather on the ground and conditions in near space is exactly what makes his research compelling.
Martinez studies how disturbances in Earth’s lower atmosphere ripple upward into the upper atmosphere and ionosphere — regions that influence GPS accuracy, satellite operations and communication systems.
After earning an undergraduate degree in astronomy from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, Martinez came to Clemson University intending to study black holes. Shortly after arriving, he was introduced to atmospheric and space physics research.
“I actually wasn’t really aware of that as a discipline of physics,” says Martinez, now a postdoctoral researcher at Utah State University. “Once I met (Clemson Department of Physics and Astronomy professors) Dr. Jens Oberheide and Dr. Xian Lu, and they told me about their research, I thought, ‘Oh, this is really cool.’”
He soon shifted his focus toward space weather and upper-atmosphere forecasting, drawn by research with direct real-world applications.
“It’s still space stuff,” Martinez says. “But I also like that I’m connected to the lower atmosphere too — weather down here. I was wanting to do something that was a bit more tangibly applicable to society.”
Martinez is currently part of a NASA mission involving an instrument mounted on the International Space Station. The instrument recently completed about two years of collecting data on atmospheric gravity waves in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere, layers of the upper atmosphere roughly 85 kilometers above Earth’s surface.
Those waves can originate much lower in the atmosphere. Thunderstorms, for example, push air upward, creating oscillations that propagate into the upper atmosphere and eventually affect the ionosphere, a region critical to satellite communication and navigation systems.
Martinez says scientists can observe how gravity waves generated by thunderstorms alter electron content in the ionosphere, an important measurement for GPS and satellite communications. The long-term goal is to improve space weather forecasting.
The work is becoming increasingly important as society grows more dependent on satellites and space-based technology. Changes in atmospheric density can create drag on satellites, while disturbances in the ionosphere can interfere with navigation systems and affect power infrastructure.
Martinez credits Clemson’s atmospheric physics group with preparing him for advanced research through hands-on experience.
“Clemson really does get you researching and producing meaningful results basically from day one,” says Martinez, who worked with scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado during his doctoral studies. “I feel like, compared to some of my peers, we come out of Clemson with a bit more experience.”
After completing his postdoctoral appointment at Utah State, Martinez plans to continue his research at the Naval Research Laboratory, where he hopes to develop forecasting models using machine-learning techniques.
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