Faculty
Kenneth Davis
Email: kjd10@psu.edu
Phone: 814-863-8601
Office Address: 512 Walker Building
Title: Professor of Atmospheric and Climate Science
Unit: Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science
Research Interests
- Boundary layer meteorology
- Terrestrial carbon and hydrologic cycles
- Remote sensing using lidar
- Flux measurement methods
- Interactions between terrestrial processes and boundary layer development
- Climate change ethics
Research:
Terrestrial systems and the atmosphere are linked via the atmospheric boundary layer, the lowest layer of the atmosphere characterized by turbulent flows and rapid response to changes in the earth’s surface. Surface-atmosphere interactions are important to climate and weather. Dr. Davis studies these interactions via observations of the atmospheric boundary layer, including turbulent flux measurements, trace gas mixing ratio measurements and lidar remote sensing. His group also employs atmospheric models and models of ecosystem biogeochemistry and hydrology to synthesize and interpret complex observations. His current research focuses on study of the terrestrial carbon and water cycles. He has led a number of innovative field studies including NASA Atmospheric Carbon and Transport (ACT) – America, the NACP Midcontinent Intensive regional study (MCI), and the Indianapolis Flux experiment (INFLUX). His research group uses a variety of atmospheric measurements and numerical models to quantify the sources and sinks of carbon dioxide and methane in the earth’s climate system.
