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Federal Employee

Chris Slocum

Physical Scientist

Christopher.Slocum@noaa.gov
Mailing Address:
Chris Slocum
Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere
Colorado State University
1375 Campus Delivery
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1375
  • Office Location:
    CIRA 18C
    • Phone:
  • (970) 491-2409
    • Fax:
  • (970) 491-8241
About Me:

About

Chris Slocum is a Physical Scientist with the NOAA/NESDIS Center for Satellite Applications and Research. He specializes in tropical and satellite meteorology specifically tropical cyclone dynamics, applications from geostationary platforms, and machine learning. Chris’s current research emphasis includes exploring machine learning applications to improve short-term forecasts and blend data from geostationary and polar-orbiting satellites. And, he has been an active contributor to the NOAA Center for AI development team.

Chris focused on how processes in the inner-core of tropical cyclones impact storm intensity and storm structure for his Ph.D. work at CSU. He joined CIRA as a postdoctoral fellow in 2017 to leverage those ideas to develop tropical cyclone rapid intensification and genesis products using the GOES-R series of satellites and continued as a Research Scientist before starting with NOAA.

Research Interests

  • Atmospheric Fluid Dynamics
  • Tropical Cyclones & Meteorology
  • Satellite Meteorology
  • Machine Learning
  • Model & Forecast Validation

Education

  • Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, 2018
  • M.S. in Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, 2013
  • B.S. in Meteorology, The Pennsylvania State University, 2011

Experience

  • Physical Scientist, NOAA/NESDIS/StAR, 2019 – Present
  • Research Scientist/Scholar I, CIRA, 2019
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, CIRA, 2017 – 2019
  • Graduate Research Assistant, Colorado State Univ., 2011 – 2017

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6293-7323

Publications

Refereed Publications

Knaff, J. A., C. J. Slocum, and K. D. Musgrave, 2019: Quantification and Exploration of Diurnal Oscillations in Tropical Cyclones. Mon. Wea. Rev., 147(6), 2105-2121, doi:10.1175/MWR-D-18-0379.1.

Slocum, C. J., 2018: The Role of Inner-Core and Boundary Layer Dynamics on Tropical Cyclone Structure and Intensification. Dissertation, Colorado State University, 106 pp.

Schubert, W. H., C. J. Slocum, and R. K. Taft, 2017: Basic concepts involved in tropical cyclone boundary layer shocks. Cornell University Library, arXiv:1709.00101v1 [physics.ao-ph].

Knaff, J. A., C. J. Slocum, K. D. Musgrave, C. R. Sampson, and B. R. Strahl, 2016: Using routinely available information to estimate tropical cyclone wind structure. Mon. Wea. Rev., 144(4), 1233-1247, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-15-0267.1.

Nonrefereed/Informal Publications, Presentations, and Posters

Ebert-Uphoff, I., K. D. Musgrave, M. A. Rogers, K. Haynes, R. Lagerquist, J. Stewart, C. Kumler, and C. J. Slocum, 2021: CSU’s team and activities. Site-wide Meeting of the NSF Institute For Research on Trustworthy AI in Weather, Climate and Coastal Oceanography (AI2ES). 3 March.

Kaplan, J., J. A. Zhang, P. Dodge, and C. J. Slocum, 2021: Wind Gust Distribution of Recent Landfalling Hurricanes. AMS 34th Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology Virtual Meeting, 10-14 May.

Knaff, J. A., and C. J. Slocum, 2021: How Astronomers Might Analyze Tropical Cyclone Imagery? AMS 34th Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology Virtual Meeting, 10-14 May.

Rao, Y. and C. J. Slocum, 2021: A Roadmap of Workforce Development for NOAA Center for Artificial Intelligence. (Poster), 2021 ESIP Winter Meeting, 22 January.

Slocum, C. J., 2021: What can we learn from Random Forest in the context of the tropical cyclone rapid intensification problem? 2nd NOAA AI Workshop, February.

Slocum, C. J., and J. A. Knaff, 2021: Can We Learn How to See inside a Tropical Cyclone from Geostationary Orbit? AMS 34th Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology Virtual Meeting, 10-14 May.

Stevenson, S. N.,  C. J. Slocum, M. DeMaria, M. S. Fischer, and K. L. Corbosiero, 2021: Towards the Use of GOES GLM Lightning for Tropical Cyclone Intensity Prediction. AMS 34th Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology Virtual Meeting, 10-14 May.

Musgrave, K. D., P. Brown, and C. J. Slocum, 2020: The Balanced Response to Latent Heating Profiles from H-GPROF. (poster), AMS Wayne Schubert Symposium, 12-16 January, Boston, MA.

Slocum C. J., 2020: Hurricane Laura was the latest storm to strengthen fast, but is rapid intensification really becoming more common? The Conversation, https://theconversation.com/hurricane-laura-was-the-latest-storm-to-strengthen-fast-but-is-rapid-intensification-really-becoming-more-common-145229.

Slocum, C. J., and A. Gonzalez, 2020: Leaving a Balanced World: Probing the Nonlinear, Unbalanced Dynamics of the Tropical Boundary Layer. (poster), AMS Wayne Schubert Symposium, 12-16 January, Boston, MA.

Slocum, C. J., and J. A. Knaff, 2020: Using Geostationary Imagery to Peer through the Clouds Revealing Hurricane Structure. AMS 19th Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Environmental Science, 12-16 January, Boston, MA.

Slocum, C. J.,A. B. Schumacher, and K. D. Musgrave, 2020: Short Course: From Satellite Data to Disaster Response – Every Decision Counts. AMS 100th Annual Meeting, 2-16 January, Boston, MA.

Slocum, C. J., 2019: Finding Kansas around Hurricanes. Front Range Tropical Cyclone Workshop, 24 April, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Foothills Lab, Boulder, CO.

Slocum, C. J., and J. A. Knaff, 2019: Is GOES-R Seeing “Hottish” Convective Towers in Hurricanes? AMS 15th Annual Symposium on New Generation Operational Environmental Satellite Systems, 6-10 January, Phoenix, AZ.

Slocum, C. J., and J. A. Knaff, 2019: What Are the Cloud-Top Microphysical Properties of Tropical Cyclones Telling Us about Intensification? 2019 Joint Satellite Conference, 28 September – 04 October, Boston, MA.

Stevenson, S. N., and C. J. Slocum, 2019: Tropical Cyclone Lightning Observed from the GOES-16/17 GLM. 2019 Joint Satellite Conference, 28 September – 04 October, Boston, MA.

Wu, T.-C., M. Zupanski, K. Apodaca, C. J. Slocum, and K. D. Musgrave, 2019: Evaluation of GLM lightning flash rate observation operators for HWRF. 7th International Symposium on Data Assimilation, 21-24 January, Kobe, Japan.

Slocum, C. J., 2018: Deciphering the impacts of model moisture errors on hurricane forecasts with satellites. NOAA/NESDIS Cooperative Research Program (CoRP) Annual Science Symposium, 6-7 June, Madison, WI.

Slocum, C. J., 2018: Diagnosing Large-scale Tropical Cyclone Model Moisture and Exploring Impacts on Track and Intensity. (poster), WMO Virtual Lab Management Group Meeting, 16-20 July, CIRA, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.

Slocum, C. J., 2018: Shock-like structures in the tropical cyclone boundary layer. AMS 33rd Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology, 16-20 April, Ponte Vedra, FL.

Slocum, C. J., 2018: Using a greenhouse parameter to understand moisture errors around tropical cyclones. Front Range Tropical Cyclone Workshop, 28 November, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.

Slocum, C. J., and W. H. Schubert, 2018: A forced, balanced model for tropical cyclone intensification.(poster), AMS 33rd Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology, 16-20 April, Ponte Vedra, FL.

Slocum, C. J., J. P. Kossin, R. K. Taft, and W. H. Schubert, 2018: Instability between the concentric eyewalls of Hurricane Maria (2017). (poster), AMS 33rd Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology, 16-20 April, Ponte Vedra, FL.

Longmore, S. P., S. D. Miller, C. J. Slocum, P. T. Partain, and J. Fluke, 2017: Standardized Real-Time Satellite and Atmospheric Data Processing within a Task Queue Automation System and Framework Utilizing Software Design Patterns, Reflection, and Plugin Architecture for Derived and Fused Dataset and Imagery Generation. AMS 33rd Conference on Environmental Information Processing Technologies, 22-26 January, Seattle, WA.

Musgrave, K. D., J. A. Knaff, C. J. Slocum, L. D. Grasso, and M. DeMaria, 2016: Examination of tropical cyclone structure through synthetic satellite brightness temperatures. AMS 20th Conference on Integrated Observing and Assimilation Systems for the Atmosphere, Oceans, and Land Surface (IOAS-AOLS), 10-14 January, New Orleans, LA.

Slocum, C. J., 2016: Diagnosing large-scale tropical cyclone model moisture and exploring impacts on tract and intensity. AMS 32nd Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology, 18-20 April, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Slocum, C., J., 2016: Forced, balanced model of tropical cyclone intensification. AMS 32nd Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology, 18-20 April, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Slocum, C. J., 2016: A Simplified Model for Tropical Cyclone Intensification. Front Range Tropical Cyclone Workshop, Colorado State University Foothills Campus, 24 October, Fort Collins, CO.

Knaff, J. A., A. B. Schumacher, R. T. DeMaria, G. Chirokova, and C. J. Slocum, 2015: Diagnosing Tropical Cyclone Structure, NOAA Satellite Science Week, 23-27 February, Boulder, CO.

Musgrave, K. D., J. A. Knaff, M. DeMaria, C. J. Slocum, L. D. Grasso, A. B. Schumacher, and W. H. Schubert, 2015: Hurricane Forecast Improvement Project Model post-processing and evaluation. CMMAP Team Meeting, 6 August, Fort Collins, CO.

Musgrave, K. D., C. J. Slocum, J. A. Knaff, and L. D. Grasso, 2015: Verification of HWRF Synthetic Satellite Brightness Temperatures. NOAA/NCAR/CSU TC Workshop, 21 July, Boulder, CO.

Musgrave, K. D., and C. J. Slocum, 2015: RAMMB/CIRA Website Upgrades and Products for the 2015 Hurricane Season. Hurricane Forecast Improvement Project (HFIP) Teleconference, 9 September.

Musgrave, K. D., C. J. Slocum, and A. B. Schumacher, 2015: Updated real-time website and new products for the 2015 hurricane season. HFIP bi-weekly teleconference (remote), 9 September.

Slocum, C. J., 2015: Can Comparisons of Precipitable Water from Models and Satellite Provide Guidance on Guidance? NOAA/NCAR/CSU TC Workshop, 21 July, Boulder, CO.

Slocum, C. J., 2015: Diagnosing large-scale tropical cyclone moisture and exploring potential impacts on track and intensity. Young Scientists Student Symposium, 9 October, Fort Collins, CO.

Musgrave, K. D., J. A. Knaff, C. J. Slocum, L. D. Grasso, and M. DeMaria, 2014: Evaluation of HWRF Synthetic Satellite Brightness Temperatures. AGU Fall Meeting, 15-19 December, San Francisco, CA.

Slocum, C. J., and W. H. Schubert, 2014: Tropical Cyclone Boundary Layer Shocks and shock-like structures. AMS 31st Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology, 30-March-4 April, San Diego, CA.

Slocum, C. J., M. DeMaria, and W. H. Schubert, 2012: Determining Tropical Cyclone Intensity Change through Balanced Vortex Model Applications. AMS 30th Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology, https://ams.confex.com/ams/30Hurricane/webprogram/Paper204595.html, 15-20 April, Ponte Vedra, FL.