Ray, Pallav
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Pallav Ray
Associate Professor | College of Engineering and Science: Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences
Contact Information
Expertise
Personal Overview
I work on tropical climate dynamics and its variability using observations, models, and theory. For a Ph.D. in Meteorology, you will need to apply to the Environmental Science or Oceanography Ph.D. program.
If you are a prospective graduate student (MS or Ph.D.) or looking for a postdoc position, please feel free to contact me. I have openings for 1 PhD student, and 1 postdoc (as of July 2024).
Educational Background
Ph.D. (Meteorology and Physical Oceanography), RSMAS, U of Miami, Miami, FL.
M.S. (Engineering), Center for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (CAOS), Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), Bangalore.
B.E. (Civil), Jadavpur University, Kolkata.
Professional Experience
Postdoctoral Fellow (Institutional), IPRC, University of Hawaii
Post-doctoral Associate, RSMAS, University of Miami
Visiting Scientist, Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology (MMM) Division, NCAR, Boulder
Graduate Student Fellow, Advanced Study Program (ASP), NCAR, Boulder
Additional Duties
2024 Co-convenor AGU session AOS012 Coupled ocean-atmosphere processes in the tropical Pacific: Physical and biogeochemical dynamics and interactions
2023-present DOE RUBISCO soil moisture working group
2022-present Faculty Senate represeatative
2021-2022 AGU's ICON (Integrated, Coordinated, Open and Networked) team member
UCAR member representative; Faculty Senate Representative; Academic Policies committee, Faculty Hiring committee
2018 Co-Chair for “Intraseasonal Variability and MJO IV” (sessions 13A) at the 33rd Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology, April 2018, Jacksonville, FL
2016 Co-Organizer, Intraseasonal variability, AMS conference on hurricanes and tropical meteorology, Puerto Rico.
2016 Co-Chair, Intraseasonal variability, AMS conference on hurricanes and tropical meteorology, Puerto Rico.
2016 Co-Organizer, MJO symposium, AMS Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA
2016 Co-Chair, tropics extratropics interactions, AMS Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA
Reviewer of several scientific journals including Atmosphere-Ocean, Atmosphere, Climate Dynamics, GRL, JAS, JAMES, J Climate, JGR, MAP, QJRMS, Sci Rep, among others.
Reviewer for several funding agencies.
Current Courses
Numerical Weather Prediction (Grad); Climatology (Undergrad); Atmospheric Dynamics (UG); Dynamic Meteorology (G); Tropical Meteorology (G)
Selected Publications
email pray@hrfjk.com if you want a pdf of any papers.
* represents students.
Submitted / In Preparation:
Zhou*, X., P. Ray, J. Dudhia, S. Hagos, N.C. Johnson, E. Nikilopoulos, and B.S. Barrett, 2025: Role of diurnal cycle of insolation on the MJO propagation in the Maritime Continent.
Tewari et al., 2025: Projected surge in social vulnerability and cooling energy demand over warmer and urbanized Greater Houston region,
Bezerra et al., 2025: Simultaneous drought and heatwave events during austral summer in northeast Brazil,
Vasu*, S.P., P. Ray, N. C. Johnson, E. I. Nikolopoulos, and S. Lestari, 2025: Exploring the spatiotemporal variations in soil moisture and its dependence on climate drivers in the Maritime Continent,
2025:
Zermeño-Díaz D. and P. Ray, 2025: Improvements in the seasonal prediction of the Mid-Summer Drought based on the North American Multimodel Ensemble, Int. J. Climatology, e8798, http://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8798
Cavalcante, L., H.B. Gomes, K. Hodges, P. Ray, D. Herdies, H. Barbosa, W. Concalves, M.C. Silva, J.I. Brito, J.P. Nobre, M. Lyra, and H. Baltaci, 2025: Evaluation of easterly wave disturbances over the southern tropical Atlantic in CMIP6 models, Climate Dynamics, 63:63, http://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-024-07507-5
2024:
Zhou*, X., P. Ray, J. Dudhia, M. Tewari, E. Nikolopoulos, N. Johnson, and S. Hagos, 2024: On the importance of precipitation-induced surface sensible heat flux for diurnal cycle of precipitation in the Maritime Continent, Geophysical Research Letters, 51 (22), e2024GL111940. http://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL111940
Tan, H., R. Kotamarthi, and P. Ray, 2024: Estimation of surface sensible heat flux due to precipitation over CONUS and its impact on urban extreme precipitation modeling, J. Hydrometeorology, 25, 413-424. http://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-23-0068.1
Tewari, M., X. Zhou*, P. Ray, L. Treinish, J. Dudhia, and F. Chen, 2024: Model sensitivity in predicting extreme precipitation events in urban areas: a case study over Beijing, Atmos. Res., 311, 107719. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2024.107719
Zhou*, X., P. Ray, H. Tan, J. Dudhia, R.S. Ajayamohan, H. Gomes, and Y. Pan, 2024: Rain-induced surface sensible heat flux reduces monsoonal rainfall over India, Geophysical Research Letters, 51 (14), e2023GL107796. http://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL107796
(this paper was featured on the cover of GRL http://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/19448007/2024/51/14 );
(on NOAA’s website http://cpo.noaa.gov/monsoon-simulations-demonstrate-impact-of-rain-induced-cooling-on-weather-patterns/ ); and
(on Florida Tech news release http://news.hrfjk.com/academics-research/florida-techs-pallav-ray-seeks-to-improve-accuracy-of-rainfall-predictions-during-monsoon-season/)
2023:
Resmi, E.A., B. Preethi, R.S. Ajayamohan, P. Ray, C.K. Unnikrishnan, S. Nita, R.K. Sumesh, and J. Dhamadas, 2023: Analysis of localized features during wet and dry rainfall episodes over southern tip of India, Int. J. Climatology, 1-20. http://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8267/
Roose R., R.S. Ajayamohan, P. Ray, S.-P. Xie, C.T. Sabeerali, M. Mohapatra, S. Taraphdar, K. Mohankumar, and M. Rajeevan, 2023: Pacific Decadal Oscillation causes fewer near-equatorial cyclones in the north Indian Ocean, Nature Communication, 14, 5099 (2023). http://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40642-x
Tewari, M., Z. Wang, D. Chen, Q.-V. Doan, H. Kusaka, P. Ramamurthy, and P. Ray, 2021: Extreme weather forecasting in urban areas, Astitha and Nikolopoulos, Ed., Extreme Weather Forecasting: State of science, uncertainty and impacts. Elsevier, pp-358. http://www.elsevier.com/books/extreme-weather-forecasting/astitha/978-0-12-820124-4
2022:
Tewari, M., C. M. Kishtawal, V.W. Moriarty, P. Ray, T. Singh, L. Zhang, and L. Treinish, 2022: Improved seasonal prediction of harmful algal blooms using large-scale climate indices, (Nature) Comm in Earth and Env, 3, 195, http://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00510-w
Xie, J., P-C Hsu, P. Ray, K. Li, and W. Yu, 2022: Mechanism of MJO-modulated triggering on the rainy season onset over the Indian subcontinent, Mon. Wea. Rev., 150 (8), 1937-1951. http://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-21-0275.1
Zhou, X., P. Ray, B. Barrett, and P-C Hsu, 2022: Systematic improvement in simulated surface latent and sensible heat fluxes over tropical oceans in AMIP6 models compared to AMIP5 with the same horizontal resolutions, Atmospheric Research, 274, 106214, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2022.106214
Roose, S., R.S. Ajayamohan, P. Ray, P.R. Mohan, and K. Mohankumar, 2022: ENSO influence on Bay of Bengal cyclogenesis confined to low latitudes, (Nature) npj Climate and Atmos. Sci., 5, 31, http://www.nature.com/articles/s41612-022-00252-8
Tewari, M., F. Chen, J. Dudhia, P. Ray, S.G. Miao, E. Nikolopoulos, and L. Treinish, 2022: Understanding the sensitivity of WRF hindcast of Beijing extreme rainfall of 21 July 2012 to microphysics and model initial time, Atmospheric Research, 271, 106085, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2022.106085
Blanken, P.D., D. Brunet, C. Dominguez, S. Goousaud Oger, S. Hussain, M. Jain, G. Koren, Y. Mu, P. Ray, P. Saxena, S. Sonwani, and D. Sur, 2022: Atmospheric Science perspective on Integrated, Coordinated, Open, Networked (ICON) science, Earth and Space Science, 9, e2021EA002204. http://doi.org/10.1029/2021EA002204
Tan, H.*, P. Ray, B. S. Barrett, J. Dudhia, and M. W. Moncrieff, L. Zhang, and D. Zermano-Diaz, 2022: Understanding the role of topography on the diurnal cycle of precipitation in the Maritime Continent during MJO propagation, Climate Dynamics, 58, 3003-3019, http://doi.org/10/1007/s00382-021-06085-0
2021:
Ramos*, C.G.M., H. Tan*, P. Ray, and J. Dudhia, 2021: Estimates of the sensible heat of rainfall in the tropics from reanalysis and observations, Int. J. Climatol., 1-14, http://doi.org/10.1002/joc.7363
Ray P., X. Zhou*, H. Tan*, J. Dudhia, and M.W. Moncrieff, 2021: Improved simulation of the mid-latitude climate in a new channel model compared to contemporary GCMs, Geophys. Res. Lett., 48, e2021GL093297. http://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL093297
Barrett, B. S., C. R. Densmore*, P. Ray, and E. R. Sanabia, 2021: Active and weakening MJO events in the Maritime Continent. Climate Dynamics, http://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-021-05699-8
Tan, H.*, P. Ray, B. S. Barrett, J. Dudhia, and M. W. Moncrieff, 2021: Systematic patterns in land precipitation due to convection in neighboring islands in the Maritime Continent during MJO propagation, J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., 126, e2020JD033465. http://doi.org/10.1029/2020JD033465 (special issue on Years of Maritime continent or YMC).
Ray, P., H. Tan*, M. Tewari, J. Brownlee*, R. S. Ajayamohan, and B. S. Barrett, 2021: Role of advection on near-surface temperature and wind in urban-aware simulations, J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 60 (2), 201-221, http://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-20-0068.1
Selected Papers (2020 And Earlier)
Zhou*, X., P. Ray, B. S. Barrett, and P-C Hsu, 2020: Understanding the bias in surface latent and sensible heat fluxes in contemporary AGCMS over tropical oceans, Climate Dynamics , 55, 2957-2978, http://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-020-05431-y
Mittal, R., M. Tewari, C. Radhakrishnan, P. Ray, T Singh, and A. Nickerson*, 2019: Response of tropical cyclone Phailin (2013) in the Bay of Bengal to climate perturbations,. Climate Dynamics, doi.org/10.1007/s00382-019-04761-w,
Zhou*, X., P. Ray, K. Boykin*, B. S. Barrett, and P-C Hsu , 2019: Evaluation of surface radiative fluxes over the tropical oceans in AMIP simulations, Atmosphere, 10(10), 606. http://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10100606
Tan*, H., P. Ray, M. Tewari, J. Brownlee*, and R. S. Ajayamohan, 2019: Response of near-surface meteorological conditions to advection under the impact of green roof, Atmosphere, 10(12), 759.
Tan, H.*, P. Ray, B. S. Barrett, M. Tewari, and M. W. Moncrieff, 2018: Role of topography on the MJO in the Maritime Continent: a numerical case study. Climate Dynamics, doi:10.1007/s00382-018-4275-3.
Brownlee* J., P. Ray, M. Tewari, and H. Tan* (2017): Relative role of turbulent and radiative flux on the near-surface temperatures in a single-layer urban canopy model over Houston, J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 56, 2173-2187.
Y. Zhang and P. Ray (Ed.), 2014: Climate change and regional/local response, Intech Publisher, ISBN 978-953-51-1132-0, pp 247.
Collins, S., R. James, P. Ray, K. Chen*, A. Lassman*, and J. Brownlee*, 2014: Grids in numerical weather and climate models, In Y. Zhang and P. Ray (Ed.) Climate change and regional/local responses, ISBN 978-953-51-1132-0, 111-128. [Abstract]
Ray, P., and T. Li, 2013: Relative roles of the circumnavigating waves and the extratropics on the MJO and its relationship with the mean state, J. Atmos. Sci., 70, 876-893.
Ray, P., 2012: Mean state and the MJO in a high-resolution nested regional climate model, In I. Yucel (Ed.) Atmospheric Model Applications, InTech Open Access Publisher, pp 69-84, ISBN: 979-953-307-335-3.
Ray, P., C. Zhang, J. Dudhia, T. Li, and M. W. Moncrieff, 2012: Tropical channel model, In L. M. Druyan (Ed.) Climate Models, InTech Open Access Publisher, pp 3-18, ISBN: 978-953-308-181-6.
McNeely, S., and Coauthors, 2012: Catalyzing frontiers in water-climate-society research: A view from early career scientists and junior faculty, Bull. Amer. Meteorol. Soc., 93, 477-484, doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00221.1
Ray, P., C. Zhang, M. W. Moncrieff, J. Dudhia, J. Caron, L. R. Leung, and C. Bruyere, 2011: Role of the atmospheric mean state on the initiation of the Madden-Julian oscillation in a tropical channel model, Clim. Dyn., 36(1), 661-184, doi: 10.1007/s00382-010-0859-2
Ray, P., and C. Zhang, 2010: A case study of the mechanics of extratropical influence on the initiation of the Madden-Julian oscillation, J. Atmos. Sci., 67, 515-528, doi: 10.1175/2009JAS3059.1
Ray, P., C. Zhang, J. Dudhia, and S. S. Chen, 2009: A numerical case study on the initiation of the Madden-Julian oscillation, J. Atmos. Sci., 66, 310-331, doi: 10.1175/2008JAS2701.1
Research
My research is funded by DOE, NASA, NOAA, and ONR in one of the following areas:
Tropical meteorology: large-scale dynamics, variability, and change. Land-air-sea Interactions. Weather and climate of the Maritime Continent
Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO): Initiation, organization and propagation; Role of topography and land-sea contrast on MJO.
Tropics-extratropics interactions and predictability: Role of extratropics on the MJO; Influence of the MJO on mid-latitude circulation;
Surface heat flux in the tropics: observations and modeling; diurnal cycle; role on MJO
Urban climate: surface energy budget, role of urbanization on land-sea breeze;
Tropical Cyclones: Near-equatorial cyclones; MJO influence on tropical cyclones;
Regional climate modeling: Tropical and Mid-latitude channel models;