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Nathan Arnold

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Nathan Arnold

  • Research AST, Meteorological Studies
  • 301.614.5651
  • NASA/GSFC
  • Mail Code: 610.1
  • Greenbelt , MD 20771
  • Employer: NASA

    • Brief Bio

    My research focuses on clouds and convection, particularly the relationships between humidity, radiation and rainfall. Current research topics include the dynamics of the Madden-Julian Oscillation, how convection is organized on meso- to synoptic scales, and the role of cold pools in convective organization. I also contribute to GEOS model development, focusing on turbulence and convection in the atmospheric boundary layer.

    Positions/Employment

    9/2017 - Present

    Research Meteorologist

    NASA, GSFC GMAO
    7/2015 - 9/2017

    Research Scientist

    USRA / GESTAR, GMAO, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
    11/2013 - 6/2015

    NOAA Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral Fellow

    Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO  
    9/2008 - 10/2013

    Ph.D. Candidate

    Harvard University, Cambridge, MA  
    6/2007 - 8/2008

    Research Assistant

    Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, New York, NY  

    Teaching Experience

    Harvard University

    APM 202:  Partial Differential Equations (graduate)

    APM 105:  Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations (undergraduate)

    EPS 231:  Climate Dynamics (graduate)

    EPS 131:  Physical Oceanography (undergraduate)

    Education

    Ph.D., Harvard University, Earth and Planetary Sciences
    B.S., Columbia University, Applied Physics

    Professional Societies

    AMS, 2008 - Present
    AGU, 2008 - Present

    Publications

    Refereed

    Zhu, Y., R. Todling, and N. Arnold. 2022. "Observation Impact and Information Retention in the Lower Troposphere of the GMAO GEOS Data Assimilation System." Monthly Weather Review, [10.1175/MWR-D-21-0334.1]

    Lim, Y.-K., N. Arnold, A. M. Molod, and S. Pawson. 2021. "Seasonality in prediction skill of the Madden-Julian Oscillation and associated dynamics in Version 2 of NASA's GEOS-S2S forecast system." Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres, 126 (18): e2021JD034961 [ 10.1029/2021JD034961]

    Arnold, N. P., W. M. Putman, and S. R. Freitas. 2020. "Impact of Resolution and Parameterized Convection on the Diurnal Cycle of Precipitation in a Global Nonhydrostatic Model." Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan. Ser. II, 98: (In Press) [10.2151/jmsj.2020-066]

    Freitas, S. R., W. M. Putman, N. P. Arnold, D. K. Adams, and G. A. Grell. 2020. "Cascading towards a km‐scale GCM; Impacts of a scale‐aware convection parameterization in the Goddard Earth Observing System GCM." Geophysical Research Letters, 47: [10.1029/2020gl087682]

    Wing, A. A., C. L. Stauffer, T. Becker, et al. K. A. Reed, M. Ahn, N. P. Arnold, S. Bony, M. Branson, G. H. Bryan, J. Chaboureau, S. R. Roode, K. Gayatri, C. Hohenegger, I. Hu, F. Jansson, T. R. Jones, M. Khairoutdinov, D. Kim, Z. K. Martin, S. Matsugishi, B. Medeiros, H. Miura, Y. Moon, S. K. Müller, T. Ohno, M. Popp, T. Prabhakaran, D. Randall, R. Rios‐Berrios, N. Rochetin, R. Roehrig, D. M. Romps, J. H. Ruppert, M. Satoh, L. G. Silvers, M. S. Singh, B. Stevens, L. Tomassini, C. C. Heerwaarden, S. Wang, and M. Zhao. 2020. "Clouds and Convective Self‐Aggregation in a Multi‐Model Ensemble of Radiative‐Convective Equilibrium Simulations." Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, (In Press) [10.1029/2020ms002138]

    Arnold, N. P., and W. M. Putman. 2018. "Nonrotating Convective Self-Aggregation in a Limited Area AGCM." Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 10 (4): 1029-1046 [10.1002/2017ms001218]

    Arnold, N., and E. Tziperman. 2016. "Reductions in mid-latitude upwelling-favorable winds implied by weaker large-scale Pliocene SST gradients." Paleoceanography, 31 (1): 27–39 [10.1002/2015PA002806]

    Arnold, N., and D. A. Randall. 2015. "Global-scale convective aggregation: Implications for the Madden-Julian Oscillation." Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 7 (4): 1499–1518 [10.1002/2015MS000498]

    Arnold, N., M. Branson, Z. Kuang, D. Randall, and E. Tziperman. 2015. "The MJO Response to Warming in the Super-Parameterized CESM." Journal of Climate, 28 (7): 2706–2724.

    Arnold, N., M. Branson, M. A. Burt, et al. D. S. Abbot, Z. Kuang, D. A. Randall, and E. Tziperman. 2014. "Effects of explicit atmospheric convection at high CO2." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111 (30): 10943-10948.

    Arnold, N., Z. Kuang, and E. Tziperman. 2013. "Enhanced MJO-like Variability at High SST." Journal of Climate, 26: 988–1001.

    Arnold, N., E. Tziperman, and B. Farrell. 2012. "Abrupt Transition to Strong Superrotation Driven by Equatorial Wave Resonance in an Idealized GCM." Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 69: 626-640.

    Curtis, D. B., B. Meland, M. Aycibin, et al. N. Arnold, V. H. Grassian, M. A. Young, and P. D. Kleiber. 2008. "A Laboratory Investigation of Light Scattering from Representative Components of Mineral Dust Aerosol at a Wavelength of 550nm." Journal of Geophysical Research, Atmospheres, 113 (D8):

    Brief Bio

    My research focuses on clouds and convection, particularly the relationships between humidity, radiation and rainfall. Current research topics include the dynamics of the Madden-Julian Oscillation, how convection is organized on meso- to synoptic scales, and the role of cold pools in convective organization. I also contribute to GEOS model development, focusing on turbulence and convection in the atmospheric boundary layer.

    Publications

    Refereed

    Zhu, Y., R. Todling, and N. Arnold. 2022. "Observation Impact and Information Retention in the Lower Troposphere of the GMAO GEOS Data Assimilation System." Monthly Weather Review [10.1175/MWR-D-21-0334.1]

    Lim, Y.-K., N. Arnold, A. M. Molod, and S. Pawson. 2021. "Seasonality in prediction skill of the Madden-Julian Oscillation and associated dynamics in Version 2 of NASA's GEOS-S2S forecast system." Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres 126 (18): e2021JD034961 [ 10.1029/2021JD034961]

    Arnold, N. P., W. M. Putman, and S. R. Freitas. 2020. "Impact of Resolution and Parameterized Convection on the Diurnal Cycle of Precipitation in a Global Nonhydrostatic Model." Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan. Ser. II (In Press) 98 [10.2151/jmsj.2020-066]

    Freitas, S. R., W. M. Putman, N. P. Arnold, D. K. Adams, and G. A. Grell. 2020. "Cascading towards a km‐scale GCM; Impacts of a scale‐aware convection parameterization in the Goddard Earth Observing System GCM." Geophysical Research Letters 47 [10.1029/2020gl087682]

    Wing, A. A., C. L. Stauffer, T. Becker, et al. K. A. Reed, M. Ahn, N. P. Arnold, S. Bony, M. Branson, G. H. Bryan, J. Chaboureau, S. R. Roode, K. Gayatri, C. Hohenegger, I. Hu, F. Jansson, T. R. Jones, M. Khairoutdinov, D. Kim, Z. K. Martin, S. Matsugishi, B. Medeiros, H. Miura, Y. Moon, S. K. Müller, T. Ohno, M. Popp, T. Prabhakaran, D. Randall, R. Rios‐Berrios, N. Rochetin, R. Roehrig, D. M. Romps, J. H. Ruppert, M. Satoh, L. G. Silvers, M. S. Singh, B. Stevens, L. Tomassini, C. C. Heerwaarden, S. Wang, and M. Zhao. 2020. "Clouds and Convective Self‐Aggregation in a Multi‐Model Ensemble of Radiative‐Convective Equilibrium Simulations." Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems (In Press) [10.1029/2020ms002138]

    Arnold, N. P., and W. M. Putman. 2018. "Nonrotating Convective Self-Aggregation in a Limited Area AGCM." Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems 10 (4): 1029-1046 [10.1002/2017ms001218]

    Arnold, N., and E. Tziperman. 2016. "Reductions in mid-latitude upwelling-favorable winds implied by weaker large-scale Pliocene SST gradients." Paleoceanography 31 (1): 27–39 [10.1002/2015PA002806]

    Arnold, N., and D. A. Randall. 2015. "Global-scale convective aggregation: Implications for the Madden-Julian Oscillation." Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems 7 (4): 1499–1518 [10.1002/2015MS000498]

    Arnold, N., M. Branson, Z. Kuang, D. Randall, and E. Tziperman. 2015. "The MJO Response to Warming in the Super-Parameterized CESM." Journal of Climate 28 (7): 2706–2724

    Arnold, N., M. Branson, M. A. Burt, et al. D. S. Abbot, Z. Kuang, D. A. Randall, and E. Tziperman. 2014. "Effects of explicit atmospheric convection at high CO2." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111 (30): 10943-10948

    Arnold, N., Z. Kuang, and E. Tziperman. 2013. "Enhanced MJO-like Variability at High SST." Journal of Climate 26 988–1001

    Arnold, N., E. Tziperman, and B. Farrell. 2012. "Abrupt Transition to Strong Superrotation Driven by Equatorial Wave Resonance in an Idealized GCM." Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences 69 626-640

    Curtis, D. B., B. Meland, M. Aycibin, et al. N. Arnold, V. H. Grassian, M. A. Young, and P. D. Kleiber. 2008. "A Laboratory Investigation of Light Scattering from Representative Components of Mineral Dust Aerosol at a Wavelength of 550nm." Journal of Geophysical Research, Atmospheres 113 (D8):

                                                                                                                                                                                            
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