Sciences and Exploration Directorate

Niama Boukachaba

(ASSOCIATE SCIENTIST)

Niama Boukachaba's Contact Card & Information.
Email: niama.boukachaba@nasa.gov
Phone: 301.286.5325
Org Code: 610.1
Address:
NASA/GSFC
 Mail Code 610.1
 Greenbelt, MD 20771
Employer: MORGAN STATE UNIV.

Brief Bio

Dr. Niama Boukachaba is an associate scientist working at the Biospheric Sciences Laboratory since Dec 2024. This new role involves carrying out cutting-edge research into the characterization of land surface using remote sensing and the modeling of terrestrial carbon cycling and surface-atmosphere fluxes of greenhouse gases, water, and energy. Prior to this role, Dr. Boukachaba was working in various projects at the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO), such as enhancing the use of hyperspectral IR radiances (e.g., CrIS and IASI) in the NASA GEOS data assimilation system through enhanced data selection techniques, error modeling, and data sampling. Update implementation of CrIS and other JPSS measurements in GEOS systems and examine impacts on analysis quality and long-term stability using the GMAO’s present hybrid 4D-ensemble-variational data assimilation framework. Dr. Boukachaba was also involved in defining an optimal comprehensive cloud-clearing strategy for AIRS and CrIS with the goal of assimilating adaptively thinned cloud-cleared hyperspectral data.  


 

Research Interests

Land Use Land Cover Change

Remote sensing

Satellite data assimilation

Numerical weather prediction

Positions/Employment

Assistant Research Scientist

Morgan State University - NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

December 2021 - Present

Associate Scientist

Universities Space Research Association (USRA) - NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

July 2020 - November 2021

Visiting Associate Scientist

Universities Space Research Association (USRA) - NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

August 2019 - June 2020

Post-Doctoral Associate

Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC) - University of Maryland (UMD) & NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

November 2017 - September 2018

Education

·      PhD in Atmospheric Sciences, National Center of Meteorological Research (CNRM) of Météo-France and National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse (INPT), Toulouse, France, 2017. Thesis: "Contribution of IASI IR hyperspectral satellite observations over land in the convective scale AROME model". https://theses.fr/2017INPT0065.

Supervisors: Dr. Vincent Guidard and Dr. Nadia Fourrié.

 

·      MS in Remote Sensing, African Regional Center for Space Science and Technology in French Language, Rabat, Morocco, 2014. Thesis: "•Dynamical analysis of surface albedo and its impact on surface radiative forcing” at Center for Space Studies of the Biosphere (CESBIO) and National Center of Meteorological Research (CNRM) of Météo-France, Toulouse, France.

 

·      MS in Biodiversity Management, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh, Morocco, 2012. Thesis: "Development of climate indicators and their impact on surface in Marrakesh".

 

·      Bachelor in Life Sciences, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh, Morocco, 2010.




 

Grants

Using AIRS and CrIS radiances in areas affected by clouds to better understand processes affecting tropical cyclone structure in a global data assimilation and forecasting framework.

The Science of TERRA, AQUA, and SUOMI NPP - NASA (NNH20ZDA001N-TASNPP) - Awarded: 2022-08-02


Publications

Refereed

2022. "Impact of assimilating adaptively thinned AIRS cloud-cleared radiances on the analysis of Polar Lows and Mediterranean Sea Tropical-like Cyclone in a global modeling and data assimilation framework." Weather and Forecasting 37 (7): 1117–1134 [10.1175/waf-d-21-0068.1] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "Sensitivity of low tropospheric Arctic temperatures to assimilation of AIRS cloud‐cleared radiances: Impact on mid‐latitude waves." Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society 147 (741): 4032-4047 [10.1002/qj.4166] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "Toward an improved assimilation of IASI over continents in the convective scale AROME France model." Contribution of IASI IR hyperspectral satellite observations over land in the convective scale AROME model. PhD thesis, Doctoral School ED173 "Geosciences, Astrophysics, Space and Environmental Sciences" (Toulouse, France) [www.sudoc.fr/221084290] [Book]

2015. "Improved assimilation of IASI land surface temperature data over continents in the convective scale AROME France model." The 20th International TOVS Study Conference. 28 October - 3 November 2015, At Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, USA. https://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/itwg/itsc/itsc20/papers/10_03_boukachaba_paper.pdf. [Proceedings]

Talks, Presentations and Posters

Other

2024

Boukachaba, N., Zhu, Y., and Pawson, S., 2024. “Impact of Assimilating Surface Sensitive IASI and CrIS Radiance Observations Over Land in the NASA GEOS”. 8th WMO Workshop on the Impact of Various Observing Systems on Numerical Weather Prediction and Earth System Prediction, 27-30 May 2024, Sweden (virtual).


2024

Gu, W., Zhu, Y., Ma, Y., Reale, O., McGrath-Spangler, E., Boukachaba, N., Ganeshan, M., and Akbari Asanjan, A., 2024. “The Impact of All-Sky Hyperspectral Infrared Radiance Assimilation on the Simulation and Forecast of Hurricane Sally in GEOS”. Poster, AGU24, session: A43M Numerical Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Research to Operations (R2O) for Better Forecasting of High-Impact Weather Events II, 12 Dec 2024, Washington DC, USA.


2024

Arellano, C., Akbari Asanjan, A., McGrath-Spangler, E., Boukachaba, N., Ganeshan, M., Reale, O., Nguyen, P., and Bell, D., 2024. “Tropical Cyclone Detection from Satellite Data using Generative Machine Learning”. Oral presentation, session: AGU24, A54K AI-Driven Innovations in Earth and Climate Sciences IV eLightning, 13 Dec 2024, Washington DC, USA.

 

2024

Reale, O., Akbari Asanjan, A., McGrath-Spangler, E., Ganeshan, M., Boukachaba, N., Zhu, Y., Gu, W., Arellano, C., 2024. “Machine-learning Based adaptive thinning of CrIS to improve global tropical cyclone analysis and forecasts”. Oral presentation, session: A42H Tropical Cyclones: Observations, Modeling, and Predictability—Today and into the Future II, AGU24, 12 Dec 2024, Washington DC, USA.

2024

Gu, W., Zhu, Y., Ma, Y., Reale, O., L. McGrath-Spangler, E., Boukachaba, N., and Ganeshan, M., 2024. “Status and Progress of All-Sky Hyper-Spectral Infrared Radiance Assimilation in GEOS”. The 104th AMS Annual Meeting. Jan 28th to Feb 1st, 2024, Baltimore, USA.

2023

Reale, O., Akbari Asanjan, A., McGrath-Spangler, E., Ganeshan, M., Boukachaba, N., Zhu, Y., Gu, W., 2023. A new ML-based adaptive thinning methodology to improve the impact of AIRS and CrIS assimilation on tropical cyclone forecasts. Oral presentation, AIRS Science Team Meeting, 4-6 Oct, College Park, USA.

2023

Zhu, Y., Gu, W., Karpowicz, B., Jin, J., Todling, R., Boukachaba, N., et al., 2023. “Status and Progress of Observation Usages in the GMAO GEOS Atmospheric Data Assimilation System”. Poster, The 24th International TOVS Study Conferences (ITSC-24). Session: NWP Centre reports, March 17th, 2023, Tromsø, Norway.

2023

Boukachaba, N., Reale, O., McGrath-Spangler, E. L. Ganeshan, M., 2023. “Implementing Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and Cross-Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) Cloud-Clearing Algorithm into the NASA GEOS: focus on the 2017 Atlantic Tropical Cyclone season”. Poster, The 24th International TOVS Study Conferences (ITSC-24). Session: Retrieval and Software, March 17th, 2023, Tromsø, Norway.

2023

Boukachaba, N., Zhu, Y., Pawson, S., 2023. "Toward improving the assimilation of IASI and CrIS radiances over land into the NASA GEOS: LST Inversion and Validation". Oral presentation, The 24th International TOVS Study Conferences (ITSC-24). Session: Surface, March 20th, 2023, Tromsø, Norway.


2022



Boukachaba, N., Zhu, Y., Pawson, S., 2022. "Toward enhancing the use of IASI and CrIS surface-sensitive radiances over land in the NASA GMAO GEOS data assimilation framework". Oral presentation, AMS Collective Madison Meeting. Topic: Satellite Applications for Hydrological and Land Science, Aug 09th, 2022, Madison, WI, USA.

 

2022

Reale, O., McGrath-Spangler, E., Ganeshan, M., Boukachaba, N., 2022. Two decades of Observing System Experiments to investigate the impact resulting from the assimilation of AIRS data in the NASA GEOS system". Invited talk, hybrid NASA AIRS/Sounder Science Team Meeting 20th Anniversary, 10-12 May, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, USA.


2022

Boukachaba, N., Zhu, Y., Pawson, S., 2022. "Toward improving the assimilation of IASI and CrIS radiances over land in the NASA GEOS".  Oral presentation, GMAO virtual science theme meetings, 03 Feb. 2022, NASA/GSFC, USA.

2021

Zhu, Y., Arnold, N., EL Akkraoui, A., Boukachaba, N., Ganeshan, M., Jin, J., Josephs, H., Karpowicz, B., Lewis, J., McGrath-Spangler, E., Molod, A., Munchak, J., Palm, S., Pawson, S., Piepmeier, J., Salmun, H., Santanello, J., Todling, R., Welton, E., Wu, L., and Yorks, J., 2021. “Strategies and Development of Global PBL Data Assimilation Including PBL Height in the GMAO GEOS System”. Oral Presentation at the AGU Fall Meeting (virtual), 13-17 December, USA.

2021

Boukachaba, N., Zhu, Y., Pawson, S., 2021. “Improving the assimilation of IASI surface-sensitive radiances over land in the NASA GMAO GEOS data assimilation framework”. Poster at the AGU Fall Meeting (virtual), 13-17 December, USA.

2021

L. McGrath-Spangler, E., Boukachaba, N., Reale, O., Ganeshan, M., McCarty, W., and Gelaro, R., Barnet, C.: Assimilation of hyperspectral infrared radiances from the cloud-clearing methodology: Results from the 2017 Atlantic Tropical Cyclone season. The 23rd International TOVS Study Conference (ITSC-23), Virtual, 25 June 2021.

2021

Boukachaba, N., Reale, O., L. McGrath-Spangler, E., Ganeshan, M., McCarty, W., and Gelaro, R.: Progress toward Cloud-Cleared Infrared radiance assimilation in a global modeling framework: Application to the 2017 Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Season., EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-2870, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-2870, 2021.

2021

Boukachaba, N., Reale, O., McGrath-Spangler, E. L. Ganeshan, M., Barnet, C., McCarty, W., and Gelaro, R, 2021. “An Efficient Approach to Assimilate IR Cloud-Cleared Radiances in a Global Data Assimilation System: Application and Impact Assessment Using AIRS”. Oral presentation at the Virtual AMS's 101st Annual Meeting, Ninth AMS Symposium on the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation (JCSDA), 10-15 January, USA.

2021

Ganeshan, M., McGrath-Spangler, E. L., Reale, O., Boukachaba, N., McCarty, W., and Gelaro, R. 2021. “Impact of assimilating infrared cloud-cleared radiances on the representation of Polar Lows and Tropical-like Cyclone in a global modeling and data assimilation framework”. Poster at the Virtual AMS Annual Meeting, 10-15 January, USA.


2020

McGrath-Spangler, E., Reale, O., Ganeshan, M., Boukachaba, N.,  Barnett, C., McCarty, W., Gelaro, R. 2020. Impact of hyperspectral infrared radiance assimilation in cloudy regions: A study of the 2017 Atlantic tropical cyclone season with the NASA GEOS. Oral presentation at the AGU Fall Meeting on 7-11 December, USA.

2020

Akbari Asanjan, A., Ganeshan, M., Boukachaba, N., McGrath-Spangler, E., Reale, O., Sorek-Hamer, M., 2020. Boundary-aware Tropical Cyclone Detection from Geostationary Satellites and Climatic Archive Data using Advanced Neural Networks. Poster presented at the AGU Fall Meeting on 1-17 December, USA.

Professional Service

Reviewer for the Remote Sensing of Environment journal.

Reviewer for the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society.

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301-286-6066
jocelyn.m.lynch@nasa.gov
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301-286-6066
ellen.e.jeffries@nasa.gov

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