Jimmy Correia Jr. can be reached at:  jimmyc symbol iastate.edu
Research topics:
    I am interested in synoptic/dynamic meteorology as well as mesoscale meteorology. My main focus is on the development of extratropical cyclones and the mesoscale features that accompany them. These include Inertia Gravity Waves (IGW), the development of fronts and CSI.
    I also have interests in observational data issues including Limiting Angles associated with rawinsondes. This has led to an interest in the life cycle of upper tropospheric jet's. I have also acquired interest in Low Level Jets (LLJ), which appear to play an important role in the inititation of convection but also the maintenance of Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCSs).
 

Missing Rawinsonde winds:
       Rawinsonde data from 1998 through 2004 were objectively scrutinized for missing winds. This study tries to understand the environment in which missing winds occur. It is hypothesized that strong accelerations associated with jet streaks produce the majority of missing winds, although equipment failures/problems also contribute. A summary is produced for every 00 and 12 UTC rawinsonde report that contains missing winds from within the CONUS.  These summaries are used to construct climatologies at each station to examine the frequency of missing winds.  In addition, an analysis is performed to count the number of missing reports at a base station and count all the other stations that go missing at the same time. This simple correlation attempts to identify regional preferences for strong jet accelerations or even regional problems for rawinsonde wind finding (Example at TLH). A simple index of missing winds across  CONUS may help investigate the role of instrument error in atmospheric predictability.

The information gathered so far hints that a larger dataset may provide more revealing information about the frequency of missing winds. Within a larger context, we may begin to understand the effect of rawinsonde error on predictability.

Resolution of the current US surface observing Network
Map depicting areas where insufficient observations exist to create a grid *resolution* of ~32 km.
BAMEX Map depicting how 1 minute observations change these insufficient areas.

My Phd research:
Understanding and incorporating cold pools into numerical models.
  My Prospectus
    Using BAMEX data to understand the MCS environment, relationship between severe wind producing MCSs and non severe MCSs, and numerical modelling to link the dynamics to the thermodynamics of these modelled systems.

Some results from Observations:
Dropsonde dataset analysis and composite soundings
10 June 2003 IOP 7A : Poster

Some results from NWP:
Initial conditions
Convective parameterization

Publications:

    1. Fiorino, Steven T. and James Correia Jr., 2002: Gravity wave event diagnosed using Emprical Orthogonal Functions. Earth Interactions,  6 , paper 1. PDF movie1movie2

    2. Correia Jr., James, and Ray Arritt, 2004: The MCS producing derecho of 31 May 1998: An Inertia Gravity wave. Submitted to Weather and Forecasting. Rejected. under revision.

    3. Gallus, William, J. Correia, and I. Jankov, 2005: The 4 June 1999 Derecho event: A particularly difficult challenge for numerical weather prediction. WAF, accepted May 10.

    4. Correia, Jr., James, 2004: The resolution of the US surface network. In preparation.

     5. Correia, Jr., James, 2004: A note on missing rawinsonde winds. In preparation.

    6. A surface wind gust climatology. Part 1: hourly analysis from 1980-1996, In preparation.

    7. A surface wind gust climatology. Part 2: sounding analysis, In Preparation

    8. Correia, James Jr, and P. H. Ruscher, 2004: Forecasting the 25 January 2000 surprise east coast snowstorm: Observational data issues. Submitted to Monthly Weather Review. Rejected.

    9. Multiple vortex development in a severe bow echo MCS, In preparation.

    10. Convective contamination of model generated initial conditions.

Conference Publications:
    1. Correia Jr, James and R. W. Arritt, 2003: The effect of differential cloud cover on the propagation of a surface cold front. 10th conference on mesoscale processes. P1.32

    2. Correia Jr, James and R. W. Arritt, 2004: Preliminary results of a real time, Time to Space conversion for surface analysis. 84th AMS Annual Meeting.

     3. Correia Jr, James and R. W. Arritt, 2004: Numerical Modelling of the 31 May 1998 severe bow echo. 84th AMS Annual Meeting.

    4. Correia Jr, James and R. W. Arritt, 2004: The role of differential cloud cover on the propgation of a surface cold front. 84th AMS Annual Meeting.

    5. Correia Jr, James and R. W. Arritt, 2004: Convective cold pool structure from BAMEX dropwindsonde and surface analysis. 22nd Conf. on severe local storms. Hyannis, MA

    6. Correia Jr, James, William Gallus, Isidora Jankov, and R. W. Arritt, 2004: Convective contamination of model initializations and the poor forecasts that follow. 22nd Conf on severe local storms.

    7. William A. Gallus, Jr., Isidora Jankov, and J. Correia Jr., 2004: The 4 June 1999 derecho: The ultimate challenge for numerical weather prediction. 22nd conference on severe local storms.

Last Updated August 15, 2005