Dr. Juliet Pilewskie is currently a postdoctoral research scientist at the Center for Climate Systems Research at Columbia University (New York, NY). Her current work uses CloudSat/CALIPSO and CERES satellite observations to analyze mid- and high cloud feedbacks to better constrain climate model output. Dr. Pilewskie received an M.S. (2019) and PhD (2023) from the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. During her graduate studies, she analyzed convective storm system properties to understand their present-day contributions to the Earth’s energy budget and water cycle. Twice-daily measurements from the A-Train satellite constellation were used to capture cloud, precipitation, and radiative effects of convective storm systems on a cloud object scale, and were supplemented with geostationary satellite observations and reanalyses to provide horizontal and temporal context to the storm features in differing environments. She holds a B.A. (2017) in physics from the University of Colorado-Boulder.
Juliet Pilewskie
(Postdoc Research Scientist)
| Email: | juliet.pilewskie@nasa.gov |
| Org Code: | 611 |
| Address: |
NASA/GISS Mail Code 611 New York, NY 10025 |
| Employer: | TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY |
Brief Bio
Research Interests
Convective System Characteristics on a Global Scale
Earth Science: CloudsAtmospheric convective systems influence the Earth’s Energy Budget and Water Cycle through their dynamic, radiative, and thermodynamic processes that differ over the convective system lifecycle and in varying environments. As the Earth warms, convective organization may change leading to high cloud feedbacks that alter how convection contributes energetically to the climate. One of the key challenges facing the climate prediction community is constraining high cloud feedbacks partly due to the challenge of acquiring global-scale observations that capture convective behavior at fine spatial and temporal scales.
The A-Train satellite constellation, despite only twice-daily sampling, can determine the cloud properties, precipitation, and radiative effects of convection on a nearly global scale. We created a database of convective objects (COs) from over 11 years of A-Train measurements that document the intensity, size, precipitation, and radiative effects of storm system using an "object identification" approach. Beyond showing that A-Train observations of convection is representative of characteristics that have already been established, the high resolution of CloudSat's Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR) and CALIPSO's CALIOP make it possible to link cloud, precipitation, and radiative properties on a nearly global scale. CPR is able to observe the number of distinct convective cores in each system, which provides insights into storm dynamics by documenting storm updraft regions.
A Lagrangian Perspective of Cloud Evolution
Earth Science: CloudsUnderstanding the physical processes behind how clouds, precipitation, and the environment evolve with and influence one another are necessary for reducing model errors. In April 2024, I co-led the Joint NASA(AOS)-INCUS-GEWEX 'Convection Tracking' Workshop that focused on tracking clouds and storm systems from a Lagrangian perspective in both observations and models. Scientists presented on the pros and cons of different techniques and their applications, advances in understanding clouds and precipitation processes in varying environmental states, how cloud tracking can be used to inform the science of future satellite missions, and how climate models perform when implementing physical parameters derived from tracking clouds over their full lifecycle. Our overarching goal is to formalize this into a yearly workshop aimed at developing a community product that can provide (multiple) cloud tracking tool(s) to fit a specific user’s needs.
Understanding Convective Cloud Radiative Effects on a Cloud-object Scale
Earth Science: ClimateThe primary motivation of my research is understanding how clouds are changing with climate change, and how their changes influence the climate system, also known as “cloud feedbacks”. Cloud feedbacks, particularly high clouds that are often linked to storms, are one of the largest sources of climate model spread and uncertainty, and have not been well-constrained by observations. Results from my PhD research indicate that storm systems generally contribute a cooling impact at the top of the atmosphere. However, as storm intensity increases, cloud top heights increase and thick anvil cloud decreases at the expense of thin anvil, which causes the cloud top radiative cooling to weaken. These results are consistent across all geographic and thermodynamic-dynamical regimes over the tropical ocean. Such observations have potential implications for how the energetic properties might feed back into the climate as their properties change in future climate scenarios.
Current Projects
Calculating Observational Constraints of High Cloud Feedbacks
Clouds
High cloud feedbacks are one of the largest sources of climate model spread and uncertainty, and have not been well-constrained by observations. The focus of my postdoc research is to provide an observational constraint for short-term, and ultimately long-term, high cloud feedbacks using satellite observations of top-of-atmosphere radiative fluxes, high cloud properties, and surface temperatures. Such cloud feedbacks are derived by investigating how high cloud properties respond to various changes in local environmental conditions with surface warming over multiple time scales.
Positions/Employment
Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Center for Climate Systems Research (CCSR), Columbia Climate School, Columbia University / NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) - New York, NY
January 2024 - Present
Quantifying changes in high cloud properties and their radiative effects due to environmental (cloud controlling) factors using satellite observations. This provides the basis for then calculating observational constraints of high cloud feedbacks in order to evaluate climate model biases.
Graduate Student Research Assistant
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (AOS), UW-Madison - Madison, WI
September 2017 - December 2023
Developed a database of “convective objects” generated from A-Train and geostationary satellite observations to analyze cloud structure and radiative effects of convective systems. The focus of this research was to understand how convective systems contribute to Earth’s energy budget and water cycle over their life-cycle in differing large-scale environments.
Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program Intern
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory - Marine Meteorology Division, Monterey, CA - Remote
June 2021 - August 2021
Used CAMP2Ex field observations to study how cloud and precipitation features of marine cumulus and altocumulus develop over the tropical West Pacific.
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Institute for Modeling Plasma, Atmosphere, and Cosmic Dust (IMPACT)/Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) - Boulder, CO
May 2014 - September 2017
Developed computational simulations to model rings around a minor planet. Measured plasma potential to understand lunar surface electric potentials.
Research Experience for Undergraduates Student
MIT Haystack Observatory - Westford, MA
June 2016 - August 2016
Studied surface deformations from California groundwater and around Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano using merged GPS-InSAR datasets.
Teaching Experience
I was a teaching assistant at UW-Madison for three semesters during graduate school. For two semesters I TA'd a senior- and graduate-level Radar and Satellite Meteorology course in which I created material for weekly labs interpreting meteorological features in ground-based and remote sensing observations. I also conducted lab periods with active learning methods implemented throughout, and stepped in for professor to teach multiple lecture periods. The other course that I TA'd was a junior-level Atmospheric and Ocean Dynamics course in which I created labs using rotating tank demonstration, held exam review session and office hours, and graded homework.
I have also had multiple experiences tutoring, and was a learning assistant (similar to a tutor) for a freshman-level physics course during my undergraduate.
Education
Ph.D Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, 2020-2023
University of Wisconsin (UW), Madison, WI
- Dissertation: Characterizing Deep Convective Cloud Properties and their Energetic Impacts in Satellite Observations
M.S. Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, 2017-2019
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
- Thesis: The Precipitation and Radiative Responses to Convective Organization in the Tropical North Atlantic
- Advisor: Tristan L’Ecuyer
B.A. Physics, 2013-2017
University of Colorado (CU), Boulder, CO
- Magna cum laude honors: Dust Dynamics in the Rings of Chariklo
Professional Societies
American Meteorological Society
2017 - Present
American Geophysical Union
2016 - Present
Professional Service
Early Career Scientist (ECS) Representative, NASA GISS, May 2024 − Present
- Serving as a facilitator in communications between early career and senior scientists. Help lead ECS professional development opportunities and foster an engaging environment through quarterly lunches and scientist visits.
Scholarly Reviewer Nov 2023 − Present
- Reviewer for Geophysical Research Letters, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Journal of Climate, and Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.
Conference Session Co-Organizer, AMS Annual Meeting, Jan 2025
- Co-organized and co-chaired three conference sessions that were follow-on activities to the April 2024 cloud tracking workshop.
NASA(AOS)-INCUS-GEWEX Cloud Tracking Workshop Co-Organizer, NASA GISS, Sep 2022 − Apr 2024
- Co-organized a workshop focused on evaluating current methods of tracking clouds in observational and modeling data sets. The goal is to develop a comprehensive cloud tracking tool that can be distributed to the scientific community.
Graduate Student Association (GSA) Involvement, UW-Madison, 2017-2023
- Mentor for Undergraduate in AOS Mentorship Program between Sep 2020 − May 2021
- Outreach Committee Member where I co-supervised the rotating tank station at the AOSS Building Open House, served as a panel member at the Asian American Youth College and Career Fair, and helped design a lesson plan on atmospheric science for third graders.
- GSA Facilitator between Sep 2019 − May 2020 where I oversaw GSA committees that allow graduate students to have an active role in AOS. I planned and led monthly meetings to discuss committees’ progress.
- GSA Welcome Committee Chair between May 2018 − May 2019 where I scheduled and led UW-Madison’s booth at the 99th Annual AMS Meeting student conference and planned events for prospective and incoming AOS graduate students.
- Faculty Hiring Committee Member between Nov 2018 − Apr 2019 where I participated in meetings assessing the qualifications of faculty candidates and helped organize faculty candidate campus visits.
Colloquium Committee Member, UW-Madison AOS, May 2019 − May 2022
- Invited by faculty in the committee. Collaborated with faculty and students to invite scientists to give talks. Organized the speaker’s schedule and led a student lunch.
Session Rapporteur, Earth Observation for Water Cycle Science Conference, Nov 2020
- Invited by session heads to take notes on the speakers’ presentations and panel discussion. Worked with fellow rapporteur to assemble a document summarizing key points.
Conference Session Co-chair, 2019 Joint Satellite Conference, Sep 2019
- Invited by session heads. Ensured session ran smoothly by keeping speakers on time, moderating the question and answer portion, and documenting the session.
Awards
- Women in Science Incentive Prize, The Story Exchange, 2024
- Wahl Award for Outstanding TA, UW-Madison, 2022
- 2nd Place Student Oral Presentation, 2019 Joint Satellite Conference, 2019
- AOS Department Student Service Award, UW-Madison, 2019
- AOS Department Student Travel Award, UW-Madison, 2017
- 3rd place in Poster Session, APS CUWiP, CU Boulder, 2017
Grants
Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science (FINESST) Fellow - NASA Science Mission Directorate - Awarded: 2020-06-08
Dates: -
Special Experience
- Science Communications Bootcamp, NASA GISS, Mar 2024
- 14th International Precipitation Conference Early Career and Student Workshop (Invited Speaker and Moderator), Virtual, May 2023
- Women in the Sciences Leadership Workshop, Tucson, AZ, April 2023
- Observing the Atmospheric Water Cycle Workshop, Institut Pascal, Université Paris Saclay, Jun − Jul 2022
- Visiting PhD Research Scientist, Météo-France/CNRS/CNRM, Toulouse, France, May − Jun 2022
- Unlearning Racism in Geoscience (URGE) 16-week course, UW-Madison & NSF/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Jan − May 2021
- Teaching Workshops, The Delta Program, UW-Madison, Jan 2021
- NASA Summer School: Satellite Observations and Climate Models, JPL Center for Climate Sciences and the Keck Institute for Space Studies, Aug 2020
- Searching for Excellence & Diversity Workshop, Women in Science & Engineering Leadership Institute (WISELI), UW-Madison, Nov − Dec 2018
- Satellite Meteorology Short Course, Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC), UW-Madison, Jan 2018
Publications
Refereed
2024. "A Multi-satellite Perspective on “Hot Tower” Characteristics in the Equatorial Trough Zone." Surveys in Geophysics [10.1007/s10712-024-09868-2] [Journal Article/Letter]
2024. "Tropical Deep Convection, Cloud Feedbacks and Climate Sensitivity." Surveys in Geophysics [10.1007/s10712-024-09831-1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2022. "The Global Nature of Early‐Afternoon and Late‐Night Convection Through the Eyes of the A‐Train." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 127 (13): [10.1029/2022jd036438] [Journal Article/Letter]
2016. "Plasma potential in the sheaths of electron‐emitting surfaces in space." Geophysical Research Letters 43 (2): 525-531 [10.1002/2015gl067175] [Journal Article/Letter]
Talks, Presentations and Posters
Invited
Observing the Energetic Effects of High Clouds: Applications to “Hot Towers”, Convective Lifecycles, and Cloud Feedbacks
November 10, 2024
Environmental & Climate Sciences Department Seminar, Brookhaven National Laboratory
Clouds and Convection: A Spaceborne Observational Perspective Linking the Energetic and Hydrological Impacts of Deep Convection
June 2023
14th International Precipitation Conference Early Career and Student Workshop, Oral Presentation
Linking Convective Intensity to Radiative Impacts and Precipitation Characteristics Using A-Train Observations
August 2022
Atmospheric Water Cycle Workshop, Seminar
Observing convective organization from a combined A-Train and geostationary satellite perspective
July 2022
Météo-France/CNRS/CNRM, Seminar
Can we quantify eddy covariance footprint variability and source area characteristics using radiosondes?
May 2022
AmeriFlux Webinar, Oral Presentation
Other
Evaluating High Cloud Feedbacks using Observational Constraints from CloudSat and CALIPSO
March 21, 2025
CloudSat CALIPSO Science Team Meeting, Oral Presentation
Quantifying the Frequency of Hot Towers: A Comprehensive Satellite-Based Analysis
February 13, 2025
2025 AMS Annual Meeting, Oral Presentation
Assessing High Cloud Sensitivity to Environmental Factors for Constraining Longwave High Cloud Feedbacks
12, 2024
2025 AGU Fall Meeting, Poster Presentation
Observational Estimate of a Short-Term Longwave High Cloud Feedback on a Global Scale
July 3, 2024
2024 CFMIP Meeting, Oral Presentation
Evaluating Deep Convective Cloud Structure and Radiative Effects from Combined A-Train and Geostationary Satellite Perspectives
May 24, 2024
The Joint NASA(AOS)-INCUS-GEWEX ’Convection Tracking’ Workshop, Oral Presentation
Characterizing Deep Convective Cloud Properties and their Energetic Impacts in Satellite Observations
December 6, 2023
PhD defense, Seminar
Observed Relationships Between Deep Convective Cloud Properties and Radiative Effects to Large-Scale Environmental Controls
August 13, 2023
2023 Joint CFMIP-GASS Meeting, Oral Presentation
A Global Perspective of Deep Convective Clouds, Precipitation, and Radiative Effects with A-Train Observations
October 2022
CloudSat-CALIPSO Science Team Meeting, Oral Presentation
Linking Convective Cloud Characteristics to their Energetic Impacts with A-Train Measurements
September 2022
AMS Collective Madison Meeting, Oral Presentation
An A-Train Convective Object Database for Studying Atmospheric Convective Processes
August 2022
3rd Pan-GASS/GEWEX Meeting, Poster Presentation
Observing Clouds, Precipitation, and Radiative Effects of Global Convection: An A-Train Perspective
March 2022
AOSS Community Poster Reception, Poster Presentation
The Observed Behavior of Global Convection from an A-Train Perspective
2020
AGU Fall Meeting 2020, Poster Presentation
Observed Cloud Structure and Radiative Responses to Convective Intensity
March 2020
CCR Reid Bryson Poster Session, Poster Presentation
Assessing Convective Organization Influences on Earth’s Radiative Budget
2019
AGU Fall Meeting 2019, Oral Presentation
Investigating Convective Organization Impacts and Implications in Merged LEO-GEO Satellite Observations
October 2019
2019 Joint Satellite Conference, Oral Presentation
The Precipitation and Radiative Responses to Convective Organization in the Tropical North Atlantic
May 2019
MS Thesis Presentation, Seminar
Investigating the Radiative Response of Convective Organization
May 2019
AOSS Community Poster Reception, Poster Presentation
Examining the Precipitation and Radiative Impacts of Convection in the Tropical Atlantic
February 2019
AMS 99th Annual Meeting, Oral Presentation