Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ – 2012
M.S. in Atmospheric Science, The State University of New York, University at Albany, Albany, NY – 2008
B.S. in Meteorology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA – 2005
Stephen Nicholls
(SR. RESEARCH SCIENTIST)
| Email: | stephen.d.nicholls@nasa.gov |
| Phone: | 301.614.6337 |
| Org Code: | 612 |
| Address: |
NASA/GSFC Mail Code 612 Greenbelt, MD 20771 |
| Employer: | SCIENCE SYSTEMS AND APPLICATIONS INC |
Positions/Employment
Senior Research Scientist
Science Systems and Applications Inc. - Greenbelt, MD
March 2020 - Present
Post-Doctoral Research Associate
Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology/University of Maryland Baltimore County - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
March 2016 - February 2020
- Developed a Python-based algorithm and software framework for automatically detecting and characterizating properties of Saharan-like, dry, well-mixed layers over North Africa.
- Investigated viability of regional climate models for decadal-scale applications and its capabilities of helping diagnose change in water resources over High Mountain Asia at 4-km resolution.
- Application of high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) to investigate ground clutter region of Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) satellite overpasses, ways estimate data in these regions, and address hydrometeor particle drift into the vertical column during the IPHEx and OLYMPEX field campaigns.
Post-Doctoral Researcher
NASA Posdoctoral Program (NPP) - NASA-Goddard, Greenbelt, MD
March 2013 - February 2016
• Studied potential impact of future climate change on the wet season precipitation characteristics of the Central Andes.
• Evaluated the effectiveness of a coupled ocean-atmosphere mesoscale modeling system in simulating South American wet season dynamics.
• Evaluated the capability of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) to detect Saharan air layers over Northern Africa.
Graduate Assistant
Rutgers University - New Brunswick, NJ
September 2008 - October 2012
• Investigated the impact of model version, radio occultation assimilation, microphysics parameterizations, and ocean-atmosphere coupling on Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model forecasts of intense, mid-latitude winter cyclones.
Graduate Assistant
The State University of New York, University at Albany - Albany, NY
September 2006 - August 2008
• Quantified the pre-storm environment of intense organized convection in West Africa using satellite, ground, and model reanalysis data.
Meteorological Consultant
Avenge Inc. - Dulles, VA
January 2006 - August 2006
• Compared prognostic weather model forecast accuracy of US Army’s Meteorological Measuring Set – Profiler (MMS-P) system to existing Joint Air Force-Army Weather Information Network (JAAWIN) system for artillery guidance applications.
Education
Professional Societies
American Meteorological Society
Member
2005 - Present
American Geophysical Union
Member
2012 - Present
European Geophysical Union
Member
2016 - Present
Awards
- 2017 Group Achievement Award by NASA (NASA Adminstration)
- 2016 Outstanding Performance Outreach by Earth Science Division-Atmospheres at NASA GSFC (Code 610)
- 2015 Exceptional Scientific Achievement by Mesoscale Processes Laboratory at NASA GSFC (Code 612)
Special Experience
Extensive expertise with ocean and atmosphere numerical prediction models, proficient in multiple scientific programming languages, and experienced with analyzing large space-based and in-situ datasets in the GIS environment. Models used and adapted for weather and regional climate modeling include the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS), the Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sedimentation Transport (COAWST) modeling system, and Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) Model. Programming languages applied in my research include: Python, Matlab, IDL, Fortran, BASH and C-shell.
Publications
Refereed
2017. "Influence of bulk microphysics schemes upon Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) version 3.6.1 nor'easter simulations." Geoscientific Model Development 10 (2): 1033-1049 [10.5194/gmd-10-1033-2017] [Journal Article/Letter]
2015. "Impact of coupling an ocean model to WRF nor’easter simulations." Monthly Weather Review 143 (12): 4997–5016 [10.1175/mwr-d-15-0017.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2012. "Sun-Moon gravitation-induced wave characteristics and climate variation." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 117 (D7): [10.1029/2011jd016967] [Journal Article/Letter]
2010. "An analysis of the environments of intense convective systems in West Africa in 2003." Monthly Weather Review 138 (10): 3721-3739 [10.1175/2010MWR3321.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2007. "Dendritic Patterns in Tropical Cumulus: An Observational Analysis." Monthly Weather Review 135 (5): 1994-2005 [10.1175/mwr3379.1] [Journal Article/Letter]
Talks, Presentations and Posters
Invited
“Cryospheric connections - Tracking the fate of glacier and snow melt water in High Mountain Asia: Implications for regional food security”
13, 2018
D.S. Grogan, B. Osmanoglu, R. Hock, R.B. Lammers, S.E. Frolking, S.D. Nicholls, D. Rounce, P. Mantesano, A.A. Proussevitch, C.S.R Neigh, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, 10-14 December 2018, Washington D.C., C44B-01, Invited.
Other
“Multiscale Interactions in MJO Structure and Evolution: DYNAMO Field Campaign Case Study Using a Coupled WRF Model”
February 7, 2019
X. Li, S.D. Nicholls, T. Iguchi, and W.-K. Tao, 7th Symposium on the Madden-Julian Oscillation and Sub-Seasonal Monsoon Variability, 6-10 Jan. 2019, Phoenix, AZ, 323.
“Analysis of the Representation of the Vertical Structure of the Saharan Air Layer over Northern Africa and the Eastern Atlantic Using MERRA-2”
February 7, 2019
J. Shi, S. Braun, S.D. Nicholls, and M. Cordero-Fuentes, 32nd Conference on Climate Variability and Change, 6-10 Jan. 2019, Phoenix, AZ, 895.
"Observational, Modeling, and Retrieval Studies of Orographic Precipitation During the GPM IPHEx and OLYMPEX Campaigns"
13, 2018
G. Heymsfield, S. D. Nicholls, and M. Grecu, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, 10-14 Dec. 2018, Washington D.C., H43F-2408.
“Overview of ER-2 Radar Observations, WRF, and Radar Retrievals from IPHEX and OLYMPEX”
November 11, 2018
G. Heymsfield, S. D. Nicholls, and M. Grecu, Precipitation Measurement Missions (PMM) Science Team Meeting, 8–12 Oct. 2018, Phoenix, AZ, 118.
“An IR Sounding–Based Analysis of the Saharan Air Layer in North Africa”
February 9, 2018
S. D. Nicholls and K. I. Mohr, 31st Conference on Climate Variability and Change, 7–11 Jan 2018, American Meteorological Society, Austin, TX. 10A.1.
“Evaluation of Radar Reflectivity Structures during Six High-Impact Midlatitude Wintertime Cyclone Simulations”
February 8, 2018
S. S. Harkema and S. D. Nicholls, 19th Symposium on Meteorological Observation and Instrumentation, 7–11 Jan 2018, American Meteorological Society, Austin, TX. 3.8.
“Model Comparison of the 22-24 January 2016 Nor'easter”
February 23, 2017
H. M. Mallinson and S. D. Nicholls, 28th Conference on Weather Analysis and Forecasting, 23–27 Jan 2017, American Meteorological Society, Seattle, WA. 3A.3.
“Simulating Future Precipitation Characteristics of the Central Andes with a Coupled, Ocean-Atmosphere Regional Climate Model.”
February 22, 2017
S. D. Nicholls and K. I. Mohr, 31st Conference on Hydrology, 23–27 Jan 2017, American Meteorological Society, Seattle, WA. 9B.4.
“Out of this World: Characterizing the Dynamics and Evolution of the Saharan Air Layer in North Africa from Space-Based Platforms”
October 14, 2016
S. D. Nicholls and K. I. Mohr, NASA Science Sounder Team Meeting, 12–15 Sept 2016, NASA, Greenbelt, MD.
“Programming and Long-Term COAWST Simulations”
September 17, 2016
S. D. Nicholls, 3rd COAWST Users’ Workshop, 15–19 Aug 2016, USGS, Woods Hole, MA.
“Detecting Saharan Air Layer Influence on Organized Convective Systems in Northern Africa”,
May 19, 2016
K. I. Mohr and S. D. Nicholls, 32nd Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology, 17-22 Apr 2016, American Meteorological Society, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 8.
“Evaluation of infrared and microwave sounding data for characterizing the dynamics and evolution of the Saharan Air Layer in West Africa”
February 13, 2016
S. D. Nicholls and K. I. Mohr, 18th Symposium on Meteorological Observation and Instrumentation, 10−14 Jan 2016, American Meteorological Society, New Orleans. 9.3 A.
“Evaluation of AIRS and AIRS+AMSU Data for characterizing the dynamics and evolution of well-mixed layers in West Africa.”
November 14, 2015
S. D. Nicholls and K. I. Mohr, NASA Sounder Science Team Meeting, 13−16 Oct 2015, Greenbelt, MD.
“Coupled regional climate simulations of the future precipitation climate of the Central Andes”
November 7, 2015
S. D. Nicholls and K. I. Mohr, 11th International Conference on Southern Hemisphere Meteorology and Oceanography, American Meteorological Society, 5−9 Oct 2015, Santiago de Chile, Chile. 79.
“Ocean-atmosphere coupled mesoscale model simulations of precipitation in the Central Andes”
September 4, 2015
S. D. Nicholls and K. I. Mohr, 16th Conference on Mesoscale Processes, American Meteorological Society, 3−6 Aug 2015, Boston, MA. 6.5A.
“Detecting Well-Mixed Layers over North Africa using AIRS/AMSU V6 in Clear and Dusty Conditions from MYD04_L2”
June 19, 2015
K. I. Mohr, S. D. Nicholls, and J.J. Shi, NASA MODIS Science Team Meeting, 18−22 May 2015, Silver Spring, MD.
“Coupled regional climate simulations of the future precipitation climate of the Central Andes.”
February 5, 2015
S. D. Nicholls and K. I. Mohr, 27th Conference on Climate Variability, American Meteorological Society, 4−8 Jan 2015, Phoenix, AZ.