UC Research Profile - University of Canterbury

Professor Adrian James McDonald

Contact

Department: School of Physical & Chemical Sciences

Email: adrian.mcdonald@canterbury.ac.nz

Direct Dial: +64 3 3692064

Office: Beatrice Tinsley 320

Language: English

About

Research / Creative works

Networks

Fields of Research

Extreme Weateher Events in a Changing World
Satellite Remote Sensing
Climate modelling and climate model verification
Radar and Lidar remote sensing of the atmosphere
Clouds and Aerosols
Weather modelling and weather model verification
Atmospheric Dynamics

Researcher Summary

My main research interests are associated with understanding the coupling between different regions of the atmosphere, this coupling often being associated with waves on a number of temporal and spatial scales. My work involves the use of a range of remotely sensed observations from radar and satellite instruments and data from reanalyses and other models.

At present I am particularly interested in:
- VHF radar remote sensing of convection and the potential impact of convection on mixing between the stratosphere and troposphere
- Stratosphere-troposphere exchange in the Southern Hemisphere
- Mesosphere-Lower Thermosphere dynamics above Antarctica, primarily related to understanding the wave-driven circulation at these altitudes using the Scott Base MF radar
- Internal gravity wave observations with radar and satellite systems
- Antarctic ozone depletions dependence on planetary scale waves
- The impact of changes in the total solar irradiance on the chemistry and dynamics of the middle atmosphere

Subject Area: Disciplines

Physics: Atmospheric Physics

Research/Scholarly/Creative Works

(Displaying research/scholarly/creative work from 2006 to 2014)

Journal Articles

Coggins JHJ., McDonald AJ. and Jolly B. (2014) Synoptic climatology of the Ross Ice Shelf and Ross Sea region of Antarctica: K-means clustering and validation. International Journal of Climatology 34(7): 2330-2348. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/joc.3842.

Fong W., Lu X., Chu X., Fuller-Rowell TJ., Yu Z., Roberts BR., Chen C., Gardner CS. and McDonald AJ. (2014) Winter temperature tides from 30 to 110 km at McMurdo (77.8°s, 166.7°E), Antarctica: Lidar observations and comparisons with WAM. Journal of Geophysical Research 119(6): 2846-2863. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2013JD020784.

Parsons S., McDonald AJ. and Renwick JA. (2014) The use of synoptic climatology with general circulation model output over New Zealand. International Journal of Climatology 34(12): 3426-3439. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/joc.3919.

Smith ML. and McDonald AJ. (2014) A quantitativemeasure of polar vortex strength using the function M. Journal of Geophysical Research 119(10): 5966-5985. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2013JD020572.

Alexander SP., Klekociuk AR., McDonald AJ. and Pitts MC. (2013) Quantifying the role of orographic gravity waves on polar stratospheric cloud occurrence in the Antarctic and the Arctic. Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 118(20): 11493-11507. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2013JD020122.

Chen C., Chu X., McDonald AJ., Vadas SL., Yu Z., Fong W. and Lu X. (2013) Inertia-gravity waves in Antarctica: A case study using simultaneous lidar and radar measurements at McMurdo/Scott Base (77.8°S, 166.7°E). Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 118(7): 2794-2808. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jgrd.50318.

Coggins JHJ., McDonald AJ., Plank G., Pannell M., Jolly B., Parsons S. and Delany T. (2013) SNOW-WEB: A new technology for Antarctic meteorological monitoring. Antarctic Science 25(4): 583-599. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0954102013000011.

Huck PE., Bodeker GE., Kremser S., McDonald AJ., Rex M. and Struthers H. (2013) Semi-empirical models for chlorine activation and ozone depletion in the Antarctic stratosphere: proof of concept. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 13(6): 3237-3243. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-3237-2013.

McDonald AJ. and Smith M. (2013) A technique to identify vortex air using carbon monoxide observations. Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 118(22): 12719-12733. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2012JD019257.

Hay TD., Bodeker GE., Kreher K., Schofield R., Liley B., Scherer M. and McDonald AJ. (2012) The NIMO Monte Carlo model for box-air-mass factor and radiance calculations. Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer 113(9): 721-738. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2012.02.005.

McDonald AJ. (2012) Gravity wave occurrence statistics derived from paired COSMIC/FORMOSAT3 observations. Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres 117(D15106): 1-12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2011JD016715.

Alexander SP., Klekociuk AR., Pitts MC., McDonald AJ. and Arevalo-Torres A. (2011) The effect of orographic gravity waves on Antarctic polar stratospheric cloud occurrence and composition. Journal of Geophysical Research 116 D06109 http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2010JD015184.

Kruetzmann NC., Rack W., McDonald AJ. and George SE. (2011) Snow accumulation and compaction derived from GPR data near Ross Island, Antarctica. The Cryosphere 5: 391-404. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-391-2011.

McDonald AJ., Hibbins RE. and Jarvis MJ. (2011) Properties of the quasi 16 day wave derived from EOS MLS observations. Journal of Geophysical Research 116 D06112 http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2010JD014719.

Hibbins RE., Marsh OJ., McDonald AJ. and Jarvis MJ. (2010) A new perspective on the longitudinal variability of the semidiurnal tide. Geophysical Research Letters 37 L14804 http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2010GL044015.

Hibbins RE., Marsh OJ., McDonald AJ. and Jarvis MJ. (2010) Interannual variability of the S=1 and S=2 components of the semidiurnal tide in the Antarctic MLT. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics 72(9-10): 794-800. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jastp.2010.03.026.

McDonald AJ., Tan B. and Chu X. (2010) The Role of Gravity Waves in the Spatial and Temporal Variability of Stratospheric Temperature Measured by COSMIC/FORMOSAT-3 and Rayleigh Lidar Observations. Journal of Geophysical Research 115 D19128 http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2009JD013658.

Wurl D., Grainger RG., McDonald AJ. and Deshler T. (2010) Optimal estimation retrieval of aerosol microphysical properties from SAGE II satellite observations in the volcanically unperturbed lower stratosphere. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 10(9): 4295-4317. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-4295-2010.

McDonald AJ., George SE. and Woollands RM. (2009) Can gravity waves significantly impact PSC occurrence in the Antarctic? Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 9: 8825-8840.

Murphy DJ., Aso T., Fritts DC., Hibbins RE., McDonald AJ., Riggin DM., Tsutsumi M. and Vincent RA. (2009) Source regions for Antarctic MLT non-migrating semidiurnal tides. Geophysical Research Letters 36(L09805): 5pp. http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2008GL037064.

Baumgaertner AJG., McDonald AJ., Hibbins RE., Fritts DC., Murphy DJ. and Vincent RA. (2008) Short-period planetary waves in the Antarctic middle atmosphere. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics 70(10): 1336-1350. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jastp.2008.04.007.

Krützmann NC., McDonald AJ. and George SE. (2008) Identification of mixing barriers in chemistry-climate model simulations using Rényi entropy. Geophysical Research Letters 35 L06806 http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2007GL032829.

McDonald AJ. (2008) Antarctic Ozone Depletion and Polar Stratospheric Clouds. Clean Air and Environmental Quality 42(4): 30-35.

McDonald AJ. and Hertzog A. (2008) Comparison of Stratospheric Measurements made by CHAMP Radio Occultation and Stratéole/VORCORE in-situ data. Geophysical Research Letters 35 L11805 http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2008GL033338.

Baumgaertner AJG. and McDonald AJ. (2007) A gravity wave climatology for Antarctica compiled from Challenging Minisatellite Payload/Global Positioning System (CHAMP/GPS) radio occultations. Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres 112 D05103 http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2006JD007504.

Huck PE., Tilmes S., Bodeker GE., Randel WJ., McDonald AJ. and Nakajima H. (2007) An improved measure of ozone depletion in the Antarctic stratosphere. Journal of Geophysical Research 112 D11104 http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2006JD007860.

McDonald AJ., Baumgaertner AJG., Fraser GJ., George SE. and Marsh S. (2007) Empirical Mode Decomposition of the atmospheric wave field. Annales Geophysicae 25(2): 375-384.

Monahan KP., Pan LL., McDonald AJ., Bodeker GE., Wei J., George SE., Barnet CD. and Maddy E. (2007) Validation of AIRS v4 ozone profiles using ozonesondes from Lauder, NZ and Boulder, USA. Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres 112 D17304 http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2006JD008181.

Baumgaertner AJG., Jarvis MJ., McDonald AJ. and Fraser GJ. (2006) Observations of the wavenumber 1 and 2 components of the semi-diurnal tide over Antarctica. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics 68(11): 1195-1214. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jastp.2006.03.001.

Choi YG., Lee SC., McDonald AJ. and Hooper DA. (2006) Wind-profiler observations of gravity waves produced by convection at mid-latitudes. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 6(10): 2825-2836. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-6-2825-2006.

McDonald AJ., Monahan KP., Hooper DA. and Gaffard C. (2006) VHF signal power suppression in stratiform and convective precipitation. Annales Geophysicae 24(1): 23-25.

Murphy DJ., Forbes JM., Walterscheid L., Hagan ME., Avery SK., Aso T., Fraser GJ., Fritts DC., Jarvis MJ. and McDonald AJ. (2006) A climatology of tides in the Antarctic mesosphere and lower thermosphere. Journal of Geophysical Research 111(D23104) http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2005JD006803.

Review and Refereeing

Journal refereeing ( 2001 - 2021)

Referee for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ( 1997 - 2002)

Reviewer for the following journals: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Geophysical Research Letters, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteor ( 2000 - 2005)