Atmospheric Satellite Observations

Xiaolei Zou’s research interest is in atmospheric data assimilation. She developed a full-physics global four-dimensional variational data assimilation (4D-Var) system for the NCEP medium-range forecast model, a full-physics regional 4D-Var system for the PSU/NCAR mesoscale model, and another regional 4D-Var system for the coupled ocean/atmosphere mesoscale prediction system. Dr. Zou has pioneered and conducted research in the variational assimilation and quality assurance of space-based Global Positioning System radio occultation, satellite microwave and infrared brightness temperatures, multisensor surface rainfall, total ozone mapping spectrometer ozone, and airborne Doppler radar data for hurricanes. She has published over 180 papers in scientific journals and has been a fellow of the American Meteorological Society since 2008. She was a scientist at NCAR, United States (1993–97), a professor at the Florida State University, United States (1997–2014), a research professor at the University of Maryland, United States (2014–19), and is currently a distinguished visiting professor at Nanjing University of Information and Science and Technology (NUIST), China.

1. Introduction to Data Assimilation2. Linear Algebra and Statistics3. Interpolation4. Filtering5. Minimization6. Adjoint Models7. Microwave Temperature Sounding Observations8. Three-dimensional Variational Data Assimilation9. Four-dimensional Variational Data Assimilation10. Global Positioning System Radio Occultation Observations11. Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Imagers 12. Satellite Observations for Tropical Cyclones