Peter N. Blossey

Address:: University of Washington
Atmospheric Sciences
Box 351640
Seattle, WA 98195-1640
Office:: 711 Atmospheric Sciences-Geophysics Bldg
Phone & Fax:: Phone: (206) 685-9526
Fax: (206) 685-9302
E-mail:: bloss (at) atmos(dot)washington(dot)edu
URL:: http://www.atmos.washington.edu/~bloss


Research Interests: Cloud Modeling, Water Isotopologues, Cloud Feedbacks, Atmospheric Convection, Numerical Methods.
Background: I received a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University in 1999 under the supervision of John Lumley. I was a postdoctoral researcher with Tom Bewley in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, San Diego during 1999-2000 and in Applied Mathematics at the University of Washington (UW) from 2000-2003. In the fall of 2003, I began working as a research scientist in Atmospheric Sciences at UW and am now or have recently been involved in projects headed by Chris Bretherton, Dale Durran, Dennis Hartmann, Rob Wood, and Zhiming Kuang.

View of Clouds approaching the Barbados Cloud Observatory

Recent webcam images from the Barbados Cloud Observatory, which is run by the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology.
Among the things I study are clouds like those that are typical at this location.

Publications (Google Scholar Page, Supporting data for recent publications)

Preprints:

Matthew Wyant, Christopher Bretherton, Robert Wood, Peter Blossey and Isabel McCoy.
High free-tropospheric Aitken-mode aerosol concentrations buffer cloud droplet concentrations in large-eddy simulations of precipitating stratocumulus
Submitted 11/2021.
Peng, L., Pritchard, M., Hannah, W., Blossey, P., Worley, P. and Bretherton, C. S.
Load-balancing intense physics calculations to embed regionalized high-resolution cloud resolving models in the E3SM and CESM climate models
Submitted 09/2021. https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10508089.1
Nugent, J., Turbeville, S., Bretherton, C. S, Blossey, P. N., and Ackerman, T. P.
Tropical Cirrus in Global Storm-Resolving Models. Part I: Role of Deep Convection
Submitted 08/2021. https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10507904.1
Turbeville, S., Nugent, J., Ackerman, T. P., Bretherton, C. S., and Blossey, P. N.
Tropical Cirrus in Global Storm-Resolving Models. Part II: Cirrus Life Cycle and Top-of-Atmosphere Radiative Fluxes
Submitted 08/2021. https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10507887.2
Risi, C., Muller, C., Vimeu, F., Blossey, P., Védeau, G. Dufaux, C. and Abramian, S.
What controls the mesoscale variations in water isotopic composition within tropical cyclones and squall lines? Cloud resolving model simulations
Submitted 08/2021.
Rachel Atlas, Christopher S. Bretherton, Marat Khairoutdinov, Peter N. Blossey.
Hallett-Mossop rime splintering dims the Southern Ocean: New insight from global cloud-resolving simulations
Submitted 6/2021
Dennis L Hartmann, Qiang Fu, Peter N Blossey, Brittany D Dygert, Adam B Sokol
The Vertical Profile of Radiative Cooling in Radiative-Convective Equilibrium: Moist Adiabat versus Entrainment-Modified Plume Model
Submitted 05/2021.
Blaz Gasparini, Adam B. Sokol, Casey J. Wall, Dennis L. Hartmann, and Peter N. Blossey.
Diurnal differences in tropical anvil cloud evolution
Earth and Space Science Open Archive, https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10506580.1
Dennis Hartmann, Brittany Dygert, Qiang Fu and Peter Blossey.
Sea Surface Temperature Contrast in Tropical World: Part 1 Mean State
Submitted 5/2020, Revised 10/2020.

2021:

Bjorn Stevens, Sadrine Bony, David Farrell et al (including Blossey as one of >200 co-authors) (2021).
EUREC4A
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 4067-4119, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4067-2021.
Peter N. Blossey, Christopher S. Bretherton, Johannes Mohrmann (2021).
Simulating observed cloud transitions in the northeast Pacific during CSET
Monthly Weather Review, 149(8), 2633-2658, https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-20-0328.1. Supporting data.
Risi, C., Muller, C., & Blossey, P. (2021).
Rain evaporation, snow melt and entrainment at the heart of water vapor isotopic variations in the tropical troposphere, according to large-eddy simulations and a two-column model
J. Adv. Model. Earth Sys., 13, e2020MS002381. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020MS002381

2020:

Rachel Atlas, Christopher S. Bretherton, Peter N. Blossey, Andrew Gettelman, Charles Bardeen, Pu Lin, Yi Ming (2020).
How well do large-eddy simulations and global climate models represent observed boundary layer structures and low clouds over the summertime Southern Ocean?
J. Adv. Model. Earth Sys., 12, e2020MS002205. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020MS002205
Chris Terai, Michael Pritchard, Chris Bretherton, Peter Blossey (2020).
The impact of resolving sub-kilometer processes on aerosol-cloud interactions in global model simulations.
J. Adv. Model. Earth Sys., e2020MS002274. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020MS002274
Risi, C., Muller, C., & Blossey, P. (2020).
What controls the water vapor isotopic composition near the surface of tropical oceans? Results from an analytical model constrained by large-eddy simulations.
J. Adv. Model. Earth Sys., 12, e2020MS002106. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020MS002106
Metz, J.J., D.R. Durran, and P.N. Blossey.
Unusual trapped mountain lee waves with deep vertical penetration and significant stratospheric amplitude.
J. Atmos. Sci., 77, 633-646, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-19-0093.1

2019:

Duetsch, M., Blossey, P. N., Steig, E. J., & Nusbaumer, J. M. (2019).
Nonequilibrium fractionation during ice cloud formation in iCAM5: Evaluating the common parameterization of supersaturation as a linear function of temperature.
J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst. 11. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019MS001764
Blaz Gasparini, Peter N. Blossey, Dennis L. Hartmann, Guangxing Lin and Jiwen Fan, 2019.
What drives the lifecycle of tropical anvil clouds?
J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 11. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019MS001736
Dennis L. Hartmann, Peter N. Blossey and Brittany D. Dygert, 2019.
Convection and Climate: What Have We Learned from Simple Models and Simplified Settings?
Curr. Clim. Change. Rep., doi:10.1007/s40641-019-00136-9, Read-only link to published paper
John V. Hurley, Kathryn L. Verlinden, Peter N. Blossey, Zhiming Kuang and David Noone, 2019.
Moist entropy and water isotopologues in a zonal overturning circulation framework of the Madden-Julian Oscillation.
J. Geophys. Res., 124. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD029510

2018:

Dennis L. Hartmann, Blaz Gasparini, Sara E. Berry and Peter N. Blossey, 2018.
The Life Cycle and Net Radiative Effect of Tropical Anvil Clouds
J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 10, 3012-3029. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018MS001484
Peter N. Blossey, Christopher S. Bretherton, Joel A. Thornton and Katrina S. Virts, 2018.
Locally enhanced aerosols over a shipping lane produce convective invigoration but weak overall indirect effects in cloud-resolving simulations
Geophys. Res. Lett., 45, 9305-9313, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL078682
Matthew Wyant, Christopher Bretherton and Peter N. Blossey, 2018.
The Numerical Effects of Cross-Grid Flow in Simulations of the Marine Boundary Layer
J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 10, 466-480, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017MS001241

2017:

Christopher S. Bretherton and Peter N. Blossey, 2017.
Understanding mesoscale aggregation of shallow cumulus convection using large-eddy simulation.
J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 9, 2798-2821, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017MS000981
Roel Neggers and coauthors (including Blossey), 2017.
Single-column model simulations of subtropical marine boundary-layer cloud transitions under weakening inversions.
J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 9, 2385-2412, doi:10.1002/2017MS001064
Kuan-Man Xu, Zhujun Li, Anning Cheng, Peter N. Blossey and Cristiana Stan, 2017.
Differences in the Hydrological Cycle and Sensitivity Between Multiscale Modeling Frameworks with and without a Higher-order Turbulence Closure.
J. Adv. Model. Earth Sys., 9, 2120-2137, doi:10.1002/2017MS000970.
Adriana Bailey, Peter N. Blossey, David Noone, Jesse Nusbaumer and Rob Wood, 2017.
Detecting shifts in tropical moisture imbalances with satellite-derived isotope ratios in water vapor.
J. Geophys. Res., 122, 5763-5779, doi:10.1002/2016JD026222.

2016:

Lowenthal, D., G. Hallar, I. McCubbin, R. David, R. Borys, P. Blossey, A. Muhlbauer, Z. Kuang, and M. Moore, 2016.
Isotopic Fractionation in Wintertime Orographic Clouds.
J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol. 33, 2663-2678, doi:10.1175/JTECH-D-15-0233.1.
P. N. Blossey, C. S. Bretherton, A. Cheng, S. Endo, T. Heus, A. Lock and J. J. van der Dussen, 2016.
CGILS Phase 2 LES intercomparison of response of subtropical marine low cloud regimes to CO2 quadrupling and a CMIP3-composite forcing change.
J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 08, doi:10.1002/2016MS000765 See also supporting data
M. Moore, P. N. Blossey, A. Muhlbauer and Z. Kuang, 2016.
Microphysical controls on the isotopic composition of wintertime orographic precipitation
J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., 121, 7235-7253, doi:10.1002/2015JD023763.
S. R. de Roode, I. Sandu, J. J. van der Dussen, A. S. Ackerman, P. Blossey, D. Jarecka, A. Lock, A. P. Siebesma, and B. Stevens, 2016.
Large eddy simulations of EUCLIPSE/GASS Lagrangian stratocumulus to cumulus transitions: Mean state, turbulence, and decoupling
J. Atmos. Sci., 73, 2485-2508, doi:10.1175/JAS-D-15-0215.1
M. O. G. Hills, D. R. Durran and P. N. Blossey, 2016.
The Dissipation of Trapped Lee Waves. Part II: The relative importance of the boundary layer and the stratosphere
J. Atmos. Sci., 73, 943-955, doi:10.1175/JAS-D-15-0175.1

2015:

D. R. Durran, M. O. G. Hills and P. N. Blossey, 2015.
The Dissipation of Trapped Lee Waves. Part I: Leakage of Inviscid Waves into the Stratosphere
J. Atmos. Sci., 72, 1569-1584, doi:10.1175/JAS-D-14-0238.1

2014:

C. S. Bretherton, P. N. Blossey and C. Stan, 2014.
Cloud feedbacks on greenhouse warming in the superparameterized climate model SP-CCSM4.
J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 6, 1185-1204, doi:10.1002/2014MS000355
C. R. Jones, C. S. Bretherton and P. N. Blossey, 2014.
Fast Stratocumulus Timescale in Mixed Layer Model and Large Eddy Simulation.
J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 6, 206-222, doi:10.1002/2013MS000289
C. S. Bretherton and P. N. Blossey, 2014.
Low cloud reduction in a greenhouse-warmed climate: Results from Lagrangian LES of a subtropical marine cloudiness transition.
J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 6, 91-114, doi:10.1002/2013MS000250.
M. Moore, Z. Kuang and P. N. Blossey, 2014.
A moisture budget perspective of the amount effect.
Geophys. Res. Lett., 41, 1329-1335, doi:10.1002/2013GL058302. See also the supplement.

2013:

M. Zhang and 39 co-authors (including myself), 2013.
CGILS: Results from the first phase of an international project to understand the physical mechanisms of low cloud feedbacks in general circulation models.
J. Adv. Model. Earth Sys., 5, 826-842, doi:10.1002/2013MS000246.
J. J. van der Dussen and nine co-authors (including myself), 2013.
The GASS/EUCLIPSE Model Intercomparison of the Stratocumulus Transition as Observed During ASTEX: LES results.
J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 5, 483-499, doi:10.1002/jame.20033.
P. N. Blossey, C. S. Bretherton, M. Zhang, A. Cheng, S. Endo, T. Heus, Y. Liu, A. Lock, S. R. de Roode and K.-M. Xu, 2013.
Marine low cloud sensitivity to an idealized climate change: The CGILS LES Intercomparison.
J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 5, 234-258, doi:10.1002/jame.20025.
C. S. Bretherton, P. N. Blossey and C. R. Jones, 2013.
Mechanisms of marine low cloud sensitivity to idealized climate perturbations: A single-LES exploration extending the CGILS cases.
J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 5, 316-337, doi:10.1002/jame.20019.

2012:

M. Zhang, C. S. Bretherton, P. N. Blossey, Sandrine Bony, Florent Brient and Jean-Christophe Golaz, 2012.
The CGILS Experimental Design to Investigate Low Cloud Feedbacks in General Circulation Models by Using Single-Column and Large-Eddy Simulation Models.
J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., Vol. 4, M12001, doi:10.1029/2012MS000182.
M. C. Wyant, C. S. Bretherton, P. N. Blossey and M. Khairoutdinov, 2012.
Fast Cloud Adjustment to Increasing CO2 in a Superparameterized Climate Model.
J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., Vol. 4, M05001, 14 PP. doi: 10.1029/2011MS000092.
D. R. Durran and P. N. Blossey, 2012.
Implicit-Explicit Multistep Methods for Fast Wave-Slow Wave Problems.
Monthly Weather Review, 140, 1307-1325. doi:10.1175/MWR-D-11-00088.1
See also this Corrigendum which corrects a figure and table related to test cases.

2011:

V. Krasnopolsky, M. Fox-Rabinowitz, A. Belochitski, P. J. Rasch, Peter Blossey and Y. Kogan 2011.
Development of neural network convection parameterizations for climate and NWP models using Cloud Resolving Model simulations.
NCEP Office Note, No. 469.

2010:

C. S. Bretherton, J. Uchida and P. N. Blossey 2010.
Slow manifolds and multiple equilibria in stratocumulus-capped boundary layers.
J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., Vol. 2, Art.#14, 20 pp., doi:10.3894/JAMES.2010.2.14
P. N. Blossey, Z. Kuang and D. M. Romps 2010.
Isotopic composition of water in the tropical tropopause layer in cloud-resolving simulations of an idealized tropical circulation.
J. Geophys. Res., 115, D24309, doi:10.1029/2010JD014554
J. Uchida, C. S. Bretherton and P. N. Blossey 2010.
The sensitivity of stratocumulus-capped mixed layers to cloud droplet concentration: Do LES and mixed-layer models agree?.
Atmos. Chem. Phys., vol. 10, pp. 4097-4109.
S. J. Woolnough, P. N. Blossey, K.-M. Xu, P. Bechtold, J.-P. Chaboureau, T. Hosomi, S. F. Iacobellis, Y. Luo, J. C. Petch, R. Y. Wong and S. Xie 2010.
Modeling convective processes during the suppressed phase of a Madden-Julian Oscillation: Comparing single-column models with cloud-resolving models.
Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, Vol. 136, pp. 333-353.

2009:

M. C. Wyant, C. S. Bretherton and P. N. Blossey 2009.
Understanding Subtropical Low Cloud Response to a Warmer Climate in a Superparameterized Climate Model. Part I. Regime sorting and physical mechanisms.
Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, Vol. 1, Art. #7, 11 pp.
P. N. Blossey, C. S. Bretherton and M. C. Wyant 2009.
Understanding Subtropical Low Cloud Response to a Warmer Climate in a Superparameterized Climate Model. Part II. Column Modeling with a Cloud Resolving Model.
Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, Vol. 1, Art. #8, 14 pp.
M. A. Lopez, D. L. Hartmann, P. N. Blossey, R. Wood, C. S. Bretherton and T. Kubar 2009.
A Test of the Simulation of Tropical Convective Cloudiness by a Cloud-Resolving Model.
Journal of Climate, vol. 22, pp. 2834-2849.

2007-2008:

J. C. Petch, P. N. Blossey and C. S. Bretherton 2008.
Differences in the lower troposphere in two- and three-dimensional cloud-resolving model simulations of deep convection.
Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, vol. 134, issue 636, pp. 1941-1946.
P. N. Blossey and D. R. Durran 2008.
Selective monotonicity preservation in scalar advection.
Journal of Computational Physics, vol. 227, pp. 5160-5183.
C. S. Bretherton, P. N. Blossey and J. Uchida 2007.
Cloud droplet sedimentation, entrainment efficiency, and subtropical stratocumulus albedo.
Geophysical Research Letters, 34, L03813, doi:10.1029/2006GL027648.
P. N. Blossey, C. S. Bretherton, J. Cetrone and M. Khairoutdinov 2007.
Cloud-resolving model simulations of KWAJEX: Model sensitivities and comparisons with satellite and radar observations.
Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, vol. 64, pp. 1488-1508.

2005-2006:

C. S. Bretherton, P. N. Blossey and M. E. Peters 2006.
Comparison of simple and cloud-resolving models of moist convection-radiation interaction with a mock-Walker circulation.
Theoretical and Computational Fluid Dynamics, vol. 20, pp. 421-442.
C. S. Bretherton, P. N. Blossey and M. Khairoutdinov 2005.
An energy-balance analysis of deep convective self-aggregation above uniform SST.
Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, vol. 62, pp. 4273-4292.
R. Wood and P. N. Blossey 2005.
Comments on: "On the parameterization of the autoconversion process. Part I: Analytical formulation of the Kessler-type parameterizations".
Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, vol. 62, pp. 3003-3006.
Z. Kuang, P. N. Blossey and C. S. Bretherton 2005.
A DARE approach for 3D cloud resolving simulations of large scale atmospheric circulation.
Geophysical Research Letters, 32, L02809, doi:10.1029/2004GL021024.

Journals (each link gives a google search for the journal title):: Geophysical Research Letters; Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems; Journal of Climate; Journal of Computational Physics; Journal of Geophysical Research, Atmospheres; Journal of the Atmopsheric Sciences; Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society; Theoretical and Computational Fluid Dynamics

Peter N. Blossey

Research Scientist

Publications (Google Scholar Page, Supporting data for recent publications)