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Thomas Kurosu

Photo of Thomas Kurosu

Address:

4800 Oak Grove Drive
M/S 233-300

Pasadena, CA 91109

Phone:

818.354.2432

Fax:

818.354.3223

Curriculum Vitae:

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Member of:

Tropospheric Composition

Biography

Thomas Kurosu is a member of the Tropospheric Composition Group in the Earth Science Section at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He recently joined the OCO-3 team for the realization of CO2 observations from the International Space Station, where he develops automated approaches for the pointing operations of the instrument. Thomas is actively involved in the retrieval of atmospheric trace gases related to air quality and ozone depletion from satellite and aircraft instruments, where is expertise lies in the development of spectral retrieval algorithms. His past research activities include the retrieval of greenhouse gases in the Alaskan Arctic from the aircraft-based near-IR CARVE-FTS, satellite-based cloud detection, and cloud radiative transfer. He is also involved in projects studying tropospheric ozone observation and the development of a long-term data record of chlorophyll fluorescence. One of his pet projects is the development of a tessellation tool for smart data mapping and data averaging..

Education

  • Dr. rer nat (Ph.D.) Physics, magna cum laude, University of Bremen, Germany (1997)
  • Diplom Physicist, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany (1991)

Professional Experience

  • Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Research Scientist (2011 - Present)
  • Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Physicist (1998-2011)
  • Japanese Ministry for the Environment at the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Tsukuba, Japan, Eco Frontier Fellow (1999-2001)
  • Institute of Remote Sensing, University of Bremen, Germany, Research Associate(1997)
  • Institute of Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany, Research Associate (1992)

Community Service

  • Mentoring for Space Generation Advisory Council and American Astronautical Society
  • Reviewer for Journal Articles (J. Geophys. Res., Atmos. Meas. Tech., Atmos. Chem. Phys, Phys. Rev.)
  • Reviewer for California's South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD)
  • Reviewer for grant proposals (NASA)

Research Interests

  • Space-based greenhouse gas monitoring
  • Satellite and aircraft UV/visible retrievals of air-quality trace gases and halogens
  • Aircraft FTS near-IR retrievals of greenhouse gases
  • Tropospheric composition
  • Geostationary air-quality observations

Selected Awards

  • NASA Group Achievement Award OCO-2 CFIS Team (2016)
  • NASA Group Achievement Award CARVE Implementation Team (2016)
  • NASA Group Achievement Award ARCTAS Team (2008)
  • American Geophysical Union Editor's Citation for Excellence in Refereeing, Journal of Geophysical Research (2008)
  • NASA Group Achievement Award, Aura Project (2005)
  • NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Group Achievement Award, Aura Team (2005)
  • Smithsonian Institution Award in Official Recognition of Special Achievement (2003)

Selected Publications

  1. Evaluation of the Stratospheric and Tropospheric Bromine Burden Over Fairbanks, Alaska Based on Column Retrievals of Bromine Monoxide, P. Wales et al, JGR-Atm. 126(2), 2021
  2. OCO-3 early mission operations and initial (vEarly) XCO2 and SIF retrievals, T. Taylor et al., Rem. Sens. Env. 251, 2020
  3. New Era of Air Quality Monitoring from Space: Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS), J. Kim et al., Bull. Amer. Met. Soc. 101(1), 2020
  4. Description of a formaldehyde retrieval algorithm for the Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS), H.-A. Kwon et al., Atm. Meas. Tech., 12(7), 2019
  5. OMI total bromine monoxide (OMBRO) data product: Algorithm, retrieval and measurement comparisons, R. M. Suleiman et al., Atm. Meas. Tech., 12(4), 2019
  6. Link between Arctic tropospheric bromine explosion and sea salt aerosols from blowing snow investigated using NASA's Aura Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) BrO data and GEOS-5 model, S. Choi et al., J. Geophys. Res., 123(13), 2018
  7. Spatial variability in tropospheric peroxyacetyl nitrate in the tropics from infrared satellite observations in 2005 and 2006, V.H. Payne et al., Atmos. Chem. Phys., 2017
  8. OMI air-quality monitoring of the Middle East, M. Barkley et al., Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 2017
  9. Sensitivity of formaldehyde (HCHO) column measurements from a geostationary satellite to aerosol temporal variation in East Asia, H.-A. Kwon et al., Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 2017
  10. Development and characterisation of a state-of-the-art GOME-2 formaldehyde air-mass factor algorithm, W. Hewson et al., Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8(10), 2015
  11. Remote-sensing constraints on South America fire traits by Bayesian fusion of atmospheric and surface data. A. A. Bloom et al., Geophys. Res. Lett., 42(4), 2015
  12. Updated Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Ozone Monitoring Instrument (SAO OMI) formaldehyde retrieval. G. González Abad et al., Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 2015
  13. Glyoxal retrieval from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument C. Chan Miller et al., Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 2014
  14. Improved model of isoprene emissions in Africa using Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) satellite observations of formaldehyde: implications for oxidants and particulate matter, E.A. Marais et al., Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 2014
  15. Top-down isoprene emissions over tropical South America inferred from SCIAMACHY and OMI formaldehyde columns, M.P. Barkley et al., J. Geophys. Res., 118 (12), 2013
  16. Characteristics of tropospheric ozone depletion events in the Arctic spring: analysis of the ARCTAS, ARCPAC, and ARCIONS measurements and satellite BrO observations, J. -H. Koo et al., Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12(20), 2012
  17. The formaldehyde budget as seen by a global-scale multi-constraint and multi-species inversion system, A. Fortems-Cheiney et al., Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12(15), 2012
  18. Assessing sources of uncertainty in formaldehyde air mass factors over tropical South America: Implications for top-down isoprene emission estimates, M.P. Barkley et al., J. Geophys. Res.: Atmos., 117(D13), 2012
  19. Isoprene emissions in Africa inferred from OMI observations of formaldehyde columns, E.A. Marais et al., Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12(14), 2012
  20. Characterization of soluble bromide measurements and a case study of BrO observations during ARCTAS, J. Liao et al., Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12(3), 2012
  21. Analysis of satellite-derived Arctic tropospheric BrO columns in conjunction with aircraft measurements during ARCTAS and ARCPAC, S. Choi et al., Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12(3) 2012
  22. Multi-spectral sensitivity studies for the retrieval of tropospheric and lowermost tropospheric ozone from simulated clear-sky GEO-CAPE measurements, V. Natraj et al., Atmos. Environ., 45(39), 2011
  23. Retrievals of sulfur dioxide from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment 2 (GOME-2) using an optimal estimation approach: Algorithm and initial validation, C. R. Nowlan et al., J. Geophys. Res.: Atmos., 116(D18), 2011
  24. Can a "state of the art" chemistry transport model simulate Amazonian tropospheric chemistry?, M.P. Barkley et al., J. Geophys. Res.: Atmos., 116(D16), 2011
  25. The unique OMI HCHO/NO2 feature during the 2008 Beijing Olympics: Implications for ozone production sensitivity, J.C. Witte et al., Atmos. Environ., 45(18), 2011
  26. Formaldehyde columns from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument: Urban versus background levels and evaluation using aircraft data and a global model, N.L. Boeke et al., J. Geophys. Res.: Atmos., 116(D5), 2011
  27. Application of satellite observations for timely updates to global anthropogenic NOx emission inventories, L.N. Lamsal et al., Geophys. Res. Let., 38(5), 2011
  28. Global satellite analysis of the relation between aerosols and short-lived trace gases, J.P. Veefkind et al, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11(3), 2011
  29. A New Interpretation of Total Column BrO during Arctic Spring, R.J. Salawitch et al., Frontier Article, Geophys. Res. Let., 37, 2010

Projects

Aura
CARVE (Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment)
Geo-Cape
OCO-3 - Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3