Sciences and Exploration Directorate

Eric M Kemp

(CHIEF PROGRAMMER/ANALYST)

Eric M Kemp's Contact Card & Information.
Email: eric.kemp@nasa.gov
Phone: 301.286.9768
Org Code: 617
Address:
NASA/GSFC
Mail Code 617
Greenbelt, MD 20771
Employer: SCIENCE SYSTEMS AND APPLICATIONS INC

Brief Bio


17 years post-graduate experience in computational and applied meteorology. Specialties include numerical weather prediction (NWP), programming, statistical forecast techniques, forecast verification, and data assimilation. Extensive configuration and modifications of WRF, NU-WRF, and ARPS NWP models and ADAS data assimilation system; limited use of GEOS-DAS, GDAS/GFS, and WRF-Var. Extensive Fortran 90, Python, and Bash programming; limited programming in C, C++, NCL, Perl, and Tcsh. Experience using Subversion, Mercurial, and CVS revision control systems; limited experience with Git. Past reviewer for Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology. Presented at multiple conferences and workshops. U.S. Citizen.

Current Projects


NASA Unified-Weather Research and Forecasting (NU-WRF) Model

Weather

(From NU-WRF Web Page)

The NASA-Unified Weather Research and Forecasting (NU-WRF) model is an observation-driven regional earth system modeling and assimilation system at satellite-resolvable scale. NU-WRF is one of three major earth system modeling systems funded by NASA’s Modeling Analysis and Prediction (MAP) program.

NU-WRF is designed to study following areas.

* Impacts of land-surface initialization and hydrological data assimilation on mesoscale weather and regional climate.
* Feedbacks and coupling between the land surface and planetary boundary layer.
* High-impact phenomena, such as hurricane, squall line, blizzard, and drought/flood, dust storms, wildfire, heavy pollution events.
* Aerosol-cloud-precipitation interactions.
* Mesoscale processes controlling the variability of aerosols and trace gases.
* Effects of aerosols and trace gases on regional climate and air quality.
* Improve representation of regional water cycle through assimilating precipitation-affected microwave radiance from satellites.
* Semi-operational high-resolution weather forecasting to support NASA’s field campaigns.
* Downscaling NASA’s global modeling and reanalysis for regional climate.
* Supporting current and future satellite missions via satellite simulator.
* Improving CO2 flux and transport process representation via high-resolution simulation of the surface state and weather.

Principal Investigator: Christa Peters-Lidard
Co-PI: Toshihisa Matsui

Positions/Employment


Chief Scientific Programmer/Analyst

Science Systems and Applications, Inc - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt MD

May 2012 - Present

Maintained NU-WRF modeling system and chaired Software Integration Team; merged in community WRF and NASA software patches; tested and released new versions; updated user documentation; co-authored several peer-reviewed publications. Provided programming and configuration support for NASA Climate Downscaling Project. Served as junior developer for NASA Sensor Web Simulator, and used the simulator for running space-borne lidar Observing System Simulation Experiments.


Meteorologist 4

Northrop Grumman Corporation - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt MD

March 2009 - April 2012

NU-WRF: Wrote and maintained sea surface temperature preprocessor. Maintained preprocessors for GEOS, MERRA, and GOCART data. Modified emissions preprocessor to use WRF-based map projection library. Co-wrote NU-WRF integrated build system. Merged multiple source code versions (NASA microphysics, radiation, and chemistry parameterizations, and community WRF updates) into Subversion repository and tested and debugged resulting NU-WRF versions.

Phase II Sensor Web Simulator (SWS): Ran GEOS-DAS for simplified observing system simulation experiments with the NASA fvGCM nature run. Integrated “forecast mode” of GEOS-DAS and Forecast Metrics Tool to run under the SWS. Co-wrote and validated vorticity-based tropical cyclone targeting program.

Miscellaneous: Ported most of GDAS/GFS from IBM Power/AIX to Intel/Linux computer environment. Built a prototype regional climate downscaling system based on GEOS, WRF-ARW, and LIS models.


Meteorologist 3/4

Northrop Grumman Corporation - Chantilly VA

June 2003 - February 2009

Installed and automated WRF-ARW, WRF-NMM, ARPS, ADAS and WRF-Var on various parallel computers. Modified WRF-ARW to add lava land-use type and adjusted Mellor-Yamada-Janjic PBL scheme to improve refractive index structure-function (Cn2) simulations. Developed techniques to assimilate GOES CO2 cloud top pressures, GOES effective cloud amounts, wind profiler data, satellite derived winds, and 2D cloud analyses from Northrop Grumman Cloud Mask Generator (CMG) with ADAS. Developed probabilistic cloud forecast system using WRF-ARW, CMG, logistic regression, and principal component analysis. Developed Scenario Builder framework to initialize Northrop Grumman Cloud Scene Simulation Model from ADAS.


Research Associate/Scientist

University of Oklahoma - Norman OK

May 1999 - May 2003

Substantial code modifications to ARPS, adding OUSoil model and Betts-Miller-Janjic cumulus scheme, and modifying hydrometeor fall speeds in the Goddard microphysics parameterization. Technique development for assimilating radar reflectivity values in ADAS cloud analysis. Software development for automated display of gridded model and point observation data using NCL, Perl, and Fortran 90. Technique and software development for evaluating high-resolution ARPS forecasts (radar reflectivity, aircraft icing, aircraft turbulence, standard upper-air fields). Enhancements of ARPS post-processing system to include new specific weather algorithms (e.g., aircraft icing, precipitation type). Assisted development of NIDS radar preprocessor for ADAS. Contributions to several conference papers and technical reports. Software development for comparing ARPS, Eta, and RUC gridded forecasts, including verification of precipitation forecasts against NCEP Stage IV data.


Lecturer

University of Oklahoma - Norman OK

July 1999 - December 1999

Graded homework assignments and examinations, proctored examination, video recorded class lectures.


Graduate Research Assistant

University of Oklahoma - Norman OK

July 1996 - May 1999

Modified software to generate and evaluate experimental ARPS-based forecasts of aviation impact variables (turbulence and icing) for military and commercial forecasters.

Education


M.S., Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman OK, 1999.

B.S. Magna Cum Laude, Meteorology, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso IN, 1996.

Awards


2014 NASA Hydrospheric and Biospheric Sciences (HOBI) Annual Award for Scientific/Technical Support.

SSAI Performance Award (2014)

Three Northrop Grumman Performance Awards (two in 2007, one in 2012)

Publications


Refereed

2023. "NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement Mission: Leveraging Stakeholder Engagement & Applications Activities to Inform Decision-making." Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment 29 100853 [10.1016/j.rsase.2022.100853] [Journal Article/Letter]

2022. "Irrigation characterization improved by the direct use of SMAP soil moisture anomalies within a data assimilation system." Environmental Research Letters 17 (8): 084006 [10.1088/1748-9326/ac7f49] [Journal Article/Letter]

2022. "A NASA–Air Force Precipitation Analysis for Near-Real-Time Operations." Journal of Hydrometeorology 23 (6): 965-989 [10.1175/jhm-d-21-0228.1] [Journal Article/Letter]

2022. "Development of a global operational snow analysis: The US Air Force Snow and Ice Analysis." Remote Sensing of Environment 278 113080 [10.1016/j.rse.2022.113080] [Journal Article/Letter]

2018. "The Land surface Data Toolkit (LDT v7.2) – a data fusion environment for land data assimilation systems." Geosci. Model Dev. 11 (9): 3605-3621 [10.5194/gmd-11-3605-2018] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "Development of high-resolution dynamic dust source function - A case study with a strong dust storm in a regional model." Atmospheric Environment 159 11-25 [10.1016/j.atmosenv.2017.03.045] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "Sensitivity of CONUS Summer Rainfall to the Selection of Cumulus Parameterization Schemes in NU-WRF Seasonal Simulations." Journal of Hydrometeorology 18 (6): 1689-1706 [10.1175/jhm-d-16-0120.1] [Journal Article/Letter]

2015. "Integrated modeling of aerosol, cloud, precipitation and land processes at satellite-resolved scales." Environmental Modelling and Software 67 149-159 [Full Text] [doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2015.01.007] [Journal Article/Letter]

2014. "Implementation of an aerosol-cloud microphysics-radiation coupling into the NASA Unified WRF: Simulation results for the 6-7 August 2006 AMMA special observing period." Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society 140 (684): 2158-2175 [10.1002/qj.2286] [Journal Article/Letter]

2014. "Introducing multisensor satellite radiance-based evaluation for regional Earth System modeling." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 119 (13): 8450-8475 [10.1002/2013JD021424] [Journal Article/Letter]

2013. "Effect of land cover on atmospheric processes and air quality over the continental United States – a NASA Unified WRF (NU-WRF) model study." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 13 (13): 6207-6226 [10.5194/acp-13-6207-2013] [Journal Article/Letter]

Talks, Presentations and Posters


Other

NASA-Unified WRF updates.

July 2016

Co-author.  Summarized updates to NU-WRF modeling system over the previous two years.

 

Citation: 

Matsui, T, E Kemp, and J Santanello, 2016: NASA-Unified WRF updates.  17th Annual WRF Users' Workshop, NCAR, Boulder CO, 27 June-1 July 2016.


High-resolution dynamic dust source function development in the NU-WRF model.

2015

Co-author.  Described further developments in dynamical dust emissions with the NU-WRF model.

 

Citation:

Kim, D, E Kemp, M Chin, Z Tao, and P Ginoux, 2015: High-resolution dynamic dust source function development in the NU-WRF model. AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco CA, 14-18 December 2015.
 


Impacts of lateral-boundary-condition errors on regional climate downscaling: Lessons learned from the NASA Downscaling Project.

2015

Co-author.  Described results from the NASA Regional Climate Downscaling project.

 

Citation:

Wang, W, T Iguchi, J Case, E Kemp, W Putman, D Wu, R Ferraro, C D Peters-Lidard, and R R Nemani, 2015: Impacts of lateral-boundary-condition errors on regional climate downscaling: Lessons learned from the NASA Downscaling Project. AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco CA, 14-18 December 2015.


Effects of resolution and spectral nudging in simulating the effects of wintertime atmospheric river landfalls in the Western US.

2015

Co-author. Summarized results from NASA Regional Climate Downscaling project.

 

Citation:

Kim, J, B Guan, D E Waliser, B Tian, R Ferraro, J Case, T Iguchi, E Kemp, W Putman, W Wang, and D Wu, 2015: Effects of resolution and spectral nudging in simulating the effects of wintertime atmospheric river landfalls in the Western US. AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco CA, 14-18 December 2015.


High-resolution dust source function and a case study in the NU-WRF model.

July 2015

Co-author. Summarized a new dynamic dust emission algorithm and results from an Arizona dust storm case study.

Citation:
Kim, D., E. Kemp, M. Chin, Z. Tao, P. Ginoux, 2015: High-resolution dust source function and a case study in the NU-WRF model. 16th Annual WRF Users Workshop, NCAR, Boulder, CO, 15-19 June 2015.


Assessing the fidelity of dynamical downscaling with the NASA Unified-WRF Model.

July 2015

Co-author. Summarized performance of NUWRF in several climate downscaling configurations.

Citation:
Case, J. L., E. M. Kemp, W. Wang, T. Iguchi, Y. Tian, D. E. Waliser, P. C. Loikith, B. Tian, J. Kim, W. M. Putman, 2015: Assessing the fidelity of dynamical downscaling with the NASA Unified-WRF Model. 16th Annual WRF Users Workshop, NCAR, Boulder, CO, 15-19 June 2015.


Real-time forecasting of precipitation and hydrology for GPM field campaigns.

February 2015

Co-author.  Described experiences with the NU-WRF modeling system in producing real-time forecasts.

Citation:
Peters-Lidard, C D, D Wu, Y Liu, E M Kemp, and W-K Tao, 2015: Real-time forecasting of precipitation and hydrology for GPM field campaigns. AMS 20th Conference on Satellite Meteorology and Oceanography/29th Conference on Hydrology, Phoenix AZ, 4-8 January 2015.


Implementation of aerosol-cloud microphysics-radiation coupling in NASA Unified WRF with results from recent simulations

July 2014

Co-author. Summarized early results of NU-WRF with aerosol-cloud microphysics-radiation coupling.

Citation:
Shi, J. J., T. Matsui, W.-K. Tao, C. Peters-Lidard, M. Chin, Z. Tao, and E. Kemp, 2014: Implementation of aerosol-cloud microphysics-radiation coupling in NASA Unified WRF with results from recent simulations. 15th WRF Users Workshop, NCAR, Boulder CO, 23-27 June 2014.


New dust source functions in the NASA Unified-WRF

July 2014

Co-author. Summarized new source options for erodible soil/dust emission in NU-WRF.

Citation:
Kim, D., E. Kemp, M. Chin, Z. Tao, and P. Ginoux, 2014: New dust source functions in the NASA Unified-WRF. 15th Annual WRF Users Workshop, NCAR, Boulder CO, 23-27 June 2014.


Preliminary Observing System Simulation Experiments for Doppler wind lidars deployed on the International Space Station

May 2013

Oral Presentation. Summarized Observing System Simulation Experiments for proposed Doppler wind lidar installation on the International Space Station using the NASA Sensor Web Simulator.

Citation:
Kemp, E., J. Jacob, R. Rosenberg, J. C. Jusem, G. D. Emmitt, S. Wood, L. P. Greco, L. P. Riishojgaard, M. Masutani, Z. Ma, S. Tucker, R. Atlas, L. Bucci, and M. Hardesty, 2013: Preliminary Observing System Simulation Experiments for Doppler wind lidars deployed on the International Space Station. Lidar Working Group Meeting, NCEP, College Park MD, 17-19 April 2013.


High-resolution modeling of influences of absorbing aerosols on rainfall over northern India and the Himalaya foothills during boreal summer

2012

Co-author. Summarized simulations of convection over complex terrain with aerosol coupling.

Citation:
Kim, K., W. K. Lau, W. Tao, J. J. Shi, Q. Tan, M. Chin, T. Matsui, E. M. Kemp, and C. D. Peters-Lidard, 2012: High-resolution modeling of influences of absorbing aerosols on rainfall over northern India and the Himalaya foothills during boreal summer. AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco CA, 3-7 December 2012.


Coupling the Goddard aerosol transport model, cloud microphysics and radiation schemes in the NASA-Unified Weather Research and Forecasting (NU-WRF) model

2011

Co-author. Summarized early efforts to implement aerosol coupling in NU-WRF.

Citation:
Shi, J. J., T. Matsui, W. Tao, C. D. Peters-Lidard, M. Chin, Q. Tan, and E. Kemp, 2011: Coupling the Goddard aerosol transport model, cloud microphysics and radiation schemes in the NASA-Unified Weather Research and Forecasting (NU-WRF) model. AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco CA, 5-9 December 2011.


A sensor web simulator: Project status and the benefits to the atmospheric sciences

February 2011

Co-author. Summarized development of Phase-II Sensor Web Simulator for conducting OSSEs of satellite wind lidars.

Citation:
Talabac, S. J., R. M. Atlas, G. D. Emmitt, S. Wood, J. Ardizzone, R. Burns, E. M. Kemp, and L. R. Bucci, 2011: A sensor web simulator: Project status and the benefits to the atmospheric sciences. AMS 15th Symposium on Integrated Observing and Assimilation Systems for the Atmosphere, Oceans, and Land Surface, Seattle WA, 24-27 January 2011.


Development of a sensor web simulator: Status and preliminary results for a future satellite wind lidar system

February 2010

Co-author and Oral Presenter. Summarized development of Phase II Sensor Web Simulator to support satellite wind lidars observing system simulation experiments.

Citation:
Seablom, M., S. J. Talabac, R. Burns, J. Ardizzone, S. A. Wood, E. M. Kemp, G. S. Wojcik, S. L. Applegate, H. N. Kleinwaks, G. D. Emmitt, and R. M. Atlas, 2010: Development of a sensor web simulator: Status and preliminary results for a future satellite wind lidar system. AMS 14th Symposium on Integrated Observing and Assimilation Systems for the Atmosphere, Oceans, and Land Surface, Atlanta GA, 18-21 January 2010.


Investigation of the WRF-simulated visibility parameter in comparison to observational data

July 2009

Co-author. Summarized research in simulating visibility with the WRF-ARW modeling system.

Citation:
Hayes, P. D., E. M. Kemp, and R. J. Alliss, 2009: Investigation of the WRF-simulated visibility parameter in comparison to observational data. AMS 23rd Conference on Weather Analysis and Forecasting/19th Conference on Numerical Weather Prediction, Omaha NE, 1-5 June 2009.


A portable regional weather and climate downscaling system using GEOS-5, LIS-6, WRF, and the NASA workflow tool

12, 2009

Oral presentation. Summarized development of a prototype regional downscaling system composed of the GEOS-5 and WRF numerical weather prediction models, the LIS land surface modeling system, and the NASA workflow tool for automation.

Citation:
Kemp, E. M., W. M. Putman, J. Gurganus, R. W. Burns, M. R. Damon, G. R. McConaughy, M. S. Seablom, and G. S. Wojcik, 2009: A portable regional weather and climate downscaling system using GEOS-5, LIS-6, WRF, and the NASA workflow tool. AGU 2009 Fall Meeting, San Francisco CA, 14-18 December 2009.


Simulations of optical turbulence via numerical weather prediction for use in optical communications studies

October 2008

Co-author. Summarized efforts at simulating optical turbulence with the WRF-ARW modeling system.

Citation:
Alliss, R. J., B. D. Felton, and E. M. Kemp, 2008: Simulations of optical turbulence via numerical weather prediction for use in optical communications studies. 2008 Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference, Maui HI, 16-19 September 2008.


Estimating the refractive index structure-function and related optical seeing parameters with the WRF-ARW

July 2008

Poster Presentation. Summarized a method of simulating the refractive index structure-function (Cn2) using the WRF-ARW weather model.

Citation:
Kemp, E. M., B. D. Felton, and R. J. Alliss, 2008: Estimating the refractive index structure-function and related optical seeing parameters with the WRF-ARW. 9th WRF User's Workshop, NCAR, Boulder CO, 23-27 June 2008.


Probabilistic cloud forecasting using logistic regression.

July 2007

Oral Presentation. Summarized method of forecasting clouds using logistic regression with input from the WRF-ARW weather model and the Northrop Grumman Cloud Mask Generator product.

Citation:
Kemp, E. M., and R. Alliss, 2007: Probabilistic cloud forecasting using logistic regression. AMS 22nd Conference on Weather Analysis and Forecasting/18th Conference on Numerical Weather Prediction, Park City UT, 25-29 June 2007.


Enhancements to a three-dimensional cloud analysis scheme.

September 2005

Oral Presentation. Summarized improvements to ADAS 3-dimensional cloud analysis system by adding support for CO2-channel cloud top pressure, GOES effective cloud amount, and Northrop Grumman Cloud Mask Generator product.

Citation:
Kemp, E. M., and R. Alliss, 2005: Enhancements to a three-dimensional cloud analysis scheme. AMS 21st Conference on Weather Analysis and Forecasting/17th Conference on Numerical Weather Prediction, Washington DC, 1-5 August 2005.


MM5 simulations of precipitation and mesocyclone dynamics associated with TC Gabrielle (2001) using high resolution data of east central Florida

June 2004

Co-author. Summarized high-resolution simulations of Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle.

Citation:
Rao, G. V., K. Santhanam, J. W. Scheck, S. M. Spratt, B. C. Hagemeyer, R. Edwards, J. Schaefer, J. L. Case, and E. Kemp, 2004: MM5 simulations of precipitation and mesocyclone dynamics associated with TC Gabrielle (2001) using high resolution data of east central Florida. AMS 26th Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology, Miami FL, 3-7 May 2004.


Assimilation of radar data for the detection of aviation weather hazards.

September 2003

Co-author. Summarized research in assimilating radar data to improve model forecasts of aviation impact variables.

Citation:
Brewster, K., A. Shapiro, J. Gao, E. M. Kemp, P. Robinson, and K. Thomas, 2003: Assimilation of radar data for the detection of aviation weather hazards. AMS 31st Conference on Radar Meteorology, Seattle WA, 6-12 August 2003.


Real-time storm scale forecast support for IHOP 2002 at CAPS

September 2002

Co-author. Summarized real-time ARPS model forecasts to support IHOP 2002 field campaign.

Citation:
Xue, M., K. Brewster, D. Weber, K. W. Thomas, F. Kong, and E. Kemp, 2002: Real-time storm scale forecast support for IHOP 2002 at CAPS. AMS 21st Conference on Severe Local Storms, San Antonio TX, 12-16 August 2002.


Evaluation of ARPS and GDST 1-6 hour forecasts

August 2001

Co-author. Summarized intercomparison of ARPS and GDST forecasts of thunderstorms for use by aviation interests.

Citation:
Porter, C. W., E. M. Kemp, J. M. Janish, and D. E. Jahn, 2001: Evaluation of ARPS and GDST 1-6 hour forecasts. AMS 30th International Conference on Radar Meteorology, Munich, Germany, 19-24 July 2001.


Storm-scale numerical weather prediction for commercial and military aviation. Part II: Development and assessment of aviation impact variables.

February 1999

Poster Presentation. Summarized generation and early evaluation of ARPS-based aviation impact variable forecasts for commercial and military aviation customers.

Citation:
Kemp, E. M., C. M. Stock, F. H. Carr, and M. B. Schott, 1999: Storm-scale numerical weather prediction for commercial and military aviation. Part II: Development and assessment of aviation impact variables. AMS 8th Conference on Aviation, Range, and Aerospace Meteorology, Dallas TX, 10-15 January 1999.