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Anthony B. Davis

Photo of Anthony Davis

Address:

4800 Oak Grove Drive
M/S 233-200

Pasadena, CA 91109

Phone:

818.636.3387

Curriculum Vitae:

Click here

Member of:

Aerosols And Clouds

Education

  • PhD, Physics, McGill University (1992)
  • MS, Physics, University of Montreal (1980)
  • BSc, Physics, University Pierre & Marie Curie/Paris VI (1977)

Professional Experience

  • Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Research Scientist (2009-Present)
  • UCLA - JIFRESSE, Visiting Research Scientist (2010-2017)
  • Los Alamos National Laboratory, Guest Scientist, (2009-2016)
  • Los Alamos National Laboratory, Technical Staff Member, Space & Remote Sensing Group (1998-2008)
  • NASA - Goddard Space Flight Center, GSFC Visiting Scientist (USRA), Climate & Radiation Branch (1992-1997)
  • Various teaching, outreach and research positions (1978-1986).

Research Interests

  • Remote sensing techniques, as applied to the Earth’s cloudy atmosphere, in visible, near-IR and shortwave-IR spectral regions, now emphasizing polarization diversity and oxygen absorption spectroscopy.
  • Tomographic reconstruction of 3D clouds and aerosol plumes (outer shapes, internal structures and microphysical properties) using passive multi-spectral/multi-angle imagery.
  • Visibility, imaging and atmospheric correction in scattering planetary atmospheres, e.g., Titan (in support of TRN) and Venus (in support of surface sensing from a below-cloud platform).
  • Computational vector radiative transfer in 1D vertically variable atmospheres over anisotropic polarizing surfaces, and in spatially complex 3D scattering or reflecting media such as clouds, cloud/aerosol/surface systems, vegetation and rough terrain.
  • Bayesian cloud and aerosol retrieval algorithms and information content analysis.
  • Sensor-level observation system simulation experiments (OSSEs) and retrieval uncertainty quantification (UQ).
  • New instrument concepts/synergies, e.g., using active modalities such as off-beam/multiple-scattering cloud lidar.
  • Large- and small-scale radiation energetics for realistic 3D clouds and cloud/aerosol/surface systems.
  • Climate impacts of clouds and aerosols via energy and water cycles.
  • Multi-scale/multi-moment statistical analyses of nonlinear atmospheric processes using wavelet transforms, fractals and multifractals.

Selected Publications

Selection here is only since joining JPL in 02/2009. For a comprehensive list, please request by email.

  1. D. Stanley, R. Woollands, A. Rahmani, F. Rossi, C. Choi, and A. B. Davis. Enabling Space-Based Computed Cloud Tomography with a Mixed Integer Linear Programming Scheduler. AIAA Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets 0:0, 1-6 (2024). https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/1.A35740
  2. A. B. Davis, L. C. Roberts, Jr., S. J. Dolinar, Jr., and M. K. Cheng, Photon Budget Estimation for Long-Range Underwater Free-Space Optical Communications Through Realistic Levels of Oceanic Absorption and Scattering, Appl. Opt. 63, E18-E27 (2024). https://opg.optica.org/ao/abstract.cfm?URI=ao-63-16-E18
  3. A. B. Davis, K. H. Baines, B. M. Sutin, J. A. Cutts, L. I. Dorsky, and P. K. Byrne, Feasibility of Nighttime Near-IR Imaging of Venus’ Surface from a Platform Just Below the Clouds: A Radiative Transfer Study Accounting for the Potential of Haze, Planetary and Space Science 242, 105853 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2024.105853
  4. M. J. Kurowski, J. Teixeira, C. Ao, S. Brown, A. B. Davis, L. Forster, K.-N. Wang, M. Lebsock, M. Morris, V. Payne, M. T. Richardson, R. Roy, D. R. Thompson, and R. C. Wilson, Synthetic Observations of the Planetary Boundary Layer from Space: An Observing System Simulation Experiment Framework, Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc. 104, E1999-E2022 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-22-0129.1
  5. Loveridge, A. Levis, L. Di Girolamo, V. Holodovsky, L. Forster, A. B. Davis, and Y. Y. Schechner. Retrieving 3D distributions of atmospheric particles using Atmospheric Tomography with 3D Radiative Transfer – Part 2: Local optimization. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques 16, 3931-3957 (2023). https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3931-2023
  6. Loveridge, A. Levis, L. Di Girolamo, V. Holodovsky, L. Forster, A. B. Davis, and Y. Y. Schechner. Retrieving 3D distributions of atmospheric particles using Atmospheric Tomography with 3D Radiative Transfer – Part 1: Model description and Jacobian calculation. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques 16, 1803-1847 (2023). https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-1803-2023
  7. Libois, and A. B. Davis, Photon Path Distributions in Optically Thin Slabs, Optics Express 30, 40,968-40,990 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.464033
  8. A. B. Davis, Y. Yang, and A. Marshak, EPIC/DSCOVR as a pathfinder in cloud and aerosol remote sensing using differential oxygen absorption spectroscopy,Frontiers in Remote Sensing 3 (2022). https://doi.org/10.3389/frsen.2022.796273
  9. A. Levis, A. B. Davis, J. R. Loveridge, and Y. Y. Schechner, 3D cloud tomography and droplet size retrieval from multi-angle polarimetric imaging of scattered sunlight from above, in S.P.I.E. Proceedings, Vol. 11833, “Polarization Science and Remote Sensing X,” M. K. Kupinski, J. A. Shaw and F. Snik (Eds.), 11833-05, 15pp. (2021). https://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.2593369
  10. L. Forster, A. B. Davis, D. J. Diner, and B. Mayer, Toward cloud tomography from space using MISR and MODIS: Locating the "veiled core" in opaque convective clouds, J. Atmos. Sci. 78, 155-166 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-19-0262.1
  11. A. Levis, Y.Y. Schechner, A.B. Davis, and J. Loveridge, Multi-view polarimetric scattering cloud tomography and retrieval of droplet size, Remote Sensing 12, 2831- (2020). https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12172831
  12. G. Matheou, A.B. Davis, and J. Teixeira, The spiderweb structure of stratocumulus clouds, Atmosphere 11, 730- (2020). https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11070730
  13. L.A. Remer, A.B. Davis, S. Mattoo, R.C. Levy, O.V. Kalashnikova, J. Chowdhary, K. Knobelspiesse, Z. Ahmad, E. Boss, B. Cairns, O. Coddington, H. M. Dierssen, D.J. Diner, B. Franz, R. Frouin, B.-C. Gao, A. Ibrahim, J. V. Martins, A.H. Omar, O. Torres, S.E. Platnick, F. Xu, and P.-W. Zhai, Retrieving Aerosol characteristics from the PACE Mission, Part 1: Ocean Color Instrument, Frontiers in Earth Science 7, 152- (2019). https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2019.00152/full
  14. A. B. Davis and O. V. Kalashnikova, Aerosol layer height over water via oxygen A-band observations from space: A tutorial, in Springer Series in Light Scattering, vol. 3: Radiative Transfer and Light Scattering, A. A. Kokhanovsky (Ed.), Springer, Heidelberg (Germany), pp. 133-166 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03445-0
  15. A.B. Davis, N. Ferlay, Q. Libois, A. Marshak, Y. Yang, and Q. Min, Cloud information content in EPIC/DSCOVR's Oxygen A- and B-band Channels: A physics-based approach, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Rad. Transf. 220, 84-96 (2018). http://www.umr-cnrm.fr/IMG/pdf/davis2018_epic_clouds_oxygen_band.pdf
  16. A.B. Davis, G. Merlin, C. Cornet, L. C.-Labonnote, J. Riédi, N. Ferlay, P. Dubuisson, Q. Min, Y. Yang, and A. Marshak, Cloud information content in EPIC/DSCOVR's Oxygen A- and B-band Channels: An optimal estimation approach, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Rad. Transf. 216, 6-16 (2018). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022407317309147
  17. G. Bal, J. Chen, and A.B. Davis, Reconstruction of cloud geometry from high-resolution multi-angle images, Inverse Problems in Imaging 12, 261-280 (2018). https://doi.org/10.3934/ipi.2018011
  18. F. Xu, G. van Harten, D. J. Diner, A. B. Davis, F. Seidel, B. Rheingans, M. Tosca, M. Alexandrov, B. Cairns, R. Ferrare, S. Burton, M. Fenn, C. Hostetler, R. Wood, and J. Redemann, Coupled retrieval of liquid water cloud and aerosol above cloud properties using the Airborne Multi-angle Spectro-Polarimetric Imager (AirMSPI), J. Geophys. Res. - Atmospheres 123, 3175-3204 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JD027926
  19. A. B. Davis, F. Xu, and D. J. Diner, Generalized radiative transfer theory for scattering by particles in an absorbing gas: Addressing both spatial and spectral integration in multi-angle remote sensing of optically thin aerosol layers, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Rad. Transf. 205, 148-162 (2018); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2017.10.003. Addendum, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Rad. Transf. 206, 251-253 (2018); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2017.11.018.
  20. A. Levis, Y.Y. Schechner, and A.B. Davis, Multiple-scattering microphysics tomography. In Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR17), pp. 5797-5806 (2017). http://openaccess.thecvf.com/content_cvpr_2017/papers/Levis_Multiple-Scattering_Microphysics_Tomography_CVPR_2017_paper.pdf"
  21. T. Fauchez, A. B. Davis, C. Cornet, F. Szczap, S. Platnick, P. Dubuisson, and F. Thieulieux, A fast hybrid (3D/1D) model for thermal radiative transfer in cirrus via successive orders of scattering, J. Geophys. Res. - Atmospheres 122, 344-366 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JD025607
  22. G. Merlin, J. Riédi, L. C.-Labonnote, C. Cornet, A. B. Davis, P. Dubuisson, M. Desmons, N. Ferlay, and F. Parol, Cloud information content analysis of multi-angular measurements in the oxygen A-band: Application to 3MI and MSPI, Atmos. Meas. Techn. 9, 4977-4995 (2016). https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-4977-2016
  23. F. Xu, A. B. Davis and D. J. Diner, Markov chain formalism for generalized radiative transfer in a plane-parallel medium, accounting for polarization, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Rad. Transf. 184, 14-26 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2016.06.004
  24. M.J. Garay, A.B. Davis, and D.J. Diner, Tomographic reconstruction of an aerosol plume using passive multiangle observations from the MISR satellite instrument, Geophys. Res. Lett. 43, 12,590-12,596 (2016). https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2016GL071479
  25. I. Yanovsky and A. B. Davis, Separation of radiances from a cirrus layer and broken cumulus clouds in multispectral images, IEEE Trans. Geosc. and Remote Sens. 53, 2275-2285, (2015). https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2014.2352319
  26. A. A. Kokhanovsky, A. B. Davis, B. Cairns, O. Dubovik, O. Hasekamp, I. Sano, S. Mukai, V. V. Rozanov, P. Litvinov, T. Lapyonok, I. S. Kolomiets, Y. A. Oberemok, S. Savenkov, W. Martin, A. Wasilewski, A. Di Noia, F. A. Stap, J. Rietjens, F. Xu, V. Natraj, M. Duan, T. Cheng, and R. Munro, Space-based remote sensing of aerosols: The multi-angle spectro-polarimetric frontier, Earth-Science Reviews 145, 85-116 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2015.01.012
  27. A. Levis, A. Aides, Y.Y. Schechner, and A.B. Davis, Airborne three-dimensional cloud tomography. In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Computer Vision 2015 (ICCV15), pp. 3379-3387 (2015). http://www.cv-foundation.org/openaccess/content_iccv_2015/html/Levis_Airborne_Three-Dimensional_Cloud_ICCV_2015_paper.html
  28. A. B. Davis and F. Xu, A Generalized linear transport model for spatially-correlated stochastic media, Journal of Computational and Theoretical Transport (formerly, Transport Theory and Statistical Physics) 43, 474-514 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1080/23324309.2014.978083. Preprint available at http://arxiv.org/abs/1410.8200.
  29. S. Sanghavi, A. B. Davis, and A. Eldering, vSmartMOM: A vector matrix operator method-based radiative transfer model linearized with respect to aerosol properties, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Rad. Transf. 133, 412-433 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2013.09.004
  30. I. Langmore, A.B. Davis, and G. Bal, Multi-pixel retrieval of structural and optical parameters in a 2D scene with a path-recycling Monte Carlo forward model and a new Bayesian inference engine, IEEE Trans. Geosc. and Remote Sens. 51, 2903-2919 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2012.2217380
  31. F. Xu, R. A. West, and A. B. Davis, A hybrid method for polarized radiative transfer computation in a spherical-shell planetary atmosphere, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Rad. Transf. 117, 59-70 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2012.10.013
  32. A. B. Davis, M. J. Garay, F. Xu, Z. Qu, and C. Emde, 3D radiative transfer effects in multi-angle/multi-spectral radio-polarimetric signals from a mixture of clouds and aerosols viewed by a non-imaging sensor, in S.P.I.E. Proceedings, Vol. 8873, "Polarization Science and Remote Sensing VI," J. A. Shaw and D. A. LeMaster (Eds.), p. 887309 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2023733
  33. A. B. Davis, Some new lidar equations for laser pulses scattered back from optically thick media such as clouds, dense aerosol plumes, sea ice, and turbid coastal waters, in S.P.I.E. Proceedings, Vol. 8872, "Lidar Remote Sensing for Environmental Monitoring XIV," U. N. Singh (Ed.), p. 88720E (2013), https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2025341
  34. F. Xu, A. B. Davis, S. Sanghavi, J. V. Martonchik, and D. J. Diner, Linearization of Markov chain formalism for radiative transfer in a plane-parallel atmosphere/surface system, Appl. Opt. 51, 3491-3507 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.51.003491
  35. D. J. Diner, R. Hodos, A. B. Davis, M. J. Garay, J. V. Martonchik, S. Sanghavi, P. von Allmen, A. A. Kokhanovsky, and P. Zhai, An optimization approach for aerosol retrievals using simulated MISR radiances, Atm. Res. 116, 1-14 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2011.05.020
  36. G. Bal, A.B. Davis, and I. Langmore, A hybrid (Monte-Carlo/deterministic) approach for multi-dimensional radiation transport, J. Comput. Phys. 230, 7723-7735 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcp.2011.06.029
  37. A. B. Davis and R. Sanchez, Preface - Two truly special sessions at the 2009 International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods (M&C 2009): Transport ... across disciplinary divides, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Rad. Transf. 112, 560-565 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2010.11.014
  38. A.B. Davis and M.B. Mineev-Weinstein, Radiation propagation in random media: From positive to negative correlations in high-frequency fluctuations, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Rad. Transf. 112 (Special Issue on "M&C2009"), 632-645 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2010.10.001
  39. O. V. Kalashnikova, M. J. Garay, A. B. Davis, D. J. Diner, and J. V. Martonchik, Sensitivity of multi-angle photo-polarimetery to vertical layering and mixing of absorbing aerosols: Quantifying measurement uncertainties, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Rad. Transf. 112, 2149-2163 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2011.05.010
  40. F. Xu and A. B. Davis, Derivatives of light scattering properties for a nonspherical particle computed with the T-matrix method, Opt. Lett. 36, 4464-4466 (2011). Also in Virtual Journal for Biomedical Optics (VJBO) 7, 1/4/2012, pp. 4464- (2011), http://www.opticsinfobase.org/vjbo/abstract.cfm?uri=ol-36-22-4464.
  41. F. Xu, A. B. Davis, R. A. West, J. V. Martonchik, and D. J. Diner, Markov chain formalism for vector radiative transfer in a plane-parallel atmosphere overlaying a polarizing surface with bidirectional reflectivity, Opt. Lett. 36, 2083-2085 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.36.002083
  42. F. Xu, A. B. Davis, R. A. West, and L. W. Esposito, Markov chain formalism for polarized light transfer in plane-parallel atmospheres, with numerical comparison to the Monte Carlo method, Opt. Expr. 19, 946-967 (2011). Also in Virtual Journal for Biomedical Optics (VJBO) 6, 2/17/2011, pp. 946- (2011), http://www.opticsinfobase.org/vjbo/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-19-2-946.
  43. M. de la Torre Juárez, A. B. Davis, and E. J. Fetzer, Scale-by-scale analysis of probability distributions for global MODIS-AQUA cloud properties: How the large-scale signature of turbulence may impact statistical analyses of clouds, Atmos. Chem. Phys. 11, 2893-2901 (2011). https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-11-2893-2011
  44. N. Ferlay, F. Thieuleux, C. Cornet, A. B. Davis, C. Vanbauce, F. Ducos, P. Dubuisson, F. Parol, and J. Riédi, Toward new inferences about cloud structures from multidirectional measurements in the oxygen A-Band: Middle-of-cloud pressure and cloud geometrical thickness from POLDER-3/PARASOL, J. Appl. Meteor. Clim. 49, 2492-2507 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1175/2010JAMC2550.1
  45. A. B. Davis and A. Marshak, Radiation transport in the cloudy atmosphere: A 3D perspective on observations and climate impacts, Rep. Prog. Phys. 73, 26801-26870 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1088/0034-4885/73/2/026801
  46. A.B. Davis, I.N. Polonsky, and A. Marshak, Space-time Green functions for diffusive radiation transport, in application to active and passive cloud probing, in Light Scattering Reviews, Vol. 4, A. Kohkanovsky (Ed.), Springer, Heidelberg (Germany), pp. 169-292 (2009). http://i3rc.gsfc.nasa.gov/Publications/Davis_etal_LSRv4_2009.pdf

Projects

OCO-2 - Orbiting Carbon Observatory
AirMSPI
CloudSat
DSCOVR
Glory
I3RC
MISR
MODIS
PACE