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Kyle McDonald

Photo of Kyle McDonald

Address:

4800 Oak Grove Drive
M/S 300-233

Pasadena, CA 91109

Phone:

818.354.3263

Fax:

818.354.9476

Member of:

Carbon Cycle And Ecosystems

Biography

Dr. Kyle McDonald is a Principal Scientist in the Water and Carbon Cycles Group of the Science Division. He specializes in electromagnetic scattering and propagation, with emphasis on microwave remote sensing of terrestrial ecosystems. His research interests have involved the application of microwave remote sensing techniques for cvharterization and monitoring of wetlands ecosystems and of seasonal dynamics in boreal ecosystems, as related to ecological and hydrological processes and the global carbon and water cycles. His activities have also included development of radar instrumentation for measuring sea ice thickness from airborne platforms.

Dr. McDonald has been a Principal and Co-Investigator on numerous NASA Earth Science Enterprise investigations. He is a member of NASA's North American Carbon Program (NACP) science team, NSF's Pan-Arctic Community-wide Hydrological Analysis and Monitoring Program (Arctic-CHAMP) Science Steering Committee, and the ALOS PALSAR Kyoto & Carbon Initiative science panel. He has been a member of the NASA BOREAS and BOREAS Follow-on science teams, the NSCAT/ADOES instrument team, the NASA Ocean Vector Winds Science Team, and the NASA Cold Land Processes (CLP) Steering Committee. He is a Senior Member of IEEE.

Education

  • Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, The University of Michigan (1991)
  • M.S., Electrical Engineering, The University of Michigan (1986)
  • M.S., Numerical Science, Johns Hopkins University (1985)
  • Bachelor of Electrical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Co-operative Plan with Highest Honors (1983)

Professional Experience

  • Principal Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Water and Carbon Cycles Group (1991-present)
  • Visiting Researcher, Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and Engineering (JIFRESSE), University of California Los Angles (2009-present)
  • Lecturer, University of Southern California, Astronautical Engineering Division (2009-present)
  • Faculty Adjunct, Univ. of Montana School of Forestry, Flathead Lake Biological Station (2000-present)
  • Visiting Scientist, Bayreuth Institute for Terrestrial Ecosystem Research (BITÃ-K), The University of Bayreuth, Germany (1997 summer)
  • Graduate Student Research Assistant, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Michigan (1985-1991)
  • Associate Engineer, The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (1983-1985)

Research Interests

  • Investigation of terrestrial ecosystems and Earth's cryosphere with microwave remote sensing techniques, including interpretation and modeling of remote sensing data. Application of spaceborne, airborne, and ground-based remote sensing instruments to this end.
  • Application of remote sensing to monitoring seasonal dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems, as related to ecological and hydrological processes.
  • Investigation and quantification of linkages between landscape biophysical and hydrological parameters and remote sensing signatures.
  • Integration of the remote sensing information within process modeling frameworks for monitoring temporal processes for improved understanding of ecosystem structure and function from local to global scales.
  • Development and implementation of ground-based instrumentation for monitoring and characterization of vegetation biophysical function, supporting remote sensing applications.
  • Spatial and temporal characterization of wetland ecosystems and associated linkages to carbon and water cycles with active and passive microwave remote sensing.
  • Mapping and monitoring of wetlands ecosystems with microwave remote sensing techniques.

Selected Publications

  1. Bohn, T. J., D. P. Lettenmaier, K. Sathulur, L. C. Bowling, E. Podest, K. C. McDonald, and T. Friborg, 2007. Methane emissions from western Siberian wetlands: heterogeneity and sensitivity to climate change Environmental Research Letters, 2 045015 (9pp) doi:10.1088/1748-9326/2/4/045015
  2. Davis, R. E., D. Cline, R. Armstrong, T. H. Painter, G. Scharfen, T. Haran, and K. C. McDonald, 2008. Spaceborne Remote Sensing for the Cold Land Processes Experiment, Journal of Hydrometeorology, Vol. 9, no. 6. pp. 1427-1433. DOI: 10.1175/2008JHM926.1
  3. Entekhabi, D., E. Njoku, P. O'Neill, K. Kellogg, W. Crow, W. Edelstein, J. Entin, S. Goodman, T. Jackson, J. Johnson, J. Kimball, J. Piepmeier, R. Koster, K. McDonald, M. Moghaddam, S. Moran, R. Reichle, J.C. Shi, M. Spencer, S. Thurman, L. Tsang, J. van Zyl, 2010. The Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) Mission. Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol./ 98, No. 5, May 2010, pp. 704-716.
  4. Hardy, J. P., R. Davis, Y.G. Koh, D. Cline, K. Elder, R. Armstrong, T. Painter, H-P. Marshall, G. Castres Saint-Martin, R. DeRoo, K. Sarabandi, T. Graf, T. Koike, and K. McDonald, 2008. NASA Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX): Local Scale Observation Site, Journal of Hydrometeorology, Vol. 9, no. 6., pp. 1434-1442. DOI: 10.1175/2008JHM875.1
  5. Jones, L. A., J. S. Kimball, K. C. McDonald, S. K. Chan, E. G. Njoku, and W. C. Oechel, 2007. Satellite Microwave Remote Sensing of Boreal and Arctic Soil Temperatures from AMSR-E, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, vol. 45, No 7.
  6. Kellndorfer, J. M., and K. C. McDonald, 2009. "Active and Passive Microwave Systems", in Handbook of Remote Sensing. SAGE Publications Ltd, London. ISBN-10: 1412936160
  7. Kimball, J., L. Jones, K. Zhang, F. A. Heinsch, K. McDonald, and W. Oechel, 2009. A satellite approach to estimate land-atmosphere CO2 exchange for boreal and Arctic biomes using MODIS and AMSR-E, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing. Vol. 47 no. 2. pp. 569-587. DOI 10.1109/TGRS.2008.2003248
  8. Lasne, Y., P. Paillou, A. Freeman, T. Farr, K. McDonald, Gilles Ruffi´e, Jean-Marie Mal´ezieux, and Bruce Chapman, 2009. Study of Hyper-Saline Deposits and Analysis of their Signature in Airborne and Spaceborne SAR Data: Example of Death Valley, California, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.Vol. 47 no. 8. pp 2581-2598. DOI 10.1109/TGRS.2009.2014862
  9. Lasne, Y., Ph. Paillou, A. Freeman, T. Farr, K. McDonald, G. Ruffié, J.-M. Malézieux, B. Chapman, F. Demontoux 2008. Effect of Salinity on the Dielectric Properties of Geological Materials: Implication for Soil Moisture Detection by Means of Radar Remote Sensing, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, vol. 46 no. 6. pp 1674-1688.
  10. McDonald, K. C., B. Chapman, J. S. Kimball, and R. Zimmermann, 2007. "Tropical Rainforest: Threatened Powerhouse of the Biosphere," in: King, M. D., C. L. Parkinson, K. C. Partington, and R. G. Williams (eds), 2007: Our Changing Planet: The View from Space, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
  11. McDonald, K. C., and J. S. Kimball, 2007. "The Boreal Forest in Transition," in: King, M. D., C. L. Parkinson, K. C. Partington, and R. G. Williams (eds), 2007: Our Changing Planet: The View from Space, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
  12. McGuire, A. D., M. Apps, F. S. Chapin III, R. Dargaviolle, M. D. Flannigan, E. S. Kasischke, D. Kicklighter, J. Kimball, W. Kurz, D. J. McCrae, K. McDonald, J. Melillo, R. Myneni, B. J. Stocks, D. L. Verbyla, and Q. Zhuang, 2004. "Land Cover and Land Use Change in Alaska and Canada." in: Land Change Science: Observing, Monitoring, and Understanding Trajectories of Change on the Earth's Surface Series: Remote Sensing and Digital Image Processing, Vol. 6. Gutman, G.; Janetos, A.C.; Justice, C.O.; Moran, E.F.; Mustard, J.F.; Rindfuss, R.R.; Skole, D.; Turner II, B.L.; Cochrane, M.A. (Eds.) 2004, xxi, 461p., Hardcover. ISBN: 1-4020-2561-0
  13. Mu, Q., L. A. Jones, J. S. Kimball, K. C. McDonald, and S. W. Running. 2009. Satellite Assessment of Land Surface Evapotranspiration for the Pan-Arctic Domain, Water Resources Research., 45, W09420, doi:10.1029/2008WR007189
  14. Rawlins, M. A., H. Yi, D. Yang, A Shiklomanov and K. C. McDonald, 2010. Divergence in Seasonal Hydrology Across Northern Eurasia: Emerging Trends in Water Cycle Linkages, Journal of Geophysical Research, 114, D18119, doi:10.1029/2009JD011747.
  15. Rawlins, M. A, M. Steele, M. C. Serreze, C. J. Vörösmarty, W. Ermold, R. B. Lammers, K. C. McDonald, T. M. Pavelsky, A. Shiklomanov, and J. Zhang, 2009. Tracing freshwater anomalies through the air-land-ocean system: A case study from the Mackenzie River basin and the Beaufort gyre. Atmopspher-Ocean. 47(1) 2009, pp. 79-97. doi:10.3137/OC281.2009.
  16. Rawlins, M. A., M. C. Serreze, R. S. Schroeder, X. Zhang, and K. C. McDonald, 2009. Diagnosis of the Record Discharge of Arctic-Draining Eurasian Rivers in 2007, Environmental Research Letters, 4, 045011, doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/4/4/045011.
  17. Schroeder, R. M. A. Rawlins, K. C. McDonald, E. Podest, R. Zimmermann and M. Kueppers, 2010. Satellite Microwave Remote Sensing of North Eurasian Inundation Dynamics: Development of Coarse-Resolution Products and Comparison with High-Resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar Data. Environmental Research Letters, special issue on Northern Hemisphere high latitude climate and environmental change, 5 (2010) 015003 (7pp) doi:10.1088/1748-9326/5/1/015003.
  18. Sitch, S., A. D. McGuire, J. Kimball, N. Gedney, J. Gamon, R. Engstrom, A. Wolf, Q. Zhuang, J. Clein and K. C. McDonald, 2007, Assessing the circumpolar carbon balance of Arctic tundra with remote sensing and process-based modeling approaches," Ecological Applications, 17(1), 2007, pp. 213-234.
  19. Whitcomb, J., M. Moghaddam, K. C. McDonald, J. Kellndorfer, and E. Podest, 2009. Wetlands map of Alaska using L-band radar satellite imagery, Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing. Vol. 35, No. 1, pp 1-20. (Chosen as Best Paper Published in CJRS for the year 2009).
  20. Zhang, K., J. S. Kimball, K. C. McDonald, J J. Cassano, and S. W. Running, 2007. Impacts of large-scale oscillations on pan-Arctic terrestrial net primary production, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L21403, doi:10.1029/2007GL031605.
  21. Kimball, J.S., J.S, M. Zhao, A.D. McGuire, F.A. Heinsch, J. Clein, M. Calef, W.M. Jolly, S. Kang, K.C. McDonald, and S.W. Running, 2006. Recent climate-driven increases in vegetation productivity for the Western Arctic: evidence of an acceleration of the northern high latitude terrestrial carbon reservoir, Earth Interactions (NSF WALE Project Special Issue), 11(4), pp.1-30.
  22. Hussein, Z., R. Jordan, K. McDonald, B. Holt, J. Huang, Y. Kuga, A. Ishimaru, S. Jaruwatanadilok, T. Akins, and P. Gogineni, 2006. Interferometric System for Measuring Thickness of Sea Ice, NASA Tech Briefs, vol. 30 no.8, pp57-58.
  23. Kimball, J. S., K. C. McDonald, and M. Zhao, 2006. Spring Thaw and Its Effect on Northern Terrestrial Vegetation Productivity Observed from Satellite Microwave and Optical Remote Sensing,Earth Interactions, 10(21), 1-22.
  24. Sitch, S., A. D. McGuire, J. Kimball, N. Gedney, J. Gamon, R. Engstrom, A. Wolf, Q. Zhuang, J. Clein and K. C. McDonald, 2007, Assessing the circumpolar carbon balance of Arctic tundra with remote sensing and process-based modeling approaches, Ecological Applications, 17(1), 2007, pp. 213-234.
  25. Euskirchen, E.S., A.D. McGuire, D.W. Kicklighter, Q. Zhuang, J.S. Clein, R.J. Dargaville, D.G. Dye, J.S. Kimball, K.C. McDonald, J.M. Melillo, V.E. Romanovsky, and N.V. Smith, 2006. "Importance of Recent Shifts in Soil Thermal Dynamics on Growing Season Length, Productivity, and Carbon Sequestration in Terrestrial High-Latitude Ecosystems," Global Change Biology, vol. 12, pp. 731-750
  26. Frolking S, Milliman T, McDonald K, Kimball J, Zhao M, Fahnestock M. 2006. "Evaluation of the SeaWinds scatterometer for regional monitoring 1 of vegetation phenology." J. Geophys. Res., 111, D17302, doi:10.1029/2005JD006588
  27. Frolking S, Fahnestock M, Milliman T, McDonald K, Kimball J. 2005. "Interannual variability in North American grassland biomass/productivity detected by SeaWinds scatterometer backscatter," Geophys. Res. Lett. 32(21), L21409, 10.1029/2005GL024230
  28. Rawlins, M. A., K. C. McDonald, S. Frolking, R. B. Lammers, M. Fahnestock, J. S. Kimball, C. J. Vorosmarty, 2005. "Remote Sensing of Snowpack Thaw at the pan-Arctic Scale Using the SeaWinds Scatterometer," Journal of Hydrology, 312 (2005) 294-311
  29. Rodell, M., B. F. Chao, A. Y. Au, J. S. Kimball, K. C. McDonald, 2005. "Global Biomass Variation and Its Geodynamic Effects: 1982-98," Earth Interactions Vol 9 No.2, pp. 1-19.
  30. McDonald, K. C., and J. S. Kimball, 2005. Hydrological application of remote sensing: freeze-thaw states using both active and passive microwave sensors, in: Encyclopedia of Hydrological Sciences. Part Five: Remote Sensing, John Wiley & Sons Ltd. ISBN 0-471-49103-9.
  31. Entekhabi, D., E. Njoku, P. Hauser, M. Spencer, T. Doiron, J. Smith, R. Girard, S. Belair, W. Crow, T. Jackson, Y. Kerr, J. Kimball, R. Koster, K. McDonald, P. O'Neill, T. Pultz, S. Running, J.C. Shi, E. Wood, and J. van Zyl, 2004. "The Hydrosphere State (HYDROS) Mission Concept: An Earth System Pathfinder for Global Mapping of Soil Moisture and Land Freeze/Thaw," IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, vol. 42 No. 10, pp. 2184-2195.
  32. McGuire, A. D., M. Apps, F. S. Chapin III, R. Dargaviolle, M. D. Flannigan, E. S. Kasischke, D. Kicklighter, J. Kimball, W. Kurz, D. J. McCrae, K. McDonald, J. Melillo, R. Myneni, B. J. Stocks, D. L. Verbyla, and Q. Zhuang, 2004. "Land Cover and Land Use Change in Alaska and Canada." in: Land Change Science: Observing, Monitoring, and Understanding Trajectories of Change on the Earth's Surface Series: Remote Sensing and Digital Image Processing, Vol. 6. Gutman, G.; Janetos, A.C.; Justice, C.O.; Moran, E.F.; Mustard, J.F.; Rindfuss, R.R.; Skole, D.; Turner II, B.L.; Cochrane, M.A. (Eds.) 2004, xxi, 461p., Hardcover. ISBN: 1-4020-2561-0
  33. Gamon, J. A., K. F. Huemmrich, D. R. Peddle, J. Chen, D. Fuentes, F. G. Hall, J. S. Kimball, S. Goetz, J. Gu, K. C. McDonald, J. R. Miller, M. Moghaddam, A. F. Rahman, J.-L. Roujean, E. A. Smith, C. L. Walthall, P. Zarco-Tejada, B. Hu, R. Fernandes, and J. Cihlar, 2004. "Remote Sensing in BOREAS: Lessons learned," Rem Sens Env, 89:139-162.
  34. Kimball, J., K. C. McDonald, S. W. Running, and S. Frolking, 2004. "Satellite Radar Remote Sensing of Seasonal Growing Seasons for Boreal and Sub-alpine Evergreen Forests," Rem Sens Env, 90:243-258.
  35. Kimball, J., K. C. McDonald, S. Frolking, A. R. Keyser, and S. W. Running, 2004. "Radar Remote Sensing of the Spring Thaw Transition Across a Boreal Landscape," Rem Sens Env,89:163-175.
  36. Frolking, S., K. C. McDonald , J. Kimball, J. B. Way, R. Zimmermann, and S. W. Running, 1999. "Using the space-borne NASA scatterometer (NSCAT) to determine the frozen and thawed seasons of a boreal landscape," J Geophysical Research, Vol. 104, No. D22, pp. 27,895-27,907, November 27, 1999.
  37. McDonald, K. C., J. S. Kimball, E. Njoku, R. Zimmermann, and M. Zhao, 2004. "Variability in Springtime Thaw in the Terrestrial High Latitudes: Monitoring a major control on the biospheric assimilation of atmospheric CO2 with spaceborne microwave remote sensing," Earth Interactions, vol. 8, pp. 1-23.
  38. McDonald, K. C., R. Zimmermann and J. Kimball, 2002. "Diurnal and spatial variation of xylem dielectric constant in Norway Spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) as related to microclimate, xylem sap flow, and xylem chemistry," IEEE Trans Geosci Rem Sens, vol. 40, no. 9.
  39. Kimball, J., K. C. McDonald , A. R. Keyser, S. Frolking, and S. W. Running, 2001. "Application of the NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT) for Classifying the Daily Frozen and Non-Frozen Landscape of Alaska," Rem Sens Env, 75:113-126.
  40. Zimmermann, R., E.-D. Schulze, C. Wirth, E. E. Schulze, K. C. McDonald, N. N. Vygodskaya, W. Ziegler, 2000. "Canopy Transpiration in a Chronosequence of Central Siberian Pine Forests," Global Change Biology, Vol. 6, pp. 25-37.
  41. McDonald, K. C., R. Zimmermann, J. B. Way and W. Chun, 1999. "Automated instrumentation for continuous monitoring of the dielectric properties of woody vegetation: System design, implementation and selected in situ measurements," IEEE Trans. Geosci Rem. Sens. Vol. 37, No. 4, July 1999.
  42. Running, S., J. B. Way, K. C. McDonald , J. Kimball and S. Frolking, 1999. "Radar remote sensing proposed for monitoring freeze-thaw transitions in boreal regions," American Geophysical Union EOS Newsletter, Vol. 80 (19), pp. 220-221.