Steven A. Ackerman
Prof. Atmos and Ocean Sciences
Director, CIMSS
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Academic Education

1985-1987 Colorado State University; Ph.D. - Atmospheric Science; Advisor: Dr. Stephen K. Cox; Dissertation: "Radiative Characteristics of a Dust Laden Atmosphere"

1976-1979 Colorado State University; M.S. - Atmospheric Science

1972-1976 State University of New York - Oneonta

Research

Globally, the earth-atmosphere system is balanced by the radiative energy gained from the sun and lost through infrared emission. The geographic distribution of radiative energy is an important climate variable. A change in one climate variable inevitably results in a change in another variable. Thus, a shift in the radiation balance at the surface of the earth, top of the atmosphere or within the atmosphere can result in a sequence of complicated changes in global climate. My interests center on understanding how changes in the radiation balance affect and are affected by changes in other climate variables such as clouds, aerosols, water vapor and surface properties. These feedback mechanisms are studied using a compliment of theoretical models and observations.

 

Recent Publications


Ackerman, S. A., R. E. Holz, R. Frey, E. W. Eloranta, B. Maddux, and M. McGill, 2008: Cloud Detection with MODIS: Part II Validation. Accepted with revision to J Tech.

Ackerman, S. A., A. J. Schreiner, T. J. Schmit, H. M. Woolf, J. Li1, and M. Pavolonis, 2008: Using the GOES Sounder to Monitor Upper-level SO2 from Volcanic Eruptions. Submitted to Jour. Geo. Res.


Wagner, T. J., W. F. Feltz, and S. A. Ackerman, 2007: The Temporal Evolution of Convective Indices in Storm-Producing Environments, under revision for Wea. Forecasting.

Brunner, J. C., S. A. Ackerman, A. S. Bachmeier, and R. M. Rabin, 2007: A Quantitative Analysis of the Enhanced-V Feature in Relation to Severe Weather. Accepted for publication in Wea. Forecasting, 22, No. 4, 853-872.


Schreiner, A. J., S. A. Ackerman, B. A. Baum, A. K. Heidinger, 2007: A Multi-Spectral Technique for Detecting Low Level Cloudiness Near Sunrise. JTECH, 24, 10, 1800-1810.

Li, Z., J. Li, W. P. Menzel, T. J. Schmit, and S. A. Ackerman, 2007: Comparison between current and future environmental satellite imagers on cloud classification using MODIS. Remote Sensing of Environment. 108, 311-326.


Wang, F., J. Li, T. Schmit, S. A. Ackerman 2007: Trade-off studies of a hyperspectral infrared sounder on a geostationary satellite, Appl. Optics, 46, 2 200-209.

Uhlenbrock, N. L., K. M. Bedka, W. F. Feltz, and S. A. Ackerman, 2007: Mountain Waves Signatures in MODIS 6.7 micron Imagery and Their Relation to Pilot Reports of Turbulence. Wea. Forecasting. 22, 662-670.


Hong, G., P. Yang, H -L Huang, S. A. Ackerman, and I. N. Sokolik, 2006: High-resolution infrared spectral signature of overlapping cirrus clouds and mineral dust. JGR Lett. 33, L04805, 4pp.

Holz, R., S. A. Ackerman, P. Antonelli, F. Nagle, R. O. Knuteson, M. McGill, D. L. Hlavka, and W. D. Hart, 2006: An Improvement to the High Spectral Resolution CO2 Slicing Cloud Top Altitude Retrieval. J.Atmos. Oceanic Technol. 23, 5, pp.653-670


Knox, J. A., and S. A. Ackerman, 2005: What do Introductory Meteorology Students want to Learn? Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc. 86, 10, 1431-1435.

Ackerman, S. A.; Bachmeier, A. S.; Strabala, K. and Gunshor, M.. A unique satellite perspective of the 13-14 January 2004 record cold outbreak in the Northeast. Weather and Forecasting, Volume 20, Issue 2, 2005, pp.222-225.


Hawkinson, James A.; Feltz, Wayne and Ackerman, Steven A.. A comparison of GOES sounder- and cloud lidar- and radar-retrieved cloud-top heights. Journal of Applied Meteorology, Volume 44, Issue 8, 2005, pp.1234-1242. 7


Knox, John A. and Ackerman, Steven A.. What do introductory meteorology students want to learn?. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, Volume 86, Issue 10, 2005, pp.1431-1435.


King, Michael D.; Platnick, Steven; Yang, Ping; Arnold, G. Thomas; Gray, Mark A.; Riedi, Jerome C.; Ackerman, Steven A. and Liou, Kuo-Nan. Remote sensing of liquid water and ice cloud optical thickness and effective radius in the Arctic: Application of airborne multispectral MAS data. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, Volume 21, Issue 6, 2004, pp.857-875.


Liu, Yinghui; Key, Jeffrey R.; Frey, Richard A.; Ackerman, Steven A. and Menzel, W. Paul. Nighttime polar cloud detection with MODIS. Remote Sensing of Environment, Volume 92, 2004, pp.181-194. Call Number: Reprint # 3815


Huang, Hung-Lung; Yang, Ping; Wei, Heli; Baum, Bryan A.; Hu, Yongxiang; Antonelli, Paolo and Ackerman, Steven A.. Inference of ice cloud properties from high spectral resolution infrared observations. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Volume 42, Issue 4, 2004, pp.842-853. Call Number: Reprint # 3923


Lee, Yoonkyung; Wahba, Grace and Ackerman, Steven A.. Cloud classification of satellite radiance data by multicategory support vector machines. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, Volume 21, Issue 2, 2004, pp.159-169, corrigendum.


McCourt, M. L.; McMillan, W. W.; Ackerman, S.; Holz, R.; Revercomb, H. E. and Tobin, D.. Using the 'blue spike' to characterize biomass-burning sites during Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI) 2000. Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 109, 2004


Li, Jun; Menzel, W. Paul; Yang, Zhongdong and Frey, Richard A./Ackerman, Steven A.. High-spatial-resolution surface and cloud-type classification from MODIS multispectral band measurements. Journal of Applied Meteorology, Volume 42, Issue 2, 2003, pp.204-226.


Yang, Ping; Baum, Bryan A.; Heymsfield, Andrew J.; Hu, Yong X.; Huang, Hung-Lung; Tsay, Si-Chee and Ackerman, Steve. Single-scattering properties of droxtals. Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer, Volume 79, 2003, pp.1159-1169.


Turner, D. D.; Ackerman, S. A.; Baum, B. A.; Revercomb, H. E. and Yang, P.. Cloud phase determination using ground-based AERI observations at SHEBA. Journal of Applied Meteorology, Volume 42, Issue 6, 2003, pp.701-715.


Platnick, Steven; King, Michael D.; Ackerman, Steven A.; Menzel, W. Paul; Baum, Bryan A.; Riedi, Jerome C. and Frey, Richard A.. The MODIS cloud products: Algorithms and examples from Terra. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Volume 41, Issue 2, 2003, pp.459-473.


Moeller, Christopher C.; Revercomb, Henry E.; Ackerman, Steven A.; Menzel, W. Paul and Knuteson, Robert O.. Evaluation of MODIS thermal IR and L1B radiances during SAFARI 2000. Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 108, 2003, (SAF 30-1)-(SAF 30-12).


King, Michael D.; Menzel, W. Paul; Kaufmann, Yoram J.; Tanre, Didier; Gao, Bo-Cai; Platnick, Steven; Ackerman, Steven A.; Remer, Lorraine A.; Pincus, Robert and Hubanks, Paul A.. Cloud and aerosol properties, precipitable water, and profiles of temperature and water vapor from MODIS. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Volume 41, Issue 2, 2003, pp.442-458.


Inoue, Toshiro and Ackerman, Steve A.. Radiative effects of various cloud types as classified by the split window technique over the eastern sub-tropical Pacific derived from colloctated ERBE and AVHRR data. Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan, Volume 80, Issue 6, 2002, pp.1383-1394.


16. Whittaker, Thomas M. and Ackerman, Steven A.. Interactive web-based learning with Java. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, Volume 83, Issue 7, 2002, pp.970-975.


Baum, Bryan A.; Soulen, Peter F.; Strabala, Kathleen I.; King, Michael D.; Ackerman, Steven A.; Menzel, W. Paul and Yang, Ping. Remote sensing of cloud properties using MODIS airborne simulator imagery during SUCCESS. 2. Cloud thermodynamic phase. Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 105, 2000, pp.11,781-11,792.


Chung, Sunggi; Ackerman, Steven; van Delst, Paul F. and Menzel, W. Paul. Model calculations and interferometer measurements of ice-cloud characteristics. Journal of Applied Meteorology, Volume 39, Issue 5, 2000, pp.634-644.

Chang, Fu-Lung; Li, Zhanqing and Ackerman, Steven A.. Examining the relationship between cloud and radiation quantities derived from satellite observations and model calculations. Journal of Climate, Volume 13, Issue 21, 2000, pp.3842-3859.


Frey, Richard A.; Baum, Bryan A.; Menzel, W. Paul; Ackerman, Steven A.; Moeller, Christopher C. and Spinhirne, James D.. A comparison of cloud top heights computed from airborne lidar and MAS radiance data using CO2 slicing. Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 104, 1999, pp.24547-24555.

Riggs, George A.; Hall, Dorothy K. and Ackerman, Steven A.. Sea ice extent and classification mapping with the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer airborne simulator. Remote Sensing of Environment, Volume 68, Issue 2, 1999, pp.152-163.


King, Michael D.; Tsay, Si-Chee; Ackerman, Steven A. and Larsen, North F.. Discriminating heavy aerosol, clouds, and fires during SCAR-B: Application of airborne multispectral MAS data. Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 103, 1998, pp.31,989-31,999.


Ackerman, Steven A.; Strabala, Kathleen I.; Menzel, W. Paul; Frey, Richard A.; Moeller, Christopher C. and Gumley, Liam E.. Discriminating clear sky from clouds with MODIS. Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 103, 1998, pp.32,141-32,157.

Smith, W. L.; Ackerman, S.; Revercomb, H.; Huang, H.; DeSlover, D. H.; Feltz, W. and Gumley, L.. Infrared spectral absorption of nearly invisible cirrus clouds. Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 25, Issue 8, 1998, pp.1137-1140.

Ackerman, S. A.; Moeller, C. C.; Strabala, K. I.; Gerber, H. E.; Gumley, L. E.; Menzel, W. P. and Tsay, S-C.. Retrieval of effective microphysical properties of clouds: A wave cloud case study. Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 25, Issue 8, 1998, pp.1121-1124.

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