Prof. David P. Edwards
   
iCACGP Commission Member  
National Center for Atmospheric Research
Atmospheric Chemistry Division
   
Fax : +1-303-497-1492
edwards@ucar.edu
 Research Interests        Awards        Publications        Detailed CV
EDUCATION:   

1983 Van Mildert College, University of Durham, UK. B.Sc. (Honours) in Physics

1984 Department of Physics, University of Birmingham, UK. M.Sc. The Physics and Technology of Nuclear Systems Thesis title: "Ion beam width effects on the growth of Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities in inertial confinement fusion targets".

1987 Ph.D. Dense Plasma Physics Theory Thesis title: "Some theoretical studies on the implosion and fusion burn of heavyy ion beam driven inertial confinement fusion targets".

EMPLOYMENT & EXPERIENCE:   

Jun. 2000 to Present National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO. Scientist III and Group Leader, Atmospheric Chemistry Division: NASA Co-Investigator and NCAR Group Leader for the Terra/MOPITT satellite project. Management responsibilities for data processing, algorithm enhancement, data validation exercises and coordinating science investigations.

Research interests:   
  • Scientific utilization of tropospheric remote sensing data. Investigation of trace gas and aerosol seasonal variations and global distributions, sources and sinks. Emphasis on the role of biomass burning emissions, tropospheric transport of pollution, and resultant photochemistry.
  • Aug. 1991- May 2000 National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO. Scientist I and II, Atmospheric Chemistry Division Satellite instrument design research and algorithm development, data analysis, and scientific investigations with the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS), Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), and ESA ENVISAT projects. Responsible for the development of operational retrieval radiative transfer models. Research interests: Atmospheric radiative transfer theory and modeling for planetary atmospheres; middle atmosphere non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) processes, chemistry and photochemistry; radiation balance; molecular spectroscopy. Science team member: Aura/HIRDLS, Terra/MOPITT, UARS/CLAES, ENVISAT/MIPAS, and CRISTA satellite instruments.
  • Apr. 1992- Apr. 1993 Instituto de Astrofνsica de Andalucνa Granada, Spain. Scientific Visiting Fellowship: International collaboration to develop a non-LTE model to describe radiation processes in the middle atmosphere, and assess the implications for remote sensing and climate modeling.
  • Aug. 1989- Jul. 1991 National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO. Visiting Scientist: Work in the Global Atmospheric Change Group on satellite remote sounding of trace gases. Emphasis on spectral line shape considerations for satellite temperature sounding.
  • Jan. 1987- Jul. 1989 Hooke Institute for Atmospheric Research, Oxford University, UK. Post-Doctoral Research Fellow: Development of a new general atmospheric radiative transfer model, GENLN2.
  • Jun. 1986- Dec. 1986 Department of Physics, University of Birmingham, UK. Post-Doctoral Research Assistant: Projects arising from thesis work on the study of inertial confinement fusion, neutral and charged particle transport, and radiation processes in dense plasmas.
    • PRINCIPAL SCIENTIFIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS:   

    Experience in the field of satellite remote sensing for atmospheric chemistry and dynamics includes contributions at every mission stage: science driven concept, instrument design, authoring science algorithms for data reduction, and scientific utilization of the measurements.

  • Presented the first long-term global comparison of tropospheric CO and aerosol optical depth measurements made by the Terra satellite. This work characterized seasonal variations of sources and sinks of these important pollutants, and identified significant inter-annual variability with the occurrence of sporadic wild fires.
  • Investigated ways of combining data from several tropospheric remote sensing instruments to examine the global distributions of trace gases in the lower atmosphere, and how these impact tropospheric ozone chemistry. This new use of satellite data led to an explanation of the tropical Atlantic ozone "paradox" and a description of mechanisms leading to the observed regional distribution of ozone and precursors.
  • Characterized the middle atmosphere radiation field and its dependence on solar, photochemical, and collisional molecular excitation mechanisms. Developed a scheme for describing radiative transfer under non-LTE conditions and identified CO2, H2O, O3, and NO2 non-LTE emissions in satellite measurements. This has resulted in a greater understanding of the middle atmosphere energetics affecting these molecules and the implications for climate modeling and satellite remote sensing of planetary atmospheres.
  • Authored the state-of-the-art general line-by-line radiative transfer model GENLN2. This calculates atmospheric transmittance, radiance, flux, and cooling rates with full atmospheric radiative physics, including instrument effects. It is used widely in the community for the analysis of ground-based, aircraft and satellite spectroscopic measurements. It has applications in trace gas retrieval, radiative forcing studies, molecular spectroscopy, instrument design, reference calculations and coefficient generation for operational models. A new edition of this model, GENLN3, has recently been made available to the community.
  • Advanced the understanding of both the CO2 spectral line shape and the water vapor continuum. Presented some of the first observations of CO2 spectral line mixing in atmospheric spectra, and then elaborated a model describing the resulting band profile and far-wing absorption. The importance of this led to its incorporation in the temperature retrieval schemes of the UARS IR sounders.
  • Developed new, efficient and accurate approaches for fast radiative transfer modeling based on coefficient look-up, regression and correlated-k distribution techniques. These models have found application in operational retrieval codes and climate models.
  • Contributed to defining the scientific and performance requirements of satellite IR remote sensing instruments. Selected the EOS HIRDLS and MOPITT channel parameters to achieve optimal retrieval capability. Played a lead role in defining the operational scientific algorithm theoretical basis and design for MOPITT and HIRDLS. Contributed to UARS/CLAES temperature and trace gas data product validation studies.
    • PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:   

    Journals Associate Editor of J. of Quantitative Spectroscopy & Radiative Transfer.

    Regular reviewer of manuscripts for journals and proposals for funding agencies.

    Scientific Service:   

    Science contact for users of the Terra/MOPITT data.

    Providing radiation models for international community use, particularly the GENLN2 code. Involves help to users in terms of problem definition and general

    support. GENLN2 is licensed by UCAR and has an international user group comprising government agencies, universities, and corporations, including NASA

    centers, UK. Met. O, & ECMWF.

    Awards & Recognition:   

    NASA Cert. of Appreciation for service to Earth Science Enterprise

    Lead author on publication nominated for the NCAR Distinguished Achievement Award

    NASA GSFC Cert. of Recognition for Contributions to EOS Aura

    NASA GSFC Group Achievement Award for Aura Team

    NASA Group Achievement Award for Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment North America Science Team

    NASA Group Achievement Award for Aura Project

    Working Groups:   

    International Radiation Commission:

    Intercomparison of radiative transfer algorithms (ITRA)

    Remote sounding of the Middle Atmosphere (RSMA)

    NASA Atmospheric Composition Panel on Observation System

    Simulation Experiments

    Societies Member of the UK Institute of Physics

    Fellow of the UK Royal Meteorological Society

    Member of the American Geophysical Union

    Education & Outreach:   

    Scientific outreach for the MOPITT project

    Story production for NASA's Earth Observer website

    Ph.D. thesis committee member, Univ. of Granada, Spain

    Co-supervisory responsibilities for Ph.D. students

    EXTERNALLY FUNDED COLLABORATIONS:   

    Principal Investigator: Measurement Characterization Study for the Retrieval of Tropospheric Carbon Monoxide From Geo-Stationary Orbit, NASA Langley Research Center, 2006 - 2007.

    Principal Investigator: TERRA/MOPITT Measurements of Tropospheric Carbon Monoxide and Data Analysis in Support of INTEX-NA, NASA Earth Science Enterprise, 2005 - 2008.

    Principle Investigator: Early Career Scientist and New Faculty Support for Attending the NCAR Community Workshop on Air Quality Remote Sensing From Space, NSF, 2006.

    Principle Investigator: Early Career Scientist and New Faculty Support for Attending the NCAR Community Workshop on Air Quality Remote Sensing From Space, NASA Earth Science Enterprise, 2006.

    Co-Investigator: Satellite and Ground-based Validation of TES Tropospheric CO Products, PI: Ben Ho, NCAR. NASA Earth Science Enterprise, 2005 - 2008.

    Principal Investigator: Measurement Characterization Study for the Retrieval of Tropospheric Carbon Monoxide From Geo-Stationary Orbit. NASA Langley Research Center, 2004 - 2005.

    Co-Investigator: Biomass Burning Emissions: An Innovative Technique for Assessing Global Climate Impacts, PI: Nicholas Jones, University of Wollongong, Australia, Australian Research Council, 2005- 2008.

    Principal Investigator: Terra/MOPITT Measurements of Tropospheric Carbon Monoxide in Support of INTEX, NASA Earth Science Enterprise, 2004.

    Co-Investigator: The Successor to Measurements Of Pollution In The Troposphere MOPITT-2, PI: James R. Drummond, University of Toronto, Canada, Canadian Space Agency Advanced Studies Contract, 2003 - 2007.

    Principal Investigator: Using Satellite Tropospheric Trace Gas Remote Sensing to Link Chemistry and Transport Between the Local and Global Scales, NASA Earth Science Enterprise, 2003 - 2006.

    Co-Investigator: Team Leader Proposal for the Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) Experiment, PI: John Gille, NCAR, NASA Earth Science Enterprise, 2004 - 2007.

    Co-Investigator: European ICARTT Data Management, PI: Cathy Law, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, France, CNRS, 2004.

    Co-Investigator: Closing the Carbon Monoxide Budget: Variability in CO Emissions, PI: Louisa Emmons, NCAR, NASA Earth Science Enterprise, 2004 - 2007.

    Visiting Professor, l'Obervatoire Midi-Pyrιnιes de Toulouse, France, Nov. 2001.

    Principal Investigator: NASA/UARS Special Investigator, Development of a UARS/CLAES mode 3 data product and its scientific utilization, NASA Mission To Planet Earth, 1997 - 2000.

    Science Manager: Reference forward model for the ESA/MIPAS instrument, PI: C. D. Rodgers, Oxford University, European Space Agency 1996.

    Scientific Visiting Fellow: Development of a non-LTE model for the Earth's atmosphere, with M. Lσpez-Puertas, Instituto de Astrofνsica de Andalucνa, Scientific Research Council (CSIC), Spain, 1992.

    SPECIAL SKILLS:   
  • Familiarity with a wide range of computing facilities and operating systems.
  • Expertise in scientific programming and developing large computer models.
  • Fluency in Spanish (DELE qualified).

    • Detailed CV