Dr. Heymsfield has conducted research on convective systems and hurricanes using a variety of observational tools with emphasis on radar and satellites. He has been the PI for the 9.6 GHz ER-2 X-band Radar (EXRAD), the 94 GHz Cloud Radar System (CRS), the High-altitude Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (HIWRAP), and ER-2 X-band Radar since their inception. He has participated in over 25 field programs in various functions such as co-Mission Scientist, Mission Scientist, and instrument scientist. He was recently Deputy P.I. for the NASA EVS-3 IMPACTS Mission to study East Coast winter storms. Dr. Heymsfield’s current science activities are focused on process studies dealing with tropical, mid-latitude, and wintertime precipitation using the ER-2 airborne radar systems. Dr. Heymsfield has received numerous NASA group awards, various Goddard Space Flight Center awards, the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal, the NASA Exceptional Technology Acievement Medal, and he is a Fellow of the American Meteorolgical Society.
Gerald M Heymsfield
((AST, METEOROLOGICAL STUDIES))
| Email: | gerald.m.heymsfield@nasa.gov |
| Phone: | 301.614.6369 |
| Org Code: | 612 |
| Address: |
NASA/GSFC Mail Code 612 Greenbelt, MD 20771 |
| Employer: | EMERITUS |
Missions & Projects
Brief Bio
Positions/Employment
Research Associate
University of Chicago - Chicago, IL
September 1976 - May 1979
Research Meteorologist
Goddard Space Flight Center - Greenbelt, MD
April 1979 - May 2024
Emeritus
Goddard Space Flight Center/ Laboratory for Mesoscale Processes - Code 612, Greenbelt, MD
May 2024 - Present
Education
M.S.- 1972 - Geophysical Sciences - The University of Chicago
B.A. - 1971 - Physics and Mathematics - State University of New York College at Fredonia
Professional Societies
American Meteorological Society
Fellow
1976 - Present
American Geophysical Union
Member
1985 - Present
Awards
1995 NASA/RHG: Exceptional Achievement Award
2001 GSFC Lab. for Atmospheres: Outstanding Leadership Peer Award
2008 NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal
2017 NASA/RHG: Exceptional Achievement for Science – High Altitude Radar Team
2019 NASA/RHG Award: EVS-3 GSFC PI Lead
2023 NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal
2023 NASA/Robert H Goddard Group Award: Exceptional Achievement for Engineering – IMPACTS Microwave Teams
2024 NASA Group Achievement Award: Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast Threatening Snowstorms
Special Experience
U.S. Patents
G. M. Heymsfield and L. Miller, 1994: "Method for Ambiguity Resolution in Range-Doppler Measurements", Patent Number 5,276,453.
L. Li, M. McLinden, M. Coon, G. Heymsfield, and V. Venkatesh, 2019: “Frequency Diversity Pulse Pair Determination for Mitigation of Radar Range-Doppler Ambiguity,” Patent Number 10,317,521.
M. McLinden, L. Li., G. M. Heymsfield, 2023: “Remote Sensing Atmospheric Pressure Profiles Through Combined Radar and/or Radiometer Measurements,” Patent Number 11,747,514.
Selected Publications
Refereed
2024. "Observing System Simulation Experiments Exploring Potential Spaceborne Deployment Options for a Differential Absorption Radar Measuring Marine Surface Pressures." Earth and Space Science 11 (10): [10.1029/2024ea003791] [Journal Article/Letter]
2024. "Sea surface barometry with an O2 differential absorption radar: retrieval algorithm development and simulation." Frontiers in Remote Sensing 5 [10.3389/frsen.2024.1399839] [Journal Article/Letter]
2024. "Supercooled Liquid Water at the Top of a Snow-Producing Nimbostratus Cloud and Its Association with Gravity-Wave Breaking and Turbulence During IMPACTS." Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres [Journal Article/Letter]
2023. "Impacts of marine surface pressure observations from a spaceborne differential absorption radar investigated with an observing system simulation experiment." Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology 40 897-918 [10.1175/JTECH-D-22-0088.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2023. "Simulations of sea surface reflection for V-band O2 differential 1 absorption radar barometry." Frontiers in Remote Sensing 4 [https://doi.org/10.3389/frsen.2023.1105627] [Journal Article/Letter]
2022. "Chasing Snowstorms: The Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms (IMPACTS) Campaign." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society [10.1175/bams-d-20-0246.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2021. "Hydraulic jump dynamics above supercell thunderstorms." Science 373 (6560): 1248-1251 [10.1126/science.abh3857] [Journal Article/Letter]
2021. "Remote Sensing of Electric Fields Observed Within Winter Precipitation During the 2020 Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast‐Threatening Snowstorms (IMPACTS) Field Campaign." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 126 (16): [10.1029/2021jd034704] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "Reducing Errors in Velocity-Azimuth Display (VAD) Wind and Deformation Retrievals from Airborne Doppler Radars in Convective Environments." Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology 2251–2266 [https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-20-0034.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "The Dynamics of Vortex Rossby Waves and Secondary Eyewall Development in Hurricane Matthew (2016): New Insights from Radar Measurements." Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences 77 2349-2374 [10.1175/JAS-D-19-0284.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2017. "Concentric Eyewall Asymmetries in Hurricane Gonzalo (2014) Observed by Airborne Radar." Monthly Weather Review 145 729 - 749 [Journal Article/Letter]
2016. "NASA’s Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) Investigation." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 97 (11): 2085-2102 [10.1175/BAMS-D-15-00186.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2016. "The Rapid Intensification of Hurricane Karl (2010): New Remote Sensing Observations of Convective Bursts from the Global Hawk Platform." Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences 73 3617 - 3639 [10.1175/JAS-D-16-0026.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2016. "The Rapid Intensification of Hurricane Karl (2010): New Remote Sensing Observations of Convective Bursts from the Global Hawk Platform." Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences 73 (9): 3617-3639 [10.1175/jas-d-16-0026.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2016. "The Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E)." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society [10.1175/BAMS-D-14-00228.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2016. "The NASA High-Altitude Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler." IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing 54 (1): 298-310 [10.1109/tgrs.2015.2456501] [Journal Article/Letter]
2015. "Reduced Image Aliasing With Microwave Radiometers and Weather Radar Through Windowed Spatial Averaging." IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing 53 (12): 6639-6649 [10.1109/tgrs.2015.2445100] [Journal Article/Letter]
2015. "A prototype hail detection algorithm and hail climatology developed with the advanced microwave sounding unit (AMSU)." Atmospheric Research 163 24-35 [10.1016/j.atmosres.2014.08.010] [Journal Article/Letter]
2015. "Velocity–Azimuth Display Analysis of Doppler Velocity for HIWRAP." Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology 54 (8): 1792-1808 [10.1175/jamc-d-14-0054.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2015. "The Coplane Analysis Technique for Three-Dimensional Wind Retrieval Using the HIWRAP Airborne Doppler Radar." J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol. 54 (3): 605–623 [10.1175/JAMC-D-14-0203.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2014. "Ensemble Kalman Filter Assimilation of HIWRAP Observations of Hurricane Karl (2010) from the Unmanned Global Hawk Aircraft." Mon. Wea. Rev. 142 (12): 4559-4580 [10.1175/MWR-D-14-00042.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2014. "The Dual Wavelength Ratio Knee: A Signature of Multiple Scattering in Airborne Ku-Ka Observations." J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol. 53 (7): 1790–1808 [10.1175/JAMC-D-13-0341.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2014. "Understanding the Relationships between Lightning, Cloud Microphysics, and Airborne Radar-Derived Storm Structure during Hurricane Karl (2010)." Mon. Weather Rev. 142 (2): 590-605 [10.1175/MWR-D-13-00008.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2014. "Wind Retrieval Algorithms for the IWRAP and HIWRAP Airborne Doppler Radars with Applications to Hurricanes." Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology 31 (6): 1189-1215 [10.1175/JTECH-D-13-00140.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2013. "NASA's Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) Field Experiment." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 94 (3): 345-363 [10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00232.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2013. "Airborne Radar Observations of Severe Hailstorms: Implications for Future Spaceborne Radar." Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology 52 (8): 1851-1867 [10.1175/JAMC-D-12-0144.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2013. "Utilizing Versatile Transmission Waveforms to Mitigate Pulse-Compression Range Sidelobes With the HIWRAP Radar." IEEE Geosci. Remote Sensing Lett. 10 (6): 1365-1368 [10.1109/LGRS.2013.2241729] [Journal Article/Letter]
2012. "Simulations of Infrared Radiances over a Deep Convective Cloud System Observed during TC4: Potential for Enhancing Nocturnal Ice Cloud Retrievals." Remote Sensing 4 (10): 3022-3054 [10.3390/rs4103022] [Journal Article/Letter]
2012. "Ice hydrometeor profile retrieval algorithm for high-frequency microwave radiometers: Application to the CoSSIR instrument during TC4." Atmospheric Measurement Techniques 5 2277-2306 [Journal Article/Letter]
2010. "Apparent absorption of solar spectral irradiance in heterogeneous ice clouds." J. Geophys. Res. 115 (D10): D00J22 [10.1029/2009JD013124] [Journal Article/Letter]
2010. "Characteristics of Deep Tropical and Subtropical Convection from Nadir-Viewing High-Altitude Airborne Doppler Radar." Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences 67 (2): 285-308 [10.1175/2009JAS3132.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2010. "LASE Measurements of Water Vapor, Aerosol, and Cloud Distributions in Saharan Air Layers and Tropical Disturbances." Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences 67 (4): 1026-1047 [10.1175/2009JAS3136.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2010. "Multiscale Observations of Hurricane Dennis (2005): The Effects of Hot Towers on Rapid Intensification." J. Atmos. Sci. 67 (3): 633-654 [10.1175/2009JAS3119.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2010. "A Study of Cirrus Ice Particle Size Distribution Using TC4 Observations." J Atmos Sci 67 (1): 195–216 [10.1175/2009JAS3114.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2009. "Microphysics of Maritime Tropical Convective Updrafts at Temperatures from −20° to −60°." J Atmos Sci 66 (12): 3530-3562 [10.1175/2009JAS3107.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2009. "Measurements and Simulations of Nadir-Viewing Radar Returns from the Melting Layer at X and W Bands." J Appl Meteor Climat 48 (11): 2215-2226 [10.1175/2009JAMC2033.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2009. "The Saharan Air Layer and the Fate of African Easterly Waves—NASA's AMMA Field Study of Tropical Cyclogenesis." Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc. 90 (8): 1137-1156 [10.1175/2009BAMS2728.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2009. "On the importance of small ice crystals in tropical anvil cirrus." Atmos. Chem. Phys. 9 (15): 5519-5537 [10.5194/acp-9-5519-2009] [Journal Article/Letter]
2008. "Validation and determination of ice water content-radar reflectivity relationships during CRYSTAL-FACE: Flight requirements for future comparisons." J. Geophys. Res. 113 (D5): D05208 [10.1029/2007JD008847] [Journal Article/Letter]
2008. "Retrieval of Snow and Rain From Combined X- and W-Band Airborne Radar Measurements." IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sensing 46 (5): 1514-1524 [10.1109/TGRS.2008.916079] [Journal Article/Letter]
2007. "Retrieval of raindrop size distribution vertical air velocity and water vapor attenuation using dual-wavelength Doppler radar observations." J Geophys Res 112 (D11): D11211 [Journal Article/Letter]
2007. "NASA's Tropical Cloud Systems and Processes (TCSP) Experiment: Investigating Tropical Cyclogenesis and Hurricane Intensity Change." Bull Amer Meteor Soc 88 867-882 [Journal Article/Letter]
2007. "Properties of light stratiform rain derived from 10- and 94-GHz airborne Doppler radars measurements." J. Geophys. Res. 112 (D11): D11211 [10.1029/2006JD008144] [Journal Article/Letter]
2006. "Classification of Tropical Oceanic Precipitation using High-Altitude Aircraft Microwave and Electric Field Measurements." J Atmos Sci 63 (1): 218-233 [10.1175/JAS3606.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2006. "A numerical study of Hurricane Erin (2001). Part I: Model Verification and Storm Evolution." J Atmos Sci 63 (1): 65-86 [10.1175/JAS3597.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2006. "Factors affecting the evolution of Hurricane Erin and distributions of hydrometeors: role of microphysical processes." J Atmos Sci 63 (1): 127-150 [Journal Article/Letter]
2006. "Structure of the highly sheared Tropical Storm Chantal during CAMEX-4." J Atmos Sci 63 (1): 268-287 [Journal Article/Letter]
2006. "Warm core structure of Hurricane Erin diagnosed from high-altitude dropsondes during CAMEX-4." J Atmos Sci 63 (1): 127-150 [Journal Article/Letter]
2005. "Cirrus cloud optical, microphysical, and radiative properties observed during the CRYSTAL-FACE experiment: A lidar-radar retrieval system." J. Geophys. Res. 110 (D9): D09208 [10.1029/2004JD005605] [Journal Article/Letter]
2005. "Ice cloud retrievals and analysis with the Compact Scanning Submillimeter Imaging Radiometer and the Cloud Radar System during CRYSTAL FACE." JAM 44 839-859 [Journal Article/Letter]
2005. "Measurements of ocean surface backscattering using an airborne 94-Ghz cloud radar-implication for calibration of the airborne and spaceborne W-band radars." J Atmos Ocean Tech 22 1033-1045 [Journal Article/Letter]
2005. "Retrieving optically thick ice cloud microphysical properties by using Airborne Dual-wavelength Radar Measurements." J Geophys Res 110 (D19201): [Journal Article/Letter]
2004. "A 94-GHz Cloud Radar System on a NASA High-Altitude ER-2 Aircraft." J Atmos Ocean Tech 21 (9): 1378-1388 [10.1175/1520-0426(2004)021<1378:AGCRSO>2.0.CO;2] [Journal Article/Letter]
2004. "Combined lidar-radar remote sensing: Initial results from CRYSTAL-FACE." J. Geophys. Res. 109 (D7): [10.1029/2003JD004030] [Journal Article/Letter]
2004. "Florida thunderstorms: A faucet of reactive nitrogen to the upper troposphere." J. Geophys. Res. 109 (D17): DI7305 [10.1029/2004JD004769] [Journal Article/Letter]
2003. "Differential-frequency Doppler weather radar: Theory and experiment." Radio Science 38 (3): 8040 [10.1029/2002RS002656] [Journal Article/Letter]
2003. "Combined radiometer-radar microphysical profile estimations with emphasis on high-frequency brightness temperature observations." J Appl Meteor 42 (4): 476-487 [10.1175/1520-0450(2003)042<0476:CRRMPE>2.0.CO;2] [Journal Article/Letter]
2003. "Extra large particle images at 12 km in a hurricane eyewall: Evidence of high-altitude supercooled water?." Geophys Res Lett 30 2124 [Journal Article/Letter]
2002. "Measurement of attenuation with airborne and ground-based radar in convective storms over land and its microphysical implications." J Atmos Ocea Tech 41 716-733 [Journal Article/Letter]
2001. "ER-2 Doppler Radar Investigations of the Eyewall of Hurricane Bonnie during the Convection and Moisture Experiment-3 ." J Appl Meteor 40 (8): 1310–1330 [10.1175/1520-0450(2001)040<1310:EDRIOT>2.0.CO;2] [Journal Article/Letter]
2001. "On the feasibility of a differential-frequency Doppler weather radar." IEEE Trans Geo Rem Sens 39 2203-2316 [Journal Article/Letter]
2000. "TRMM Precipitation Radar Reflectivity Profiles as Compared with High-Resolution Airborne and Ground-Based Radar Measurements." J Appl Meteor 39 (12): 2080-2102 [10.1175/1520-0450(2001)040<2080:TPRRPA>2.0.CO;2] [Journal Article/Letter]
2000. "Hurricane George Landfall in the Dominican Republic: Detailed Airborne Doppler Radar Imagery." Bull Amer Meteor Soc 81 (5): 999-1018 [Journal Article/Letter]
2000. "Summary of a Symposium on Cloud Systems Hurricanes and TRMM: Celebration of Dr. Joanne Simpson's Career - The First Fifty Years." Bull Amer Meteor Soc 81 2463-2474 [Journal Article/Letter]
2000. "Summary of a Symposium on Cloud Systems, Hurricanes and TRMM: Celebration of Dr Joanne Simpson's Career - The First Fifty Years." Bull Amer Meteor Soc 81 2463-2474 [Journal Article/Letter]
1999. "A Wintertime Gulf Coast Squall Line Observed by EDOP Airborne Doppler Radar." Mon Wea Rev 127 (12): 2928-2950 [10.1175/1520-0493(1999)127<2928:AWGCSL>2.0.CO;2] [Journal Article/Letter]
1999. "Radar Observations of Convective Systems from a High-Altitude Aircraft." Gen Ass Eur Geophy Soc [Journal Article/Letter]
Non-Refereed
2005. "Development of high altitude UAV weather radars for Hurricanes." Interagency Hurricane Conference [Other]
2001. "Hurricane Bonnie Eyewall Landfall Observed with NASA Aircraft Observations During CAMEX-3." USWRP Science Symposium [Other]
2000. "Application of a differential reflectivity technique to the EDOP radar in ground-based operation." Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 2000. Proceedings. IGARSS 2000. IEEE 2000 International 5 1789-1791 [10.1109/IGARSS.2000.858125] [Proceedings]
2000. "Vertical Structure of Stratiform Rain During TEFLUN-B and TRMM-LBA as Derived From an Airborne Radar Perspective." AGU Fall Meeting [Other]
2000. "Hurricane Bonnie Landfalling Observed from ER-2 Doppler Radar on 26 August 1998 During CAMEX-3." 24th Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology, AMS [Other]
1999. "TRMM Field Campaigns: Objectives and Status Report." '99 AGU Spring Meeting [Other]
1999. "Potential Application of Surface Reference Technique Over Land and Large Incidence Angle." Preprints 29th Conference on Radar Meterology, AMS [Other]
1999. "TRMM Validation During the Texas and Florida Underflights Experiment (TEFLUN): Experiment Design and Preliminary Results." AMS 23rd Conference on Tropical Meteorology and Hurricanes [Other]
1999. "Rain Fallspeeds and Rates Derived from Airborne Nadir-Pointing Doppler Radar Measurements." 29th Conf on Radar Meteorology [Other]
1999. "High Resolution Reflectivity Profiles in Various Convectively Generated Precipitation Systems." 29th Conference on Radar Meteorology, AMS [Other]
1999. "Airborne Radar Observations of Hurricane Georges During Landfall Over the Dominican Republic." Gen Ass Eur Geoph Soc [Other]
1998. "Recent Developments with the NASA ER-2 Doppler Radar." IGARSS 98 Conference [Other]
1998. "The role of field campaigns in TRMM validation." AMS Conference on Cloud Physics [Other]