Dr. Zhengzhao Johnny Luo

Assistant Professor
Dept. of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences &
NOAA CREST Center
City College of New York, CUNY
New York NY 10031
Office: 212-650-8936
Email: luo at sci.ccny.cuny.edu
http://www.sci.ccny.cuny.edu/~luo

Education:

2003 Ph.D., Atmospheric Science, Columbia University
1997 B.S., Atmospheric Science, Peking University, China

Employment:

2007 - present: Assistant Professor, City College of New York, CUNY
2005 - 2007: Research Scientist, ATS, Colorado State University
2003 - 2004: NOAA Postdoctoral Fellow, CIRA, Colorado State University
1998 - 2000: Teaching Assistant, Columbia University
1997 - 2002: Research Assistant, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Stuides (GISS)

Research Interests:

Tropical deep convective processes
Upper-tropospheric water vapor
Satellite remote sensing
GCM & CRM diagnostics

Teaching:

EAS488/B8800: Climate & Climate Change
EAS417/B9104: Satellite Meteorology
EAS311/B9014: Fundamentals of Atmospheric Sciences

Professional Service:

• 2011: Convener, AGU Fall Meeting Session A48 "Tropical and midlatitude convective storm systems and their roles in weather & climate"
  
• 2011 - Present: Scientific Leadership Team for NASA SEAC4RS (SouthEast Asian Composition, Cloud, Climate Coupling Regional Study) field campaign
• 2011: Panelist, NASA Panel review
• 2010: Co-convener, AGU Fall Meeting Session A16 "Innovative Applications of Satellite and Ground Observations in Evaluating Large-Scale Models: Beyond the Resemblance Test"
  
• 2010 - Present: Team member of NASA CloudSat/CALIPSO Science Team
• 2010 - Present: Team member of NOAA Climate Data Record (CDR) Program
• 2010: Panelist, NASA Panel review
  
• 2008: Co-convener, AGU Fall Meeting Session A08 "Innovative Applications of Satellite and Ground Observations in Evaluating GCMs"
  
• 2007: Panelist, NASA Panel review
  
• 2005 - Present: Team member of the MOZAIC (Measurement of Ozone and Water Vapour by Airbus In-Service Aircraft) project, European Union
  
• 2005 - 2008: Science Team Member of the NASA Energy and Water cycle Studies (NEWS)
  
• 2002 - Present: Reviewer for J. Climate, Mon. Wea. Rev., J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., J. Geophys. Res., Geophys. Res. Lett., J. Meteo. Soc. Japan, and Applied Optics
  
• 2004 - Present: Reviewer for NASA proposals
  

Collaborators (last 5 years):

Kerry Emanuel (MIT), Dieter Kley (Research Centre Juelich GmbH, Germany), Xianglei Huang (U. Michigan), Susan van den Heever (CSU), Richard Johnson (CSU), William Rossow (CCNY & NASA/GISS), Graeme Stephens (JPL), W.-K. Tao (NASA/GSFC)

Supervised postdoctoral scholar & students

• Postdoc: Dr. G. Y. Liu (2007-2010)
• Graduate students: Cheila Benavides (MS 2010), Mya M. Teiktin (MS 2010), James Rios (MS, expected to graduate Spr 2011), Hanii Takahashi (Ph.D., expected to graduate Fall 2013), Macarena Ortiz (MS, expected to graduate Spr 2012).

Current Funded Projects:

PI grants:

• "Tropical convective processes: new insights from A-Train/model perspective and framework for evaluating GCM cumulus parameterization", awarded by NASA in June 2010 (selected through CloudSat/CALIPSO Science Team Recompete), duration: 2010-2013, role: PI, amount: $606,586
• "Creating UTH-related FCDRs from IR and microwave sensors cross-calibrated by in situ measurements from commercial aircraft", awarded by NOAA in June 2010 (NOAA Climate Data Record Program), duration: 2010-2013, role: PI, amount: $522,536
• "SEAC4RS Campaign Leadership: Using MOZAIC, A-Train and ISCCP data to help flight palnning and implementation of the Science Plan", awarded by NASA in June 2011 (selected through NASA SEAC4RS field campaign leadership team competition), duration: 2011 - 2014, role: PI, amount: $282,966

Co-I grants:

• "Optimal blending of EOS observations, Goddard cumulus ensemble model, and MERRA reanalysis: towards a better database for testing cloud parameterization", awarded by NASA in March 2009 (NASA MAP), duration: 2009-2012, role: Co-I (PI: Xianglei Huang), total amount: $991,330, out of which $104,100 is subcontracted to CUNY Research Foundation.
• "On the maintenance and use of A-Train simulators to evaluate the cloudiness and precipitation parameterization of global models", awarded by NASA in March 2009 (NASA MAP), duration: 2009-2012, role: Co-I (PI: Graeme Stephens), amount: $54,353 subcontracted to CUNY Research Foundation

Publications:

i) Peer-reviewed articles:

• Ferraro, R., H. Meng, and Z. J. Luo, 2011: Using satellite microwave sensors to develop climate data records, Eos Trans. AGU, 92(32), doi:10.1029/2011EO320005.
• Luo, Z. J. , D. Kley, R. H. Johnson, G. Y. Liu, S. Nawrath, and H. G. J. Smit, 2011: Influence of sea surface temperature on humidity and temperature in the outflow of tropical deep convection, J. Climate, in press
• Wang, C., Z. J. Luo, and X. L. Huang, 2011: Parallax Correction in Collocating CloudSat and MODIS Observations: Method and Application to Convection Study, J. Geophys. Res., 116, D17201, doi:10.1029/2011JD016097
• Luo, Y., R. Zhang, W. Qian, Z. Luo, X. Hu, 2011: Inter-comparison of deep convection over the Tibetan Plateau-Asian Monsoon Region and subtropical North America in boreal summer using CloudSat/CALIPSO data, J. Climate, 24, 2165-2177
• Luo, Z. J. , G. Y. Liu, and G. L. Stephens, 2010: Use of A-Train data to estimate convective buoyancy and entrainment rate, Geophys. Res. Letts. 37, L09804, doi 10.1029/2010GL042904
• Luo, Z. , G. Y. Liu, G. L. Stephens, and R. H. Johnson, 2009: Terminal Vs transient cumulus congestus: A CloudSat perspective, Geophys. Res. Letts., 36, L05808, doi:10.1029/2008GL036927
• Luo, Z., G. Y. Liu, and G. L. Stephens, 2008: CloudSat adding new insight into tropical penetrating convection. Geophys. Res. Letts. 35, L19819, doi:10.1029/2008GL035330
• Luo, Z., D. Kley, R.H. Johnson, and H. Smit, 2008: Ten Years of Measurements of Tropical Upper-Tropospheric Water Vapor by MOZAIC. Part II: Assessing the ECMWF Humidity Analysis. J. Climate, 21, 1449-1466
• Luo, Z., G. L. Stephens, K. A. Emanuel, D. G. Vane, N. Tourville, and J. M. Haynes 2008: On the use of CloudSat and MODIS data for estimating hurricane intensity. IEEE Geoscience Remote Sensing Lett., Vol. 5, No. 1, 13-16
• Haynes, J. M., R. Marchand, Z. Luo, A. Bodas-Salcedo, G. L. Stephens 2007: A multi-purpose radar simulation package, Bull. Am. Met. Soc., 88, 1723-1727
• Kley, D., H. G. J. Smit, S. Nawrath, Z. Luo, P. Nedelec, and R. H. Johnson (2007), Tropical Atlantic convection as revealed by ozone and relative humidity measurements, J. Geophys. Res., 112, D23109, doi:10.1029/2007JD008599
• Luo, Z., D. Kley, R. H. Johnson, and Herman Smit, 2007: Ten years of measurements of tropical upper-tropospheric water vapor by MOZAIC, Part I: climatology, variability, transport and relation to deep convection. J. Climate, 20, 418 - 435
• Luo, Z., and G. L. Stephens 2006: An enhanced convection-wind-evaporation feedback in a superparameterization GCM (SP-GCM) depiction of the Asian summer monsoon, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L06707, doi:10.1029/2005GL025060
• Luo, Z. and W. B. Rossow 2004: Characterizing Tropical Cirrus Lifecycle, Evolution and Interaction with Upper Tropospheric Water Vapor Using Lagrangian Trajectory Analysis of Satellite Observations. J. Climate, 17, 4541-4563
• Luo, Z., W. B. Rossow, T. Inoue, and C. Stubenrauch, 2002: Did the Eruption of the Mt. Pinatubo Volcano Affect Cirrus Properties? J. Climate, 15, 2806-2820

(ii) Ph. D. dissertation:

Luo, Z. 2003: Investigation of Tropical Cirrus, Their Variability, Evolution and Relation to the Upper Tropospheric Water Vapor. Ph.D. Dissertation, Columbia University, 148p.

• (INVITED) Luo, Z. J. 2011: Hot towers from an A-Train perspective, EOS Trans. American Geophysical Union (AGU), Fall Meet., Suppl, A14D, 2011
• Takahashi, H. and Z. J. Luo, 2011: Tropical overshooting convection: Cloud properties and convective system evolution, EOS Trans. American Geophysical Union (AGU), Fall Meet., Suppl., A23D, 2011
• Wang, C., Z. J. Luo, X. Huang, 2011: Parallax correction for satellite-based study of convections: methods, statistics and a case study with MJO, EOS Trans. American Geophysical Union (AGU), Fall Meet., Suppl., A23D, 2011
• McGee, C. J., S. C. van den Heever, and Z. J. Luo, 2011: Diagnosing vertical velocity from CloudSat in deep tropical convection, EOS Trans. American Geophysical Union (AGU), Fall Meet., Suppl., A24B, 2011
• Takahashi, H. and Z. Luo, 2010: Tropical overshooting convection from CloudSat and ISCCP, EOS Trans. American Geophyscial Union (AGU), Fall Meet., Suppl, A21, 2010
• Luo, Z., D. Kley, R. H. Johnson and G. Y. Liu, 2010: Influence of SST on humidity and temperature in the outflow of tropical deep convection: Observational basis for evaluating model simulations, American Geophyscial Union (AGU), Fall Meet., Suppl, A16, 2010
• Luo, Y., R. Zhang, W. Qian, and Z. Luo, 2010: Inter-comparison of deep convection over the Tibetan Plateau-Asian Monsoon Region and subtropical North America in boreal summer using CloudSat/CALIPSO data, American Geophyscial Union (AGU), Fall Meet., Suppl, A21, 2010
• G. L. Stephens, M. A. Rogers, and J. Luo, 2010: The heat balance of the equatorial trough zone, revisted: Part II, American Geophyscial Union (AGU), Fall Meet., Suppl, A21, 2010
• Luo, Z. J., 2010: Tropical convective processes as seen from A-Train: new insights, Eos Trans. AGU, 91(26), West. Pac. Geophys. Meet. Suppl., Abstract A21A-115
• Luo, Z. J., 2010: Convective Buoyancy and Entrainment Rate Estimated from A-Train Data: an Observational Basis for Evaluating GCM Cumulus Parameterization, In Proceedings of the 1st DOE Atmospheric System Research (ASR) Science Team Meeting, March 15-19, Bethesda, MD
• Williams, E. R., M. F. Donovan, Z. J. Luo, C. Kessinger, H. Cai, N. Rehak, D. Megenhardt, M. Steiner, J. Hawkins, R. Bankert, and D. Bou Karam, 2010: Diameters of cumulonimbi over land and ocean and their dependence on cloud base height, Amer. Meteor. Soc., Jan 18 - Jan 21, 2010, Atlanta, GA
• Luo, Z., G. Y. Liu and G. L. Stephens, 2009: Use of A-Train data to estimate convective buoyancy and entrainment rate, EOS Trans. American Geophyscial Union (AGU), Fall Meet., Suppl, A51F-0165, 2009
• Luo, Z., G. Y. Liu, G. L. Stephens, and R. H. Johnson, 2009: Use of A-Train data for studying tropical convective buoyancy, In Proceddings of the 19th Annual ARM Science Team Meeting, March 30 - April 3, 2009, Louisville KY
• Luo, Z., G. Liu, and G. L. Stephens, 2008: Tropical penetrative deep convection as depicted by CloudSat and MODIS, EOS Trans. American Geophysical Union (AGU), Fall Meet. Suppl. A10, 2008
• Kley, D., H. G. J. Smit, R. H. Johnson, Z. Luo, 2008: Relative humidity in the outflow of deep convection: Influence of sea surface temperature, American Geophysical Union (AGU) Chapman Conference on Atmospheric Water Vapor and Its Role in Climate, Oct. 20-24, 2008, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
• Luo, Z., D. Kley, R. H. Johnson, and H. Smit, 2008: Ten years of measurements of tropical upper-tropospheric water vapor by MOZAIC: What do we learn from them? American Geophysical Union (AGU) Chapman Conference on Atmospheric Water Vapor and Its Role in Climate, Oct. 20-24, 2008, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
• (INVITED) Luo, Z., G. L. Stephens, K. A. Emanuel, D. G. Vane, N. Tourville, and J. M. Haynes 2008: On the use of CloudSat and MODIS data for estimating hurricane intensity. In Proceedings of the Symposium on Recent Developments in Atmospheric Applications of Radar and Lidar, Amer. Meteor. Soc. 20-24 January 2008, New Orleans, Louisiana
• (INVITED) Luo, Z., J.-D. Chern, J. M. Haynes, G. L. Stephens, W.-K. Tao and N. B. Wood 2007: Evaluating the Colorado State University and NASA Goddard multi-scale modeling framework (MMF) representation of tropical cloud and precipitation structures using CloudSat data. EOS Trans. American Geophysical Union (AGU), Fall Meet. Suppl. A22, 2007
• Luo, Z., D. Kley, R. H. Johnson, and Herman Smit, 2007: Comparing tens years of measurements of tropical upper-tropospheric water vapor by MOZAIC with the ECMWF product. In Proceedings of the 19th Conference on Climate Variability and Change, Amer. Meteor. Soc. 14 - 18 January 2007, San Antonio TX.
• Luo, Z., J. M. Haynes, G. L. Stephens and N. B. Wood 2006: Evaluation of a prototype multi-scale modeling framework (p-MMF) representation of tropical cloud and precipitation systems using CloudSat data: Preliminary results. EOS Trans. American Geophysical Union (AGU), Fall Meet. Suppl. A51E-0138, 2006
• Luo, Z., D. Kley, R. H. Johnson, and H. G. J. Smit 2006: Ten years of measurements of tropical upper-tropospheric water vapor by MOZAIC: climatology, variability, transport and relation to deep convection, In Proceeding of the Stratospheric Processes And Their Role in Climate (SPARC)-Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) Invitational workshop, sponsored by the United Nation (UN) World Meteorological Organization (WMO)'s World Climate Research Program (WCRP), 12-15 June 2006, Victoria BC, Canada
• Luo, Z. and G. L. Stephens, 2006: Convection feedbacks in a super-parameterization GCM. In Proceedings of the 16th Annual ARM Science Team Meeting, March 27-31, 2006, Albuquerque NM.
• Luo, Z., D. Kley, and R. H. Johnson 2006: Ten years of measurements of tropical upper-tropospheric water vapor by MOZAIC: climatology, variability, transport and relation to deep convection, In Proceedings of the 18th Conference on Climate Variability and Change, Amer. Meteor. Soc. 28 January - 2 February 2006, Atlanta, GA.
• Luo, Z. and G. L. Stephens 2005: Characterizing upper tropospheric temperature, moisture and cloud biases in NCAR CAM2 in comparison with HIRS and ISCCP satellite observations, In Proceeding of the 5th International Scientific Conference on the Global Energy and Water Cycle, June 2005
• Vonder Haar, T. H., J. Forsythe, Z. Luo, D. Randel, B. Ruston and S. Woo, 2005: Water Vapor Trends and Variability from the Global NVAP Dataset. In Proceedings of the 16th Symposium on Global Changes and Climate Variations, Amer. Meteor. Soc. January 9-13, 2005, San Diego CA
• Luo, Z. and W. B. Rossow, 2004: Satellite Investigation of Tropical Cirrus Lifecycle and Relation to Water Vapor and Deep Convection. In Proceedings of the 13th Satellite Meteorology and Oceanography Conference, Amer. Meteor. Soc., 20-24 September 2004, Norfolk VA.
• Luo, Z. and W. B. Rossow 2003: Tropical Cirrus Lifecycle and Relation to the Upper Tropospheric Water Vapor. EOS Trans. American Geophysical Union (AGU), 84(46), Fall Meet. Suppl. A11H-05, 2003.
• Rossow, W. B., Z. Luo, T. Inoue, and C. Stubenrauch, 2001: Did the Eruption of the Mt. Pinatubo Volcano Affect Cirrus Properties? EOS Trans. American Geophysical Union (AGU), 84(46), Fall Meet. Suppl.U32A-0010, 2001.

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