College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department of the Earth, Atmosphere, and Climate
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Robert Nystrom

  • Assistant Professor

Contact

rnystrom@iastate.edu

515-294-2248

3019 Agronomy Hall
716 Farm House Ln.
Ames IA  50011

Bio

Research

My research interests are centered around the predictions of extreme weather events across timescales. My research has specifically focused on improving the predictability of extreme weather events, such as tropical cyclones, and better understanding their dynamics through the use of data assimilation and high-resolution ensemble forecasts. One of my current projects is focused on understanding what drives periods of active hurricane activity on subseasonal timescales.

Teaching

MTEOR 4540/5540, Dynamic Meteorology II (3 credits)

Education

PhD – Meteorology and Atmospheric Science, Pennsylvania State University

BS – Atmospheric Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Selected Publications

  • Nystrom, R. G., C. Snyder, and M. Gharamti, 2023: An Ensemble Kalman Smoother Approach Toward Estimating the Tropical Cyclone Surface-Exchange Coefficients. Mon. Wea. Rev., 151, 625–642. Link
  • Nystrom, R. G. and F. Judt, 2022: The consequences of surface-exchange coefficient uncertainty on an otherwise highly predictable major hurricane. Mon. Wea. Rev., 150, 2073–2089. Link
  • Nystrom, R. G., R. Rotunno, C. A. Davis, and F. Zhang, 2020: Consistent impacts of surface enthalpy and drag coefficient uncertainty between an analytical model and simulated tropical cyclone maximum intensity and storm structure. J. Atmos. Sci., 77, 3059–3080. Link
  • Nystrom, R. G., X. Chen, F. Zhang, and C. A. Davis, 2020: Nonlinear Impacts of Surface Exchange Coefficient Uncertainty on Tropical Cyclone Air-Sea Interactions and Intensification. Geophys. Res. Lett., 47, e2019GL085783. Link
  • Nystrom, R. G. and F. Zhang, 2019: Practical Uncertainties and Underlying Dynamics in the Limited Predictability of the Record-Breaking Intensification of Hurricane Patricia (2015). Mon. Wea. Rev., 147, 3535–3556. Link

Department