Background

I completed a 4 year Bachelor of Science honours degree in Geography at the University of Victoria, in British Columbia, Canada in 2006. My studies focused on GIS, and spatial statistics, and lead directly into a fully funded Master of Science with the department the following September. During my MSc studies, I was awarded the Derrick Sewell Graduate Scholarship in both 2006 and 2007, as well as two paper presentation awards at national conferences in Ottawa and Saskatoon. My MSc research focused on spatial-temporal aspects of snow water equivalence (amount of water stored in a snow pack), and spatial-temporal analysis methods in general, and I successfully defended my thesis in the summer of 2008.
Prior to completing my MSc thesis, I was successful in obtaining ISSP funding through the NCG and NIRSA under the general banner of landscapes of change in Ireland. This lead to additional funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for studies abroad. I have now been a PhD fellow with NCG/NIRSA at NUIM since September 2008.

PhD Research

Understanding residential choice through spatial patterns of commuting.
Journey to work behaviour is widely cited as one of the most appropriate indicators of local labour market dimensions. In addition, an understanding of commuting patterns benefits researchers and policy makers interested in examining the dynamics of commuting and employment. In order to properly understand the choices a commuter makes and the implications that this has on the local labour market, comprehensive models of travel to work behaviour based on a range of relevant variables need to be developed. My research will draw upon theories of spatial choice, perception, and cognition in order to explain the patterns of commuting in Ireland. This research is funded in part by the ISSP, StratAG, and SSHRC, and is being completed under the supervision of Prof. Stewart Fotheringham.

MSc Research

Spatial time-series analysis of satellite derived snow water equivalence
My MSc research focused primarily on examining the spatial-temporal characteristics of snow water equivalence (SWE) in Canada, and comparing these characteristics to known or hypothesized climate and ecological processes. The spatial and temporal distribution of terrestrial snow cover has implications for many ecological processes, such as local snowmelt release, local and global atmospheric circulation, as well as climate, and hydrological cycles. The sensitivity of terrestrial snow cover and SWE to atmospheric conditions and overlying air temperatures also makes snow cover a useful indicator of climate change. Thus, examining the spatial distribution of terrestrial snow cover and SWE over time aides in understanding current and future trends in changing climate conditions. Our research links the spatial-temporal interactions of SWE to underlying land-cover characteristics, as well as generates relevant temporal characteristics from SWE time-series’ in order to explain the dominant SWE regimes across Canada.

In addition to its broad implications for climate change research in general, this research also has implications for use in a national biodiversity monitory system for Canada, driven by remote sensing of multiple indicators of biodiversity. These indicators include productivity, disturbance, topography, and land-cover, of which terrestrial snow cover and SWE play an integral part.

Please email me at Carson_dot_Farmer_at_nuim_dot_ie if you would like to obtain a copy of my MSc thesis.