Marvin A. Geller

Professor

Ph.D., 1969, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

marvin.geller@stonybrook.edu

Atmosphere dynamics; stratosphere/mesosphere; climate

Research Interests

My research group is currently involved in four distinct research areas supported through grants from NSF and NASA, all of which are trying to better understand various atmospheric phenomena.

These topics are as follows: (1) to better understand what controls upwelling through the tropical tropopause and its effect on stratospheric water vapor; (2) using high resolution radiosonde data to characterize atmospheric gravity wave activity and better understand the sources for this activity; (3) using high vertical-resolution and conventional radiosonde data, together with modeling, to investigate the nature of the extratropical tropopause; and (4) to see the influence of the quasi-biennial oscillation on deep tropical convection.

Recent Ph.D dissertations done under my supervision include the following diverse topics: (1) using mechanistic modeling to understand the controls on upwelling through the tropical tropopause; (2) using high vertical-resolution radiosonde data to get information on gravity waves in the troposphere and lower stratosphere; and (3) using diagnostic procedures, idealized models, and numerical experiments to explain some shortcomings in constituent transport by winds from data assimilations.

Selected Publications

Geller, M. A., T. Zhou, and K. Hamilton, Morphology of Tropical Upwelling in the Lower Stratosphere, 2008:  J. Atmos. Sci., 65, 2360-2374.

Bell, S. W. and M. A. Geller, 2008:  The Tropopause Inversion Layer:  Seasonal and Latitudinal Variations, Representation in Standard Radiosonde Data and Global Models, J. Geophys. Res., 113, D05109, doi:10.1029/2007JD009022.

Gong, J., M. A. Geller, and L. Wang, 2008:  Source spectra and propagation information derived from US high-resolution radiosonde data. J. Geophys. Res, 113, D10106, doi:10.1029/2007JD009252.

Zhou, T., M. A. Geller, and K. P. Hamilton, 2006: The Roles of the Hadley Circulation and Downward Control in Tropical Upwelling, , J. Atmos. Sci., 63, 2740-2757.

Wang, L., M. A. Geller and M. J. Alexander, 2005:  Spatial and Temporal Variations of Gravity Wave Parameters. Part I: Intrinsic Frequency, Wavelength, and Vertical Propagation Direction,  J. Atmos. Sci., 62, 125–142.

Tan W. W., M. A. Geller, S. Pawson, and A. da Silva, 2004:  A case study of excessive subtropical transport in the stratosphere of a data assimilation system, J. Geophys. Res., 109, D11102, doi:10.1029/2003JD004057.

Zhou, X, M. A. Geller and M. Zhang, 2004:  Temperature Fields in the Tropical Tropopause Transition Layer., J. Climate, 17, 2901–2908.