Melanie Engram

University of Alaska Fairbanks, M.Sc., May 2012. Interdisciplinary: Remote Sensing, GIS, Climate Change. College of Engineering and Mines. Advisor: Dr. Katey Walter Anthony. G.P.A.: 4.0. Thesis: Detecting Methane Ebullition in Winter From Alaskan Lakes Using Synthetic Aperture Radar Remote Sensing
University of Alaska Fairbanks, non-degree seeking, 1995-1998. Individual courses in Computer Science,GIS, and Remote Sensing G.P.A.: 4.0.
University of Alaska Fairbanks, Teachers Certificate, Secondary Generalist, cross-cultural emphasis.1987. G.P.A. : 3.78
Colgate University, BA. May 1981. Honors in Philosophy.
Foreign study: USSR Study Group 1979, Moscow, Leningrad.
President Colgate Debate Society 1980-81.
Foreign travel: Glasgow, Scotland 1981, contestant English Speaking World Debate Tournament

I use space borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) in a geospatial environment (GIS) to study lakes, methane emissions from lakes, and thermokarst activity in the Arctic and sub-Arctic.

Research & Professional Experience (selected)

Research Assistant, Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska, Fairbanks. (May 2012 – current) Research Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) remote sensing application to detect and quantify methane bubbles trapped by lake ice.
Student Research Assistant, Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Aug. 2008 – May 2012. Investigating Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) remote sensing parameters and establishing methodology to detect and quantify methane bubbles in thermokarst lakes.
Science Consultant, User Services Office, Alaska Satellite Facility (ASF), Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks. 2000-2008. SAR acquisition planning, near-real time processing coordination, assisted users with GIS analysis with SAR data processed with ASF SAR tools, special GIS projects.
Forestry Technician, Alaska State Forestry, Fairbanks Area. 1994-1999. Wildland fire dispatch, mapping, fire behavior indices, intelligence and logistics, GIS for timber management, wildland fire pre-planning, and fire suppression.
Elementary School Teacher, Unalaska City School. 1987 – 1989
Wildland Firefighter, Alaska State Forestry, Fairbanks Area. 1985-1993

Professional Organizations

Alaska Chapter IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society
American Permafrost Association
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
European Geosciences Union (EGU)

May 2009 First place winner, Americas ALOS Data Node (AADN) graduate student abstract competition.
Jan. 2004 Alaska Satellite Facility Certificate of Excellence, remote sensing SAR data scheduling, GIS analysis and emergency coordination with US Coast Guard for oil spill in Aleutian Islands due to grounding of ship Selendang Ayu.
Oct. 2002 National Ice Center (NIC) letter of appreciation for ship support with remote sensing SAR data
Nov. 1994 Alaska Commendation Medal from Governor Hickel for mapping work, 1994 Koyukuk River Flood Recovery Project

Publications

Engram, M. J., and Anthony, K. M. W. (2024), Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) detects large gas seeps in Alaska lakes, Environmental Research Letters, 19 (4) 0044034. http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ad2b2a
Engram, M., Meyer, F.J., Brown, D.R.N., Clement, S., Bondurant, A.C., Spellman, K.V., Oxtoby, L.E., & Arp, C.D. (2024). Detecting early winter open-water zones on Alaska rivers using dual-polarized C-band Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Remote Sensing of Environment, 305, 114096, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2024.114096
Engram, M., K. M. Walter Anthony, T. Sachs, K. Kohnert, A. Serafimovich, G. Grosse, and F. J. Meyer (2020), Remote sensing northern lake methane ebullition, Nature Climate Change, 10(6), 511-517, doi:10.1038/s41558-020-0762-8.
Engram, M., Arp, C.D., Jones, B.M., Ajadi, O.A., & Meyer, F.J. (2018). Analyzing floating and bedfast lake ice regimes across Arctic Alaska using 25 years of space-borne SAR imagery. Remote Sensing of Environment, 209, 660-676, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2018.02.022
Engram, M. (2018). Floating and bedfast lake ice regimes across Arctic Alaska using space-borne SAR imagery from 1992-2016. Shapefile dataset: National Science Foundation Arctic Data Center, https://doi.org/10.18739/A2FC5W
Engram, M., Anthony, K. W., Meyer, F. J., and Grosse, G. 2013: Characterization of L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) backscatter from floating and grounded thermokarst lake ice in Arctic Alaska, The Cryosphere, 7(6), 1741-1752.
Engram, M., Anthony, K. W., Meyer, F. J., and Grosse, G. 2012. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) backscatter response from methane ebullition bubbles trapped by thermokarst lake ice, Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing, 38(6), 667-682.
Walter, K. M., M. Engram, C. R. Duguay, M. O. Jeffries, and F. S. Chapin (2008), "The potential use of synthetic aperture radar for estimating methane ebullition from Arctic lakes", Journal of the American Water Research Association, 44(2):305-315.

Conferences

2023 In-person presentation at Alaska Section, American Water Resources Association, March 6-8, 2023 Anchorage, AK, “Detecting early winter open-water Zones on Alaska rivers using dual-polarized C-band Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR).
2022 In-person presentation and poster at 16^th International Circumpolar Remote Sensing Symposium, 16-20 May, 2022, Fairbanks, Alaska, “Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) detects large gas seep in Lake”.
2022 In-person presentation and poster at NASA ABoVE Science Team Meeting May 9-13, 2022, Fairbanks Alaska, “Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) detects large gas seep in Lake”.
2021 Virtual presentation at Committee on River Ice Processes and the Environment, August 31, 2021, “Fresh Eyes on River Ice in Alaska through Remote Sensing, field Studies, and Community-based Observations.” Online Virtual Meeting.
2018 In-person presentation at American Geophysical Union (AGU), Dec. 10, 2018, Washington DC. “Quantifying methane ebullition from northern lakes with space-borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)”.
2014 Technical paper presentation, Alaska Surveying and Mapping Conference, Fairbanks, Alaska, March 27, 2014. Alaska Geospatial analysis using SAR in Alaska: georeferencing and pixel value extraction, M. Engram.
2012 Invited posterSMAP/ICESat-2 Joint Mission Applications Tutorial, ASF & NASA. Fairbanks, Alaska. Characterization of L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Backscatter from Lake Ice. M. Engram and K. M. Walter Anthony.
2011 Oral presentation at American Geophysical Union (AGU), Quantifying methane ebullition in thermokarst lakes with space borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR)
2009 Technical paper presentation, 3rd Annual ALOS PI Symposium, Kona, HA, Nov. 12, 2009: Estimating methane ebullition from northern lakes using L-band SAR backscatter with comparison to C-band SAR, M. Engram
2006 Technical paper presentation, Alaska Surveying and Mapping Conference, Anchorage Feb. 15, 2006: Accuracy assessment of repeat-pass InSAR satellite data using GIS, M. Engram, R. Guritz
2007 Co-author for papers presented by others (full technical paper presentation) at professional conferences:

Annual Conference of the Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society, Sept. 11-14, 2007 Newcastle University, UK (presented by Mani Thomas): Near-real time application of SAR-derived sea ice differential motion during APLIS Ice Camp 2007, M. Thomas, C. A. Geiger, C. Kambhamettu, J. Hutchings, J. A. Richter-Menge, M. Engram

International Symposium on Advances in Geographic Information Systems in 2007 (ACM GIS 2007), Nov. 7-9, 2007 Seattle Washington, USA (presented by Mani Thomas): Near-real time motion analysis for APLIS 2007: A systems modeling perspective, M. Thomas, C. Kambhamettu, C. A. Geiger, J. Hutchings, M. Engram

Other Interests

Skiing, running, guitar, and bassoon. Melanie moved to Alaska in 1983, and has worked and lived in several rural settings around the state. She lives in Goldstream Valley with her husband and daughter.