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Kenneth J. Davis
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Kenneth J. Davis

  • Professor of Meteorology
  • Director, Northeastern Regional Center, National Institute for Climatic Change Research of the
  • U.S. Department of Energy
  • Co-Chair, North American Carbon Program Science Steering Group
512 Walker Building
University Park, PA 16802
Email: kjd10@psu.edu
Phone: (814) 863-8601

Websites:

Education:

  1. Ph.D. -- University of Colorado

Research Specialties:

Boundary Layer and Turbulence:
Climate:
Earth-Atmosphere Interactions:

My research group studies how the earth's surface interacts with the atmosphere. We observe: trace gas fluxes using anemometers and gas analyzers mounted on towers and aircraft; atmospheric turbulence using ground-based and airborne LIDAR (a laser version of a radar); and soil and vegetation conditions using satellites. We hope to determine which environmental factors will govern future concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide, and how ecosystem processes interact with boundary layer turbulence to alter climate and weather. More information about my research group.

Biography:

Professional Society Memberships

  • American Meteorological Society

  • American Geophysical Union

  • Chi Epsilon Pi

Research Interests

Research interests: Boundary layer meteorology, atmospheric carbon and hydrologic cycles, remote sensing using lidar, flux measurement methods, interactions among ecosystem processes and boundary layer development, interactions between atmospheric turbulence and chemistry.

Teaching interests

Atmospheric physics, boundary layer meteorology, atmospheric carbon cycle, observational methods.

Terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere are linked via the atmospheric boundary layer, the lowest layer of the atmosphere characterized by turbulent flows and rapid response to changes in the earth's surface. Ecosystem-atmosphere interactions are important to climate and weather. Dr. Davis studies these interactions via observations of the atmospheric boundary layer, especially turbulent flux measurements. His current research focuses on observations of the carbon dioxide budget of the atmosphere, and interactions between ecosystem processes and boundary layer development.

Selected Publications

  • Gibert, Fabien, Irène Xuéref, Lilian Joly, Martina Schmidt, Kenneth J. Davis, Michel Ramonet, Pierre H. Flamant, Bertrand Parvitte, Virginie Zéninari, 2008. A case study of CO2, CO and particles content evolution in the suburban atmospheric boundary layer using a 2-µm Doppler DIAL, a 1-µm backscatter lidar and an array of in-situ sensors. Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 128, 381–401, DOI 10.1007/s10546-008-9296-8.
  • Davis, K.J., Integrating Field Measurements with Flux Tower and Remote Sensing Data.  In Field Measurements for Landscape-Scale Forest Carbon Monitoring, Hoover, Coeli M (Ed.) 2008, XVIII, 242 p. 20 illus., Hardcover. ISBN: 978-1-4020-8505-5.
  • Kang S.-L., K.J. Davis, 2008. The effects of mesoscale surface heterogeneity on the fair-weather convective atmospheric boundary layer, J. Atmos. Sci., 65, 3197-3213, doi: 10.1175/2008JAS2390.1.
  •  Ricciuto, D. M., K. J. Davis, and K. Keller, 2008.  A Bayesian calibration of a simple carbon cycle model: The role of observations in estimating and reducing uncertainty, Global Biogeochem. Cycles,  doi:10.1029/2006GB002908, in press.
  •  Desai, A.R., A. Noormets, P. V. Bolstad, J. Chen, B. D. Cook, K. J. Davis, E. S. Euskirchen, C. Gough, J. M. Martin, D. M. Ricciuto, H. P. Schmid, J. Tang, and W. Wang, 2008. Influence of vegetation and seasonal forcing on carbon dioxide fluxes across the Upper Midwest, USA: Implications for regional scaling. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 148, 288-308, doi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2007.08.001.
  •  Ricciuto, D. M., M. P. Butler, K. J. Davis, B. D. Cook, P. S. Bakwin, A. E. Andrews, and R. M. Teclaw, 2008.  Causes of interannual variability in ecosystem-atmosphere CO2 exchange in a northern Wisconsin forest using a Bayesian synthesis inversion. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology,  148, 309-327, doi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2007.08.007
  •  Desai, A. R., P. R. Moorcroft, P. V. Bolstad, and K. J. Davis, 2007. Regional carbon fluxes from an observationally constrained dynamic ecosystem model: Impacts of disturbance, CO2 fertilization, and heterogeneous land cover, J. Geophys. Res., 112, G01017, doi:10.1029/2006JG000264.
  •  Kang, S., K.J. Davis and M.A. LeMone, 2007. Observations of the ABL structures over a heterogeneous land surface during IHOP_2002. J. Hydrometeorology, 8, 221-244, DOI: 10.1175/JHM567.1
  •  Wang, W., K. J. Davis, C. Yi, E. G. Patton, M. P. Butler, D. M. Ricciuto and P. S. Bakwin, 2007. A note on top-down and bottom-up gradient functions over a forested site. Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 124, 305–314, doi 10.1007/s10546-007-9162-0.
  •  Wang, W., K. J. Davis, B. D. Cook, C. Yi, M P. Butler, D. M. Ricciuto, and P. S. Bakwin 2007. Estimating daytime CO2 fluxes over a mixed forest from tall tower mixing ratio measurements, J. Geophys. Res., 112, D10308, doi:10.1029/2006JD007770.
  •  Wang, W., K.J. Davis, D.M. Ricciuto and M.P. Butler, 2006.  An approximate footprint model for flux measurements in the convective boundary layer.  Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 23, 1384-1394.
  •  Wang, W., K. J. Davis, B. D. Cook, M. P. Butler, D. M. Ricciuto, 2006. Decomposing CO2 fluxes measured over a mixed ecosystem at a tall tower and extending to a region: A case study, Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences, 111(G2), G02005, doi:10.1029/2005JG000093.
  •  Desai, A.R., Davis, K.J., Senff, C., Ismail, S., Browell, E.V., Stauffer, D.R. and Reen, B.P., 2005. A case study on the effects of heterogeneous soil moisture on mesoscale boundary layer structure in the southern Great Plains, USA. Part I: Simple prognostic model.  Boundary Layer Meteorology, doi:10.1007/s10546-005-9024-6.
  •  Wang, W., K. J. Davis, B. D. Cook, P. S. Bakwin, C. Yi, M. P. Butler, and D. M. Ricciuto, 2005. Surface layer CO2 budget and advective contributions to measurements of net ecosystem-atmosphere exchange of CO2. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 135, 202-214.
  •  Desai, A.R., Bolstad, P., Cook, B.D., Davis, K.J. and Carey, E.V. 2005. Comparing net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide between an old-growth and mature forest in the upper Midwest, USA, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 128(1-2): 33-55 (doi: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2004.09.005)
  •  Cook, B.D., K.J. Davis, W. Wang, A. Desai, B.W. Berger, R. M. Teclaw, J. G. Martin, P.V. Bolstad, P.S. Bakwin, C. Yi and W. Heilman, 2004. Carbon exchange and venting anomalies in an upland deciduous forest in northern Wisconsin, USA. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 126, 271-295.
  •  Yi, C., K. J. Davis, P. S. Bakwin, A.S. Denning, N. Zhang, A. Desai, J.Ch.-H. Lin, and C. Gerbig, 2004, The observed covariance between ecosystem carbon exchange and atmospheric boundary layer dynamics in North Wisconsin, Journal of Geophysical Research, 109(D08302): doi10.1029/2003JD004164.
  •  Hurwitz, M.D., D.M. Ricciuto, K.J. Davis, W. Wang, C. Yi, M.P. Butler, P.S. Bakwin. Advection of carbon dioxide in the presence of storm systems over a northern Wisconsin forest, 2004. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 61, 607-618.
  •  Davis, K.J., P.S. Bakwin, B.W. Berger, C. Yi, C. Zhao, R.M. Teclaw and J.G. Isebrands, 2003. The annual cycle of CO2 and H2O exchange over a northern mixed forest as observed from a very tall tower. Global Change Biology, 9, 1278-1293.
  •  Werner, C., K. J. Davis, P. S. Bakwin, C. Yi, D. Hurst, and L. Lock, 2003. Interannual variability of methane exchange over a temperate-boreal lowland and wetland forest. Global Change Biology, 9, 1251-1261.
  •  Patton, E.G., P.P. Sullivan and K.J. Davis, 2003. The influence of a forest canopy on top-down and bottom-up diffusion in the planetary boundary layer.  Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 129, 1415-1434.
  •  Yi, C., K.J. Davis, P.S. Bakwin, and B.W. Berger, 2001.  Long-term observations of the evolution of the planetary boundary layer.  Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 58, 1288-1299.
  • Berger, B.W., K.J. Davis, P.S. Bakwin, C. Yi and C. Zhao, 2001. Long-term carbon dioxide fluxes from a very tall tower in a northern forest:  Flux measurement methodology. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 18, 529-542.
  •  Patton, E.G., K.J. Davis, M.C. Barth, C.-H. Moeng and P.P. Sullivan, 2001. Decaying scalars emitted by a forest canopy:  A numerical study. Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 100, 91-129.
  •  Davis, K.J., N. Gamage, C. Hagelberg, D.H. Lenschow, C. Kiemle and P.P. Sullivan, 2000. An objective method for determining atmospheric structure from airborne lidar observations. J. Atmos. Oceanic Tech., 17, 1455-1468.
  •  Yi, C., K.J. Davis, P.S. Bakwin, B.W. Berger, and L. C. Marr,  2000. The influence of advection on measurements of the net ecosystem-atmosphere exchange of CO2 observed from a very tall tower, J. Geophys. Res. 105, 9991-9999.
  •  Davis, K. J., D. H. Lenschow, S. P. Oncley, C. Kiemle, G. Ehret and A. Giez, 1997: The role of entrainment in surface-atmosphere interactions over the boreal forest. J. Geophys. Res., 102, 29219-29230.
  •  Davis, K. J., D. H. Lenschow and P. R. Zimmerman, 1994: Biogenic non-methane hydrocarbon emissions estimated from tethered balloon observations. J. Geophys. Res., 99, 25587-25598.
  •  Davis, K. J., Surface Fluxes of Trace Gases Derived from Convective-Layer Profiles, Ph.D. dissertation, University of Colorado, 1992. NCAR Cooperative Thesis 139.