Short Bio

I am a scientist in the Atmospheric Modeling and Prediction Section (AMP) of CGD. I received my Ph. D. in 1987 and have worked in a number of areas related to atmospheric modeling and parameterization. My research interests include global modeling of the atmosphere at "high" resolution. High resolution in the context of global models currently means horizontal grid spacing on the order of tens of kilometers. In this resolution range global models begin to simulate some important mesoscale features, such as tropical cyclones, but most convective motion in the atmosphere is still poorly resolved. Unfortunately, parameterizations of deep convection developed for climate models at much coarser resolution also perform poorly in this setting, often interfering with incipient mesoscale "organization". I am trying to understand the interactions between parameterized and resolved dynamics in these simulations, and to help develop better methods for representing deep convection in global models.

Recent Publications

Bacmeister, J. T., and G. L. Stephens. 2010, Spatial Statistics of likely Convective clouds in CloudSat data. J. Geophys. Res., doi:10.1029/2010JD014444, in press.(accepted 9 November 2010).

Ott, L.E. S. Pawson, M. Suarez, J.T. Bacmeister, K. Pickering, G. Stenchikov, H. Huntrieser, M. Loewenstein, J. Lopez and I. Xueref-Remy, 2009, Analysis of Convective Transport and Parameter Sensitivity in a Single Column Version of the Goddard Earth Observation System, Version 5, General Circulation Model. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 66, pp. 627-646, doi:10.1175/2008JAS2694.1.

Mapes, B., J.T. Bacmeister, M. Khairoutdinov, C. Hannay and M. Zhao, 2009, Virtual Field Campaigns on Deep Tropical Convection in Climate Models, Journal of Climate, 22, pp. 244-257, doi: 10.1175/2008JCLI2203.1.

Waliser, D. E., et al. 2009, Cloud ice: A climate model challenge with signs and expectations of progress, J. Geophys. Res., 114, D00A21, doi:10.1029/2008JD010015.

Li, J.-L. F., D. Waliser, C. Woods, J. Teixeira, J. Bacmeister, J. Chern, B.-W. Shen, A. Tompkins, W.-K. Tao, and M. Köhler 2008, Comparisons of satellites liquid water estimates to ECMWF and GMAO analyses, 20th century IPCC AR4 climate simulations, and GCM simulations, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L19710, doi:10.1029/2008GL035427.

Lin, J-L., K.M. Weickmann, G.N. Kiladis, B.E. Mapes, S.D. Schubert, M.J. Suarez, J.T. Bacmeister and M-I. Lee, 2008: Subseasonal Variability Associated with Asian Summer Monsoon Simulated by 14 IPCC AR4 Coupled GCMs. Journal of Climate, 21, pp. 4541-4567, doi:10.1175/2008JCLI1816.1.

Lin, J-L., B.E. Mapes, K.M. Weickmann, G.N. Kiladis, S.D. Schubert, M.J. Suarez, J.T. Bacmeister and M-I. Lee, 2008, North American Monsoon and Convectively Coupled Equatorial Waves Simulated by IPCC AR4 Coupled GCMs, Journal of Climate, 21, pp. 2919-2937, doi:10.1175/2007JCLI1815.1.

Siegfried D. Schubert, Max J. Suarez, Philip J. Pegion, Randal D. Koster, and Julio T. Bacmeister. 2007, Potential Predictability of Long-Term Drought and Pluvial Conditions in the U.S. Great Plains, J. Clim., 21, pp. 802-816, doi:10.1175/2007JCLI1741.1.

Bacmeister, J. T., M. J. Suarez, and F. Robertson. 2006, Rain re-evaporation, Boundary layer convection interaction and Pacific rainfall patterns in an AGCM., J. Atmos. Sci., 63, 3383-3403, doi: 10.1175/JAS3791.1.