EDUCATION
Ph.D., Oceanography, P.P.Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 1990
Post-Graduate School, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) 1987-1990
M.S., Remote Sensing, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), 1985
B.S., Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), 1983
FIELDS OF SPECIALIZATION
Atmospheric chemistry, remote sensing of atmospheric trace gases and aerosols, theory and numerical methods in radiative transfer, retrieval algorithm development of atmospheric composition (aerosols and gases) from space (atmosphere, ocean and volcanic plumes monitoring) and ground air quality research.
EXPERIENCE SUMMARY
Dr. Nickolay A. Krotkov has over 30 years experience in radiative transfer, remote sensing observations, retrieval algorithm development, data analysis and research in the field of atmospheric composition (gases and aerosols). His Ph. D work in oceanography included radiative transfer modeling of the polarization effects of the solar radiation in the atmosphere-ocean system, as applied to passive spectral and polarization remote sensing of the atmospheric aerosols and water quality. Since 1993 he works with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center scientists to improve retrievals and understanding of Earth’s gas species such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone and aerosols using remote sensing observations from satellite platforms and ground. His experience in radiative transfer and retrievals has led to algorithms for operational satellite data production. He developed first satellite algorithm for mapping surface UV irradiance from TOMS ozone and reflectivity data, which was adopted by the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) for the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) production data (2004-current). In 2004 he developed a passive remote sensing method that led to discovery of enhanced column UV aerosol absorption due to organic aerosol. In part through his work absorbing aerosols (e.g., “brown” organic carbon) are now recognized as key to a complete understanding of surface UV radiation and atmospheric photochemistry. He developed a first operational OMI algorithm for retrieving sulfur dioxide from volcanoes and anthropogenic pollution and serves as principle investigator for the OMI volcanic and pollution sulfur dioxide products. Dr. Krotkov’s empirical and theoretical analysis of the sulfur dioxide data has led to quantification of passive emissions from active volcanoes and of anthropogenic pollution sources affecting air quality in North America, Europe, Russia, Chian, and India. Satellite volcanic SO2 data are now used in near real-time for detection of aviation hazards. In 2008 he developed an improved multiangle UV algorithm to derive vertical profile of ozone from ground based Brewer spectrometer data. Since 2010 he serves as PI for the OMI operational NO2 data. He demonstrated the great value that satellite sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide data have in remotely identifying and quantifying point sources of emissions to the atmosphere. He is currently member of NASA Aura. EV-I TEMPO and DSCOVER/EPIC science teams, and disasters response team.
PRESENT POSITION
2010- Research Physical Scientist, Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Dr. Krotkov supervises production and improvements of operational SO2 and NO2 products from EOS Aura/OMI and Suomi NPP/OMPS instruments, performs data analysis of satellite measurements and geophysical research with satellite data, collaborates with NASA Headquarters, universities, other government agencies (USGS, NOAA) and international partners (Environment Canada, ESA, EUMETSAT, FMI, KNMI, BIRA); interprets and quality controls research results; presents findings at national and international meetings; prepares reports, contributes to international assessments and publishes manuscripts in professional journals. He is PI for volcanic SO2 and ash products from NASA’s EPIC UV camera on DSCOVR satellite at Lagrange 1 orbit. He is currently applying his knowledge in retrieval of atmospheric composition for planning of future satellite missions, such as NASA first geostationary air quality TEMPO mission. He retrieves aerosol absorption optical properties using combination of ground based passive radiometers and spectrometers.
Science Projects
2019 - PI, NASA ROSES19-PACESAT: "Hyperspectral algorithms for PACE OCI water leaving reflectances and UV penetration depths"
2016 – 2019 PI, NASA ROSES16: “Taking OMI NO2 to the next level: Inferring global fossil fuel CO2 emissions using OMI NO2 Data Improved with Critical Algorithm Updates”
2016 - 2019 Co-I, NASA ROSES16 : “Advancing NASA OMI SO2 product: Enabling new science analyses, applications, and long-term, multi-satellite monitoring”
2014 – 2019nNASA ROSES14 - Participating Investigator in ESA’s Sentinel 5 Precursor mission (TROPOMI)
2014 – 2018 PI, NASA ROSES 14 – DSCOVR science team (EPIC observations of Volcanic SO2 and ash)
2018 – PI, NASA DISASTERS: “Real-time Volcanic Cloud Products for Aviation Alerts”
2012 – Co-I, NASA EV-I TEMPO ST (NO2, SO2, surface UV algorithms)
2012 – 2017 PI, NASA ROSES2012-MEaSUREs: “Multi-Decadal Sulfur Dioxide Climatology from Satellite Instruments”
Web pages:
https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/sed/bio/nickolay.a.krotkov
http://www.researcherid.com/rid/E-1541-2012
Satellite Instrument team membership
2020 – NASA PACE SAT member
2015 – ESA S5P (TROPOMI) validation team member
2014 – NASA DSCOVR (EPIC) science team member
2012 – NASA EV-I TEMPO science team member
2011 – NASA GEO-TASO airborne UV/VIS spectrometer science team member
2011 - NASA GEO-CAPE formulation study science team member
2001- Aura/OMI science team member and PI responsible for SO2 and NO2 data.
1995-2006 TOMS ST member, responsible for surface UV algorithm development; volcanic ash and sulfur dioxide data sets.
Honors Received
NASA GSFC Peformance Awards: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018,2019,2020
2020 – Council of the American Meteorological Society Special award to OMI team
2019 – NASA GSFC 610AT Peer Award for an outstanding Science Highlight
2018 – Dept of Interior/NASA William T. Pecora Group Award to OMI team for remote sensing
2013 – NASA Earth Venture-Instrument TEMPO science team award
2009 – NASA Robert H. Goddard Exceptional Achievement Science award
2008 – NASA group achievement award for OMI Instrument team
2006 – Dept of Interior/NASA William T. Pecora Group Award to TOMS team for remote sensing
2005 – NASA Group Achievement Award to the Aura Project
2005 – NASA Goddard Space Fligt Center Group Achievement Award to the Aura Team
1999– NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Laboratory for Atmospheres Outstanding Performance in Science Award
Service to community
2015 – member, scientific committee of ESA’s Living Planet Symposium, Prague 2016
2014 – Co-Chair AIAA14 meeting on Volcanic Ash effects on Aviation; co-chair CEOS 2014 meeting;
2011 - Chair, Fall AGU session, Remote sensing of trace gases and aerosols: Air quality applications.
2005-2008 – UMBC/GEST: Leader: Atmospheric Chemistry focus area. Chair promotional committee.
2007 – Science organising committee member for International Conference “100 years of UV research”, PMOD, Davos, Switzerland;Contributor/author: Laboratory for Atmospheres annual reports; WMO Ozone assesments;
Reviewer: JGR, GRL, Atm. Environment, ACP, AMT
Universities collaborations
2012 – 2016 adjunct Professor, Physics Departmet, UMBC
2011 – 2016 Eric Hughes, AOSC Univesity of Maryland, College Park; advising Ph. D.
2010 – 2015 Adriana Lima, Physics Department, Univ of Maryland Baltimore County, Ph. D.
2014 - 2016 Jungbin Mok, ESSIC, Univesity of Maryland, College Park; advising Ph. D
2008 – 2010 Can Li, Ph. D. (committee member) Univesity of Maryland, College Park, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences;
2007 - 2008 Brittany McClure, M. S. (committee member) Univesity of Maryland, College Park,
PRECEDING POSITIONS
Senior Research Scientist, Goddard Earth Scienes and Technology (GEST) Center ,
University of Maryland Baltimore County, Oct 2000 – November 2010
Conducted scientific investigations to improve the understanding of Earth’s troposphere gas species such as sulfur dioxide, ozone and aerosols using remote sensing observations from satellite platforms and ground. His satellite algorithm for mapping surface UV irradiance from TOMS ozone and reflectivity data was adopted by the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) for the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) production data. He later developed a new algorithm for retrieving sulfur dioxide from volcanoes and anthropogenic pollution, which was adopted as the standard OMI data product. Since 2006 he served as principle investigator for the OMI volcanic and pollution sulfur dioxide products. Dr. Krotkov’s empirical and theoretical analysis of the sulfur dioxide data has led to quantification of passive emissions from active volcanoes and of anthropogenic pollution sources affecting air quality in North America, Europe, Russia, China, and South America. These data are now used in near real-time by NOAA for detection of aviation hazards from volcanic eruption clouds. For this work he was recipient of NASA group achivement awards (2005,2008), 2006 Pecora TOMS team award and the 2009 R.H. Goddard Exceptional Achievement in Science Award. In 2004 he developed a method that led to discovery of enhanced column UV aerosol absorption due to organic aerosol. In part through his work at GSFC absorbing aerosols (black and organic carbon, dust) are now recognized as key to a complete understanding of atmospheric chemistry, for they have large effects on ultraviolet radiation, and on photolysis rates of key pollution gases (ozone and nitrogen dioxide ). In 2008 he developed an improved multiangle ultra-violet algorithm to derive the vertical profile of ozone from ground based Brewer spectrometer data. Supervisor – Prof. Ray Hoff
Raytheon ITSS Corporation, Lanham, MD, Principal Scientist, July 1996-Oct 2000
Developed an algorithm for satellite UV volcanic ash retrievals using NASA Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instruments. For this work received Outstanding Performance in Science Award from the Laboratory for Atmospheres, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Developed applications of TOMS data, such as UV irradiance estimation at the Earth's surface and validated satellite UV retrievals using ground based UV measurements. Authored and co-authored 10 papers. Supervisor- Dr. Charles G. Wellemeyer
Department of Meteorology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, Research Associate, Dec 1994 -July 1996 -Developed an improved retrieval algorithm of sulfur dioxide from the NASA TOMS satellite instrument. Performed data analysis of the effect of ozone depletion on ultraviolet (UV) irradiance at the Earth's surface and in the ocean. Performed validation of satellite UV maps with Russian spectral UV radiation data with data from NSF UV Spectroradiometer network in the United States. Authored and co-authored 2 papers. Supervisor- Prof. Robert Hudson.
Universities Space Research Association at NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD, Research Associate and Research Scientist, January 1993 - December 1994 - Analyzed sulfur dioxide data from NASA TOMS instruments. Developed a new computer model simulating propagation of solar UV radiation through the atmosphere-ocean system. Initiated the first intercomparisons of Russian spectral UV radiation data with data from NSF UV Spectroradiometer network in the United States. Supervisor- Dr.Michael W. Kalb
Central Aerological Observatory, Dolgoprudny, Russia, Research Associate, Sep 1990 – Dec 1992
Developed radiative transfer models for atmospheric scattering of solar UV radiation. Served as leader of the cooperative project in the framework of Russian State Science Program "Global Changes of Environment and Climate" aimed at the development of scientific approaches to monitoring surface UV radiation changes. Initiated and supervised development of a specialized archiving software package ("UVBase") facilitating analysis and intercomparisons of spectral UV radiation data. Supervisor- Dr. V. Khattatov, CAO Deputy Director
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), Dolgoprudny, Russia, GRA, July 1986 – Sep 1990 -Junior Research Fellow (1986-1987) and Graduate Research Assistant (1987-1990) at the Department of Aerophysics and Space Research (Remote Sensing Laboratory). Primary research interests were in theoretical modeling of the polarization effects of the solar radiation in the atmosphere-ocean system, as applied to passive remote sensing of the minor atmospheric gases, aerosols and natural waters. In cooperation with an experimental team, participated in the optical and ecological expeditions in the regions of the Black and Baltic seas. Published 16 papers. Supervisor-Prof. T. V. Kondranin
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Geophysical Union