Download Vita

Curriculum Vitae
NATHANIEL C. JOHNSON
Associate Research Scholar
Princeton University
NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory
201 Forrestal Road
Princeton, New Jersey 08540-6649
Email: [email protected], Phone: (609) 452-5315
EDUCATION:
Ph.D. Meteorology
Spring 2009
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
B.A.
Environmental Sciences and Policy, Minor in Spanish
Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
Spring 2001
EMPLOYMENT:
Dec. 2014 – present:
Associate Research Scholar
Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
Feb. 2013 – Nov. 2014: Visiting scholar, Scripps Institution of Oceanography,
University of California, San Diego, California
Jul. 2009 – Nov. 2014: Postdoctoral fellow, International Pacific Research Center
University of Hawai’i at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawai’i
PUBLICATIONS:
Submitted
Feng, J., Z. Wu, S.-P. Xie, and N. C. Johnson, 2015: On the evolution of different types of El
Niño. Geophysical Research Letters, under review.
Johnson, N. C., and Y. Kosaka, 2015: The impact of eastern equatorial Pacific convection on
the diversity of boreal winter El Niño teleconnection patterns. Climate Dynamics, under
review.
Fučkar N. S., V. Guemas, N. C. Johnson, F. Massonnet, and F. J. Doblas-Reyes, 2015: Clusters
of interannual sea ice variability in the Northern Hemisphere. Climate Dynamics, under
revision.
.
1
Peer-reviewed articles
2015
Chang, C.-H., and N. C. Johnson, 2015: The continuum of wintertime Southern Hemisphere
atmospheric teleconnection patterns. Journal of Climate, in press.
Xie, S -P., C. Deser, G. A. Vecchi, M. Collins, T. L. Delworth, A. Hall, E. Hawkins, N. C.
Johnson, C. Cassou, A. Giannini and M. Watanabe, 2015: Towards predictive
understanding of regional climate change. Nature Climate Change, 5, 921-930.
Horton, D. E., N. C. Johnson, D. Singh, D. L. Swain, B. Rajaratnam, and N. S. Diffenbaugh,
2015: Contribution of changes in atmospheric circulation patterns to extreme temperature
trends. Nature, 522, 465-469.
2014
Singh, D., D. E. Horton, M. Tsiang, M. Haugen, M. Ashfaq, R. Mei, D Rastogi, N. C. Johnson,
A. Charland, B. Rajaratnam, and N.S. Diffenbaugh, 2014: Severe precipitation in
northern India in June 2013: Causes, historical context, and changes in probability. [in
"Explaining Extremes of 2013 from a Climate Perspective"]. Bulletin of the American
Meteorological Society, 95, S58-S61.
Chang, C.-H., N. C. Johnson, and N. Cassar, 2014: Neural network-based estimates of Southern
Ocean net community production from in-situ O2/Ar and satellite observation: A
methodological study. Biogeosciences, 11, 3279-3297.
Maloney, E., S. J. Camargo, E. Chang, B. Colle, R. Fu, K. Geil, Q. Hu, X. Jiang, N. C. Johnson,
K. Karnauskas, J. Kinter, B. Kirtman, S. Kumar, B. Langenbrunner, K. Lombardo, L.
Long, A. Mariotti, J. Meyerson, K. Mo, D. Neelin, Z. Pan, R. Seager, Y. Serra, A. Seth, J.
Sheffield, J. Stroeve, J. Thibeault, S.-P. Xie, C. Wang, B. Wyman, and M. Zhou, 2014:
North American climate in CMIP5 Experiments: Part III: Assessment of 21st century
projections. Journal of Climate, 27, 2230-2270.
Johnson, N. C., D. C. Collins, S. B. Feldstein, M. L. L’Heureux, and E. E. Riddle, 2014: Skillful
wintertime North American temperature forecasts out to four weeks based on the state of
ENSO and the MJO. Weather and Forecasting, 29, 23-38.
2013
Sheffield, J., S. J. Camargo, R. Fu, Q. Hu, X. Jiang, N. C. Johnson, K. B. Karnauskas, J. Kinter,
S. Kumar, B. Langenbrunner, E. Maloney, A. Mariotti, J. E. Meyerson, D. Neelin, Z.
Pan, A. Ruiz-Barradas, R. Seager, Y. Serra, D.-Z. Sun, C. Wang, S.-P. Xie, J.-Y. Yu, T.
Zhang, and M. Zhao, 2013: North American climate in CMIP5 Experiments. Part II:
Evaluation of 20th century intra-seasonal to decadal variability. Journal of Climate, 26,
9247-9290.
2
Ito**, H., N. C. Johnson, and S.-P. Xie, 2013: Subseasonal and interannual temperature
variability in relation to extreme temperature occurrence over East Asia. Journal of
Climate, 26, 9026-9042.
Li, J., S.-P. Xie, E. R. Cook, M. S. Morales, D. A. Christie, N. C. Johnson, F. Chen, R.
D’Arrigo, A. M. Fowler, X. Gou, and K. Fang, 2013: El Niño modulations during the
past seven centuries. Nature Climate Change, 3, 822-826.
Johnson, N. C., 2013: How many ENSO flavors can we distinguish? Journal of Climate, 26,
4816-4827.
Riddle, E. E., M. B. Stoner, N. C. Johnson, M. L. L’Heureux, D. C. Collins, and S. B. Feldstein,
2013: The impact of the MJO on clusters of wintertime circulation anomalies over the
North American region. Climate Dynamics, 40, 1749-1766.
2007-2012
Chowdary, J. S., S.-P. Xie, H. Tokinaga, Y. M. Okumura, H. Kubota, N. C. Johnson, and X.-T.
Zheng, 2012: Inter-decadal variations in ENSO teleconnection to the Indo-western
Pacific for 1870-2010. Journal of Climate, 25, 1722-1744.
Lee, S., T. T. Gong, N. C. Johnson, S. B. Feldstein, and D. Pollard, 2011: On the possible link
between tropical convection and Northern Hemisphere Arctic surface air temperature
change between 1958-2001. Journal of Climate, 24, 4350-4367.
Small, A. A., J. B. Stefik*, J. Verlinde, and N. C. Johnson, 2011: The cloud hunter’s problem:
An automated decision algorithm to improve the productivity of scientific data collection
in stochastic environments. Monthly Weather Review, 139, 2276-2289.
Johnson, N. C., and S.-P. Xie, 2010: Changes in the sea surface temperature threshold for
tropical convection. Nature Geoscience, 3, 842-845.
Johnson, N. C., and S. B. Feldstein, 2010: The continuum of North Pacific sea level pressure
patterns: Intraseasonal, interannual, and interdecadal variability. Journal of Climate, 23,
851-867.
Johnson, N. C., S. B. Feldstein, and B. Tremblay, 2008: The continuum of Northern
Hemisphere teleconnection patterns and a description of the NAO shift with the use of
self-organizing maps. Journal of Climate, 21, 6354-6371.
Lebo*, Z. J., N. C. Johnson, and J. Y. Harrington, 2008: Radiative influences on ice crystal and
droplet growth within mixed-phase stratus clouds. Journal of Geophysical Research, 113,
D09203, doi:10.1029/2007JD009262.
3
Verlinde, J., J.Y. Harrington, G.M. McFarquhar, V.T. Yanuzzi, A. Avramov, S. Greenberg, N.
Johnson, M.R. Poellot, J.H. Mather, D.D. Turner, B.D. Zak, T.P. Tooman, A.J. Prenni,
G.L. Kok, E.W. Eloranta, M.D. Ivey, C.P. Bahrmann, K. Sassen, P.J. DeMott, and A.J.
Heymsfield, 2007: The Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (MPACE). Bulletin of the
American Meteorological Society, 88, 205-221.
* denotes a Master’s student mentored by N. C. Johnson during his graduate studies
** denotes a Master’s student mentored by N. C. Johnson during his postdoctoral fellowship. N.
C. Johnson is the corresponding author.
Technical reports
Sheffield, J., A. Barrett, D. Barrie, S. J. Camargo, E. K. M. Chang, B. Colle, D. N. Fernando, R.
Fu, K. L. Geil, Q. Hu, X. Jiang, N. Johnson, K. B. Karnauskas, S. T. Kim, J. Kinter, S.
Kumar, B. Langenbrunner, K. Lombardo, L. N. Long, E. Maloney, A. Mariotti, J. E.
Meyerson, K. C. Mo, J. D. Neelin, S. Nigam, Z. Pan, T. Ren, A. Ruiz-Barradas, R.
Seager, Y. L. Serra, A. Seth, D.-Z. Sun, J. M. Thibeault, J. C. Stroeve, C. Wang, S.-P.
Xie, Z. Yang, L. Yin, J.-Y. Yu, T. Zhang, and M. Zhao, 2014: Regional climate processes
and projections for North America: CMIP3/CMIP5 differences, attribution and
outstanding issues. NOAA Technical Report OAR CPO-2, 47 pp.
Non peer-reviewed articles
Johnson, N. C., 2014: A boost in big El Niño. Nature Climate Change, 4, 90-91.
Johnson, N. C., 2013: Book Reviews. Global Change: Interviews with Leading Climate
Scientists. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 94, 1587-1588.
Conference papers
Johnson, N., E. Riddle, M. Stoner, S. Feldstein, D. Collins, and M. L’Heureux, 2011: Toward a
framework for incorporating MJO and ENSO information into CPC probabilistic
extended range forecasts. Science and Technology Infusion Climate Bulletin, NOAA’s
National Weather Service, 36th NOAA Annual Climate Diagnostics and Prediction
Workshop, 3-6 October, Fort Worth, TX.
Lebo, Z., N. Johnson, and J. Y. Harrington, 2007: Radiative influences on the BergeronFindeisen process in Arctic mixed-phase clouds. 6th Annual AMS Student Conference in
San Antonio, Texas.
Lebo, Z., N. Johnson, and J. Y. Harrington, 2006: Radiative influences on the glaciation
timescales of Arctic mixed-phase clouds. 12th Conference on Cloud Physics, American
Meteorological Society, 10-14 July, Madison, WI.
4
Lebo, Z., N. Johnson, and J. Y. Harrington, 2005: Does cloud top radiative heating and cooling
affect mixed-phase cloud longevity? AGU Fall Meeting, 5-9 December, San Francisco,
CA.
EXTERNAL FUNDING:
Title: Improved extended-range prediction through a Bayesian approach:
Exploiting the enhanced predictability offered by the Madden-Julian Oscillation.
Sponsor: NOAA
Co-Principal Investigators: S.-P. Xie, N. C. Johnson*, S. B. Feldstein, M. L’Heureux, D.
Collins, J. Gottschalk.
Amount: $228,000 University of Hawai’i, $436,995 Total, August 2010 – July 2014
*At the University of Hawaii, it is required that a postdoctoral fellow’s supervisor, i.e., S.-P. Xie,
be listed as the lead PI. N. C. Johnson wrote this proposal and supervised the research of all
collaborators.
Title: Bridging the gap in NOAA’s extended and long range prediction systems through the
development of new forecast products for weeks 3 and 4
Sponsor: NOAA
Co-Principal Investigators: S.-P. Xie, S. B. Feldstein, M. L’Heureux, S. Baxter
Co-Investigator: N. C. Johnson*
Amount: $193,000 Scripps Institution of Oceanography, $399,000 Total, August 2014 – July
2016
*As a Visiting Scholar, N.C. Johnson could not be listed as a PI. However, N.C Johnson wrote
this proposal and supervises the research of all collaborators.
INVITED PRESENTATIONS, SEMINARS, AND WEBINARS
2015

Johnson, N. C. (November 2015). Development of new forecast products for weeks 3-4.
NOAA Climate Test Bed Meeting.

Johnson, N. C., Harnos, D. (October 2015). Operational transition of combined ENSO,
MJO, and trend influences on temperature and precipitation for Weeks 3-4. Webinar
presentation in the NOAA MAPP Webinar series.

Johnson, N. C. (July 2015). Transitioning research into operations for extended range
weather and climate prediction. Penn State extended range forecast workshop for
Pennsylvania middle and high school teachers.
5

Johnson, N. C. (April 2015). The diversity of El Niño teleconnection patterns during
boreal winter. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Ocean and Climate Physics Seminar
series.

Johnson, N. C., Baxter, S., Feldstein, S., L’Heureux, M., & Xie, S.-P. (February 2015).
Beyond week 2: Preliminary work toward generating a North American forecast system
for weeks 3-4. Webinar presentation in the NOAA MAPP Webinar series.
2014

Johnson, N. C. (October 2014). Skillful wintertime, intraseasonal North American
temperature forecasts based on the state of ENSO and the MJO. 2014 AMS Board for
Operational Government Meteorologists (BOGM) webinar conference

Johnson, N. C. (July 2014). The diversity of El Niño teleconnection patterns during
boreal winter. Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton, New Jersey

Johnson, N. C. (January 2014). The diversity and projected changes of El Niño
teleconnections during boreal winter. Spring Colloquium series of the Department of
Meteorology at the Pennsylvania State University
2010
 Johnson, N. C. (December 2010). Changes in the sea surface temperature threshold for
tropical convection. Joint IPRC/Meteorology Department seminar at the University of
Hawai’i in Honolulu, Hawai’i

Johnson, N. C. (July 2010). Variability and change of the sea surface temperature
threshold for convection over tropical oceans. Climate Prediction Center in Camp
Springs, Maryland
2009

Johnson, N. C. (April 2009). The continuum perspective of teleconnection patterns.
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton, New Jersey

Johnson, N. C. (February 2009). The continuum of atmospheric teleconnection patterns.
Spring Colloquium series of the Department of Meteorology at the Pennsylvania State
University
2008

Johnson, N. C. (November 2008). The continuum of atmospheric teleconnection
patterns. Fall Colloquium of the IGERT Joint Program in Applied Mathematics and Earth
and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University
6
2006

Johnson, N. C. (March 2006). Classification of sea level pressure patterns: A comparison
between self-organizing maps and principal component analysis. Community Climate
System Model (CCSM) Joint Polar Climate and Climate Variability Working Group
Meeting
STUDENT AND POSTDOCTORAL MENTORING:
2015-present:
Supervising Dr. Jiaxin Feng with her postdoctoral research on
intraseasonal climate variability and prediction
2010-2011:
Mentored Mr. Hiroyuki Ito with research leading to his Master’s thesis
entitled “Extreme Temperature Occurrence over East Asia,” University of
Hawai’i at Manoa
2007-2009:
Mentored Mr. Jason Stefik with his undergraduate and Master’s research
leading to a thesis entitled “To Fly or Not to Fly: A Decision Algorithm to
Improve Data Collection in Stochastic Environments,” Pennsylvania State
University
2006-2007:
Mentored Mr. Zachary Lebo with his undergraduate and Master’s research
leading to a thesis entitled “Radiative influences on ice crystal and droplet
growth within simulated mixed-phase arctic stratus clouds,” Pennsylvania
State University
AWARDS:
2008:
Carl H. and Helen H. Chelius Graduate Fellowship in Earth Science for
academic excellence in Earth Sciences from the College of Earth and
Mineral Sciences, Pennsylvania State University
2002:
University Graduate Fellowship, Wilson Research Award from
Pennsylvania State University
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:
Panels:
Panelist on the U.S. Department of Energy’s review of proposals to
the Earth System Modeling (ESM) and the Regional and Global
Climate Modeling (RGCM) Programs, 21-23 April 2014
Committees:
Member of the AMS Committee on Climate Variability and
Change (CVC) since January 2012
7
Conferences:
Session chair at the 18th Conference on Atmospheric and Oceanic
Fluid Dynamics, 13-17 June 2011; the 92nd AMS Annual Meeting,
22-26 January 2012; the 37th Annual Climate Diagnostics and
Prediction Workshop, 22-25 October 2012; and the 93rd AMS
Annual Meeting, 6-10 January 2013
Reviewer:
African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology,
Atmospheric Research, Atmospheric Science Letters, Climate
Dynamics, Environmental Research Letters, Geophysical Research
Letters, International Journal of Climatology, IPCC WG1 AR5,
ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, Journal of the
Atmospheric Sciences, Journal of Climate, Journal of
Environmental and Agricultural Sciences, Journal of Geophysical
Research – Atmospheres, Journal of Geophysical Research –
Oceans, Journal of Hydrometeorology, Journal of Oceanography,
Nature, Nature Climate Change, Nature Geoscience, Monthly
Weather Review, Scientific Reports, Theoretical and Applied
Climatology
Field Research:
Participated in Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (MPACE)
September 2004 – October 2004: launched radiosondes at field
sites.
Volunteer in Pennsylvania Area Mobile Radar Experiment
(PAMREX) in fall 2004 and 2005: served as principal operator of
a Doppler on Wheels (DOW) vehicle; obtained and analyzed data
for radar course.
UNIVERSITY ACTIVITIES:
Teaching:
Instructor of Physical Meteorology Laboratory class (Spring 2005),
substitute lecturer for two classes in a mesoscale meteorology class
for advanced undergraduates at the Pennsylvania State University
(Fall 2008), substitute lecturer for two classes in a dynamical
meteorology class for advanced undergraduates (Fall 2009), two
classes in tropical climate (Spring 2012) at the University of
Hawai’i, and three classes in climate dynamics at the Scripps
Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego
(Spring 2013 and 2014)
Committees:
Chair of Graduate Advisory Council in the Pennsylvania State
University Meteorology Department (Summer 2006 – Summer
2008)
8
Panelist in professional development workshop on developing
research topics at the Pennsylvania State University (November
2007)
Faculty Representative for Graduate Advisory Council in the
Pennsylvania State University Meteorology Department (Fall 2005
– Spring 2006)
Member of committee for the construction of writing-intensive
physical meteorology laboratory course (Fall 2005 – Spring 2006)
SCHOLARSHIPS, SOCIETIES:
Member of American Meteorology Society (AMS), American Geophysical Union
(AGU), and Chi Epsilon Pi Meteorology Honor Society
LANGUAGES:
English
Spanish – Read fair, speak/write fair
MEETINGS ATTENDED:
Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Science Team Meeting, March 22-26, 2004
AMS 85th Annual Conference, January 9-13, 2005; Presented poster entitled “Advantages
of T-mode Decomposition in Rotated Principal Component Analysis: Applications to the
Arctic”
Community Climate System Model (CCSM) Joint Polar Climate and Climate Variability
Working Group Meeting, February 6-7, 2006
ARM Science Team Meeting, March 27-31, 2006; Presented poster entitled
“Classification of Sea Level Pressure Patterns: A Comparison between Self-Organizing
Maps and Principal Component Analysis”
17th Conference on Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid Dynamics, June 8-12, 2009;
Presented poster entitled “The continuum of North Pacific sea level pressure patterns:
Intraseasonal, interannual, and interdecadal variability”
18th Conference on Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid Dynamics, June 13-17, 2011;
Gave talk entitled “Variability and change of the sea surface temperature threshold for
convection”
36th Annual Climate Diagnostics and Prediction Workshop, October 3-6, 2011;
9
Gave talk entitled “A framework for incorporating MJO and ENSO information into CPC
probabilistic extended range forecasts”
AMS 92nd Annual Conference, January 22-26, 2012; Gave talk entitled “A Framework
for Incorporating MJO and ENSO information into probabilistic extended range
forecasts” and a presented a poster entitled “Local sea surface temperature versus largescale circulation influences on tropical ocean rainfall”
37th Annual Climate Diagnostics and Prediction Workshop, October 22-25, 2012;
Gave talk entitled “Incorporating MJO and ENSO information into probabilistic
temperature forecasts over North America”
2012 AGU Fall Meeting, December 3-7, 2012; Presented a poster entitled “ENSO
teleconnections to North America in CMIP5 models: Fidelity to observed relationships
and projected changes”
AMS 93rd Annual Conference, January 6-10, 2013; Gave talk entitled “A Framework for
Incorporating MJO information into probabilistic temperature forecasts over North
America” and a presented a poster entitled “ENSO teleconnections to North America in
CMIP5 models: Fidelity to observed relationships and projected changes”
38th Annual Climate Diagnostics and Prediction Workshop, October 21-24, 2013;
Gave talk entitled “Skillful wintertime, intraseasonal North American temperature
forecasts based on the state of ENSO and the MJO”
AMS 94th Annual Conference, February 2-6, 2014; Gave talks entitled “Skillful
wintertime, intraseasonal North American temperature forecasts based on the state of
ENSO and the MJO” and “Partial least squares regression: A potentially useful tool for
climate prediction”
2014 Ocean Sciences Meeting, February 23-28, 2014; Presented a poster entitled “A
partial least squares regression approach for atmosphere and ocean predictions and
diagnostics”
39th Annual Climate Diagnostics and Prediction Workshop, October 20-23, 2014;
Gave talk entitled “A partial least squares regression approach for long-range
intraseasonal and seasonal forecasts”
2014 AGU Fall Meeting, December 15-19, 2014; Presented a poster entitled
“Probabilistic representations of regional climate change in the CESM Large Ensemble”
2015 AMS Annual Meeting, January 5-8, 2015; Gave a talk entitled “Increasing
temperature extremes during the recent global warming hiatus”
10
2015 Climate Diagnostics and Prediction Workshop, October 26-29, 2015; Gave a talk
entitled “Distinctions in the boreal winter teleconnection patterns between convective and
non-convective eastern Pacific El Niño episodes”
11