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Anita D. Rapp
Research Interests 

Associate Professor
Atmospheric Sciences
Texas A&M University
979-862-1580
arapp@tamu.edu

Remote sensing; clouds and precipitation; radiation; satellite meteorology; tropical convection

My research interests are in the remote sensing of clouds and precipitation and their application in studying the hydrologic cycle, energy budget, and climate change. Currently my focus is on combining data from multiple satellite sensors to investigate ITCZ deep convection and the role of shallow cumulus and stratocumulus clouds in the tropics and subtropics.

Ongoing projects include:

  • Characterizing the variability in ITCZ characteristics and ITCZ deep convection
  • Understanding local and remote feedbacks between shallow convection in the subtropics and deep convection in the tropics
  • Investigation of the feedbacks between the environment, precipitation, and cloud properties using A-Train satellite measurements
  • Energy budget studies and climate model evaluation in boundary layer cloud regimes
  • Determining the role of shallow clouds in atmospheric preconditioning for deep convection associated with tropical disturbances and the Madden-Julian Oscillation
  • Using satellite-retrieved aerosols to enhance lightning predictions


Full Curriculum Vitae


Selected Recent Publications 

Wodzicki, K. R., A. D. Rapp, 2020: Changes in precipitating convective feature populations with varying ITCZ width in the Pacific Ocean. J. Climate, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-19-0689.1.

Smalley, K., and A. D. Rapp, 2020: The role of cloud size and environmental moisture in precipitation in shallow cumulus. J. Appl. Meteor. and Clim., doi:10.1175/JAMC-D-19-0145.1.

Ren, T., A. D. Rapp, J. Mecikalski, and J. Apke, 2019: Lightning and associated convection features in the presence of absorbing aerosols over northern Alabama. J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., 124, 13375-13396, doi:10.1029/2019JD031544.

Bartos, E. A., A. D. Rapp, and K. R. Wodzicki, 2018: Increasing frequency of midtropospheric dry layers in the Pacific Intertropical Convergence Zone. Geophys. Res. Lett., doi:10.1029/2018GL080799.

Byrne, M. P., A. G. Pendergrass, A. D. Rapp, and K. R. Wodzicki, 2018: Response of the Intertropical Convergence Zone to Climate Change: Location, Width, and Strength. Curr. Clim. Change Rep., doi:10.1007/s40641-018-0110-5.

Stephens, G.L., M.Z. Hakuba, M. Webb, M. Lebsock, Q. Yue, B.H. Kahn, S. Hristova-Veleva, A. D. Rapp, C. Stubenrauch, G.S. Elsaesser, and J. Slingo, 2018: Regional intensification of the tropical hydrological cycle during ENSO. Geophys. Res. Lett., 45, 4361-4370, doi:10.1029/2018GL077598.

Wodzicki, K., and A. D. Rapp, 2016: Long-term characterization of the Pacific ITCZ using GPCP, TRMM, and ERA-Interim. J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., 121, 3153-3170, doi:10.1002/2015JD024458.

Rapp, A. D., 2016: Observational evidence linking precipitation and mesoscale cloud fraction in the southeast Pacific. Geophys. Res. Lett., doi:10.1002/2016GL069906..

 


Current Funded Projects 

Dynamics and chemistry of the summer stratosphere (DCOTSS). NASA Earth Venture Suborbital-3. Kenneth Bowman (PI), A. D. Rapp (Co-I), 2019-2023.

Towards understanding variability in precipitation-anvil area relationships. NASA Precipitation Measuring Missions. A. D. Rapp (PI), 2019-2022.

Global and regional water and energy variations under a changing climate. NASA Energy & Water Cycle Study,T. L'Ecuyer (PI), A. D. Rapp (Co-I), 2020-2023.

Texas A&M University  |  Atmospheric Sciences  |  Faculty Profile  |  Publications  |  Full CV