(Assistant Research Scientist)
| Email: | colten.a.peterson@nasa.gov |
| Phone: | 301.614.6350 |
| Org Code: | 613 |
| Address: |
NASA/GSFC Mail Code 613 Greenbelt, MD 20771 |
| Employer: | UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE CO |
-Improving cloud detection and optical property retrieval algorithms for both space-borne and airborne imagers
-Hyperspectral (e.g.., AVIRIS, PICARD) and multispectral (e.g., MODIS, VIIRS) imagers
-Spectral information ranging from the far-infrared to visible wavelengths
-Modeling the propagation of shortwave and longwave radiation through cloudy atmospheres in order to understand the impact of the atmosphere and clouds on radiative fluxes at the top-of-atmosphere and surface.
-Comparing simulated radaitive fluxes to space-based and ground-based radiation measurements to validate models
-Improving passive-imager-based cloud detection and optical property characterization in polar regions
-Further containing surface radiative energy budget in polar regions, especially understanding the impacts of clouds
-Improving surface snow/ice spectral albedo assumptions used to retrieve cloud properties and model surface radiation
-Planning and executing research flights involving cloud and radiation measurements
-Using measurements as a testbed to improve space-borne approaches
Clouds
Developing cloudy-sky shortwave and longwave flux datasets to be included in the MODIS Collection 7 Cloud Products
Clouds
Developing cloudy-sky shortwave and longwave flux datasets to be included in the MODIS/VIIRS Continuity Cloud Products Version 2
Remote Sensing
Developing a suite of cloud and radiation products derived from AVIRIS-NG measurements taking during the Spring and Summer 2024 NASA ARCSIX airborne campaign that was based out of Northern Greenland
Remote Sensing
-Planning and executing research research flights
-Producing infrared-based ice cloud products for the campaign
Remote Sensing
-Co-investigator in CU Boulder led project (PI: Sebastian Schmidt)
-Development of joint MODIS-VIIIRS bi-directional reflectance functions (BRDFs) for moving sea ice floes
-Incorporate BRDFs into radiative transfer model to understand impacts on surface radaitive fluxes for moving sea ice floes
UMBC - NASA GSFC Climate and Radiation Lab
2024 - Present
UMBC - NASA GSFC Climate and Radiation Lab
June 2023 - August 2024
NASA GSFC - NASA GSFC Climate and Radiation Lab
June 2022 - June 2023
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor - University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Dept. of Climate & Space Sciences & Eng.
July 2017 - May 2022
2022. "Synergistic Use of Far‐ and Mid‐Infrared Spectral Radiances for Satellite‐Based Detection of Polar Ice Clouds Over Ocean." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 127 (9): e2021JD035733 [10.1029/2021jd035733] [Journal Article/Letter]
2021. "The Polar Radiant Energy in the Far Infrared Experiment: A New Perspective on Polar Longwave Energy Exchanges." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 102 (7): E1431-E1449 [10.1175/bams-d-20-0155.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "Evaluation of AIRS Cloud Phase Classification over the Arctic Ocean against Combined CloudSat–CALIPSO Observations." Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology 59 (8): 1277-1294 [10.1175/jamc-d-20-0016.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2019. "The Spectral Dimension of Arctic Outgoing Longwave Radiation and Greenhouse Efficiency Trends From 2003 to 2016." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 124 (15): 8467-8480 [10.1029/2019jd030428] [Journal Article/Letter]
Ph.D. April 2022, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Atmospheric, Oceanic & Space Sciences
M. Sc. May 2019, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Climate & Space Sciences & Engineering
B. Sc. (Dual) May 2017, Southeast Missouri State University, Physics and Engineering Physics
(1) NASA GSFC Climate and Radiation Laboratory Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award (Spring 2025)
(2) NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) Fellowship (Spring 2022)
(3) Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Sciences and Technology (FINESST) (Fall 2019)
(4) Michigan Institute for Computational Discovery & Engineering Fellowship (Fall 2018)
(5) University of Michigan Hughes J. and H. Fellowship (Fall 2018)
(6) Michigan Geophysical Union 1st Place Poster Award in Atmospheric and Climate Sciences (Spring 2018)
(7) College Reading and Learning Association Level III Certified Tutor (Spring 2017)
(8) NASA Student Airborne Research Program AGU Travel Award for outstanding research project (Fall 2016)
(9) Southeast Missouri State University Experiential Learning Award (Spring 2016)
(10) Southeast Missouri State University Dean’s Honor List (Fall 2012 - Spring 2017)
NASA ARCSIX Campaign
I was deployed to Northern Greenland during the summer and spring of 2024 as a part of the NASA ARCSIX airborne campaign. During that time, I planned numerous coordinated multi-aircraft research flights aimed at measuring properties of clouds, aerosols, sea ice, and radiation.
Dept. of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Guest Lecturer Fall 2018- Fall 2019
Plan and provide lectures to undergraduate radiative transfer course
Total lectures provided: 5
Professor: Xianglei Huang
Grader Fall 2018
Undergraduate radiative transfer course
Professor: Xianglei Huang
Learning Assistance Programs, Southeast Missouri State University
Learning Assistant Spring 2013- Spring 2017
Provide academic assistance to students (Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics)
650 hours of session time Achieved highest level of national tutor certification given by the CRLA
Supplemental Instructor Spring 2013-Spring 2017
Design and facilitate academic assistance sessions in a classroom setting that are intended to reinforce lecture topics to students (Introductory Physics, General Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry)
Dept. of Physics and Engineering Physics, Southeast Missouri State University
Teaching and Lab Assistant Spring 2015- Winter 2016
Courses: Modern physics, General Physics I, Intro Physics I, Python Programming