Ravan Ahmadov
325 Broadway
Boulder, CO 80305-3328
Profile
My research has been focused on the simulation of air pollution from various natural and anthropogenic sources. Currently, I am working on improving fire weather and atmospheric composition prediction capabilities in atmospheric models and applying these tools to understand and forecast various processes associated with fire weather and smoke. These processes include wildland fire emissions and plume rise, smoke transport and mixing, smoke chemistry, the impact of smoke on radiation and microphysics, and so on. I have been working with coupled meteorology-chemistry models (e.g. WRF-Chem). One of the coupled weather-smoke models developed by our team, HRRR-Smoke (https://rapidrefresh.noaa.gov/hrrr/HRRRsmoke/) has been operational at NCEP since 2020. In collaboration with other teams, we are currently developing NOAA's next-generation high-resolution smoke and dust forecasting model RRFS-Smoke-Dust (https://rapidrefresh.noaa.gov/RRFS-SD/).
Education
- Ph.D. in Atmospheric Physics, Moscow State University, 2004
- M.S. in Astrophysics, Baku State University, 2000
- B.S. in Physics, Baku State University, 1998
Research Experience
- June 2023 - current: Physical Scientist at NOAA/GSL Earth Prediction Advancement Division (EPAD)
- May 2022 - May 2023: Senior Research Scientist affiliated with NOAA/GSL/EPAD
- 2016 – 2022: CIRES Scientist III affiliated with NOAA/GSL/EPAD
- 2009 – 2016: CIRES Research Scientist II affiliated with NOAA/CSL
- 2005 – 2009: Post-doctoral researcher, Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Germany
Selected Publications
- Zhu Q., [...], Ahmadov R. et al. A better representation of volatile organic compound chemistry in WRF-Chem and its impact on ozone over Los Angeles. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 5265–5286, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5265-2024, 2024.
- Thapa L., […], Ahmadov R. et al. Forecasting daily fire radiative energy using data driven methods for air quality forecasting. JGR Atmospheres. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JD040514
- Li H., Grell G., Ahmadov R., et al. A simple and realistic aerosol emission approach for use in the Thompson–Eidhammer microphysics scheme in the NOAA UFS Weather Model (version GSL global-24Feb2022). Geosci.. Model Dev., 17, 607–619, 2024.
- Li, Y., Tong, D., Ma, S., Freitas, S. R., Ahmadov, R., et al.: Impacts of estimated plume rise on PM2.5 exceedance prediction during extreme wildfire events: a comparison of three schemes (Briggs, Freitas, and Sofiev), Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 3083–3101, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-3083-2023, 2023.
- Anderson, L. D., Dix, B., Schnell, J., Yokelson, R., Veefkind, J. P., Ahmadov, R., & de Gouw, J. (2023). Analyzing the impact of evolving combustion conditions on the composition of wildfire emissions using satellite data. GRL, 50, e2023GL105811.
- Langford A., Senff C., Alvarez R., Aikin K., Ahmadov R., et al. Were Wildfires Responsible for the Unusually High Surface Ozone in Colorado During 2021? JGR Atmospheres.
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2022JD037700 - Jones. T., Ahmadov R., James E.: Assimilation of aerosol optical depth into the Warn-on- Forecast System for Smoke (WoFS-Smoke). JGR Atmospheres. DOI10.1029/2022JD037454
- Thapa L., […], Ahmadov R. et al.: Heat flux assumptions contribute to overestimation of wildfire smoke injection into the free troposphere. Commun Earth Environ. 3, 236 (2022).
- Chow F., […], Ahmadov R. High-resolution smoke forecasting for the 2018 Camp Fire in California. Bull Amer Meteorol Soc., 2022. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-20-0329.1
- Kumar A., Pierce B., Ahmadov R. et al.: WRF-Chem retrospective aerosol predictions during FIREX-AQ with GOES-16 fire radiative power based emissions and plume rise. Atmos. Chem. Phys. 22, 10195–10219, 2022.
- Zhang L., […], Ahmadov R., et al. Development and evaluation of the Aerosol Forecast Member in the NCEP's GEFS-Aerosols v1. Geoscientific Model Dev., 15, 5337–5369, 2022.
- Ye X., Arab P., Ahmadov R., et al.: Evaluation and intercomparison of wildfire smoke forecasts from multiple modeling systems for the 2019 Williams Flats fire. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 14427–14469, 2021.
- Stenchikov G., […], Ahmadov R. et al.: How Does a Pinatubo-Size Volcanic Cloud Reach the Middle Stratosphere? JGR Atmospheres 126(10). 2021.
- Bahreini R., Ahmadov R., et al.: Sources and characteristics of summertime organic aerosol in the Colorado Front Range: perspective from measurements and WRF-Chem modeling. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 8293–8312, 2018.
- Ahmadov R., et al. Using VIIRS Fire Radiative Power data to simulate biomass burning emissions, plume rise and smoke transport in a real-time air quality modeling system. International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium. IGARSS. 2017.
- Ahmadov, R., McKeen, S., et al.: Understanding high wintertime ozone pollution events in an oil- and natural gas-producing region of the western US, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 411–429, 2015.
- Ahmadov, R., McKeen, S. A., et al.: A volatility basis set model for summertime secondary organic aerosols over the eastern United States in 2006, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 117, D06301, doi:10.1029/2011jd016831, 2012.
- Middlebrook, A. M., Murphy, D. M., Ahmadov, R., et al.: Air quality implications of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 109, 20280-20285, 10.1073/pnas.1110052108, 2012.
- de Gouw, […], Ahmadov, R., et al.: Organic aerosol formation downwind from the Deepwater horizon oil spill, Science, 331, 1295-1299, 10.1126/science.1200320, 2011.
- Ahmadov, R., Gerbig, C., et al.: Mesoscale covariance of transport and CO2 fluxes: Evidence from observations and simulations using the WRF-VPRM coupled atmosphere-biosphere model, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 112, 14, 2007.