Kenneth E. Pickering
Senior Research Scientist
Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park

Department of Meteorology
University of Maryland                    
College Park, Maryland  20742                   
Phone: (301) 405-7639
Fax:   (301) 314-9482          
pickerin@atmos.umd.edu

Research Interests:

• Deep convection and its effect on tropospheric chemistry
• Evaluation of parameterizations of deep convective transport in mesoscale and global models
• Production and redistribution of NOx from lightning in convective clouds
• Photochemical modeling of ozone production in the free troposphere
• Air parcel trajectory modeling

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Pickering's research interests are focused on atmospheric chemistry and the meteorology of atmospheric transport of trace gas species. Dr. Pickering's work has centered on simulation of vertical transport of trace gases by deep convective clouds and calculation of the subsequent perturbations to photochemical ozone production in the troposphere. For example, he has worked on simulations of convection and chemical tracer transport over Brazil during the NASA TRACE-A (Transport and Atmospheric Chemistry Near the Equator - Atlantic) experiment, which was conducted during the Southern Hemisphere biomass burning season. Dr. Pickering is the PI of a project to evaluate convective transport in a global chemical transport model using regional and cloud-resolving models for NASA's Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Project. Under this project he is also investigating the vertical profiles of nitrogen oxides resulting from lightning. He has also undertaken evaluation studies of various air parcel trajectory modeling techniques. Dr. Pickering is the Project Director for a NASA EOS Interdisciplinary Science Investigation. Dr. Pickering holds an affiliate appointment in the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC), the collaborative research institute of the University of Maryland and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Dr. Pickering received his Ph.D. in Meteorology from the University of Maryland in 1987. Prior to his Ph.D. studies, he was employed by a private consulting company in the field of air pollution meteorology. He received his M.S. degree in Atmospheric Science from the State University of New York at Albany in 1975 and his B.S. from Rutgers University in 1973. Dr. Pickering was the recipient of the NASA Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Branch Contractor Award for Scientific Achievement in 1992 and the Universities Space Research Association Scientific Excellence Award in 1993. He is a member of the American Meteorological Society, the American Geophysical Union, and the Air and Waste Management Association.

Selected publications:

• Pickering, K. E., Y. Wang, W.-K. Tao, C. Price, and J.-F. Mueller, Vertical distributions of lightning NOx for use in regional and global chemical transport models, J. Geophys. Res., 103, 31,203-31,216, 1998. ABSTRACT

• Pickering, K. E., et al., Convective transport of biomass burning emissions over Brazil during TRACE-A, J. Geophys. Res., 101, 23,993-24,012, 1996. ABSTRACT

• Pickering, K. E., A. M. Thompson, D. P. McNamara, M. R. Schoeberl, H. E. Fuelberg, R. O. Loring, Jr., M. V. Watson, K. Fakhruzzaman, and A. S. Bachmeier, TRACE-A trajectory intercomparison, 1. Effects of different input analyses, J. Geophys. Res., 101, 23,909-23,926, 1996. ABSTRACT

• Pickering, K. E., A. M. Thompson, W.-K. Tao, R. B. Rood, D. P. McNamara, and A. M. Molod, Vertical transport by convective clouds: Comparisons of three modeling approaches, Geophys. Res. Lett., 22, 1089-1092, 1995.

• Pickering, K. E., A. M. Thompson, W.-K. Tao, and T. L. Kucsera, Upper tropospheric ozone production following mesoscale convection during STEP/EMEX, J. Geophys. Res., 98, 8737-8749, 1993.

• Stenchikov, G., R. Dickerson, K. Pickering, W. Ellis, B. Doddridge, S. Kondragunta, O. Poulida, J. Scala, W.-K. Tao, 1996: Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange in a Mid-Latitude Mesoscale Convective Complex: Part 2, Numerical Simulations, J. Geophys. Res., 101, 6837-6851.

• Allen, D. J., K. E. Pickering, G. L. Stenchikov, A. M. Thompson, and Y. Kondo, A Three-dimensional total odd nitrogen (NOy) simulation during SONEX using a stretched-grid chemical transport model, J. Geophys. Res.. submitted, 1999.

• DeCaria, A. J., K. E. Pickering, G. L. Stenchikov, J. R. Scala, J. L Stith, J. E. Dye, B. A. Ridley, and P. Laroche, A cloud-scale model study of lightning-generated NOx in an individual thunderstorm during STERAO-A, J. Geophys. Res., submitted, 1999.

Complete List of Publications

Research projects:

Multiscale Atmospheric Transport Modeling for Subsonic Assessment (Funded by NASA Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Program, 1995-1997)

Collaborators:

Vertical Transport Processes in the SASS/GMI Chemical Transport Model: Development, Evaluation, and Assessment Activities (Funded by the NASA Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Program, 1998-2000)

Collaborators:

Tropospheric Convection and Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange: Effects on Photochemistry, Aerosols and Climate (An Earth Observing System Interdisciplinary Science Investigation (EOS/IDS) funded by NASA Office of Earth Science, 1997-2000)

Collaborators:

Project Description

Numerical Simulation of Clouds and Photochemistry for STERAO-A Deep Convection: Nowcasts and Post-mission Diagnostic Studies (Funded by NSF Atmospheric Chemistry Program, 1996-1999)

Collaborators:

STERAO-A Pictures

Participation in SONEX (SASS(Subsonic Assessment) Ozone and Nitrogen Oxides Experiment) (Funded by NASA Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Program through Dr. Anne Thompson, PI, NASA/GSFC, 1997-1999)

Participation in PEM Tropics-B (Pacific Exploratory Mission - Tropics Part B) (Funded by NASA Tropospheric Chemistry Program through Dr. Anne Thompson, PI, NASA/GSFC, 1998-2000)

Prepared by Ken Pickering (pickerin@atmos.umd.edu) - Last updated on October 1, 1999