Darko R. Koracin

Research Professor
Division of Atmospheric Sciences

The main focus of Dr. Koracin's work is related to the application and development of high-resolution mesoscale meteorological models with turbulence and radiation parameterizations. Dr. Koracin is the head of the Atmospheric and Dispersion Modeling (ADIM) Program. His research has focused on investigation of the properties and evolution of atmospheric flows both in complex terrain and over the ocean. He has been developing a higher-order turbulence closure atmospheric model, a cloud-resolving model, and a large-eddy simulation model and applying them to various phenomena in the atmospheric boundary layer over the land and the ocean. His research also includes the development of models for the transport and dispersion of atmospheric pollutants (modified Gaussian, higher-order closure plume model, and Lagrangian random particle model) and their integration with meteorological model. Dr. Koracin's recent activities include real-time forecasting, investigating the effects of the winds, wind stress, and wind stress curl on the ocean dynamics, and linking atmospheric and ocean models.

Dr. Koracin is a teaching instructor for graduate level classes in the Atmospheric Science program at the University of Nevada Reno and is supervising and advising students in M.S. and Ph.D. programs.

RESEARCH TOPICS:

• Transport and dispersion of atmospheric pollutants and tracers in complex terrain and coastal regions.
• Air-sea interaction and coupling between atmospheric and ocean models.
• Formation of offshore fog.
• Effects of the wind stress and wind stress curl on the upwelling of coastal waters.
• Wind energy.
• Coupling between atmospheric and hydrological models.
• Optimization and evaluation of cloud seeding and precipitation enhancements.
• MM5 real-time mesoscale forecasting and implementation of Four Dimensional Data Assimilation.
• Use of principles of artificial intelligence in air quality modeling.

RESEARCH AREAS:

Regional, mesoscale and microscale atmospheric and dispersion modeling, Air quality impact and assessment, Coastal Dynamics, Air-sea interaction, Renewable energies, Real-time forecasting, Artificial Intelligence.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

Dorman, C.E., E.P. Dever, J. Largier, and D. Koracin, 2006:

Buoy measured wind, wind stress, and wind stress curl over the shelf off Bodega Bay, California. Deep Sea Res. (in print).

Chow, J.C., J.G. Watson, L.-W. A. Chen, D. Koracin, B. Zielenska, D. Tang, F. Perera, J. Cao, and S.C. Lee, 2006:

Exposure to PM_2.5 and PAHs from the Tong Liang, China - Epidemiological Study. J. Environ. Sci. Health Part A, 41, 517-542.

Kochanski, A., D. Koracin, and C.E. Dorman, 2006:

Comparison of wind stress algorithms and their influence on the wind stress curl using buoy measurements over the shelf of Bodega Bay, California. Deep Sea Res. (in print).

Bebis, G., R. Boyle, B. Parvin, D. Koracin, P. Remagnino, A. Nefian, G. Meenakshisundaram, V. Pascucci, J. Zara, J. Molineros, H. Thiesel, and T. Malzbender, Eds., 2006:

Advances in Visual Computing. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, LNCS 4291,Vol. I, 916pp, Springer, Berlin.

Bebis, G., R. Boyle, B. Parvin, D. Koracin, P. Remagnino, A. Nefian, G. Meenakshisundaram, V. Pascucci, J. Zara, J. Molineros, H. Thiesel, and T. Malzbender, Eds., 2006:

Advances in Visual Computing. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, LNCS 4292, Vol. II, 906pp, Springer, Berlin.

Vellore , R., D. Koracin, and M. Wetzel, 2006:

Improvements in cloud predictions through modeling and visualization of the satellite imagery. Lectures in Computer Science, 4292, Vol. II, 544-553.

Largier, J. L., C.A. Lawrence, M. Roughan, D.M. Kaplan, E.P. Dever, C.E. Dorman, R.M. Kudela, S.M. Bollens, F.P. Wilkerson, R.C. Dugdale, L. W. Botsford, N. Garfield, B. Kuebel-Cervantes, and D. Koracin, 2006:

WEST: a northern California study of the role of wind-driven transport in the productivity of coastal plankton communities. Deep Sea Research (in print).

Koracin, D., A. Panorska, V. Isakov, J.S. Touma, and J. Swall, 2006:

A statistical approach for estimating uncertainty in dispersion modeling: an example of application in southwestern U.S. Atmos. Environ. (in print).

Isakov, V., A. Venkatram, J. Touma, D. Koracin, and T.L. Otte, 2006:

Evaluating the use of outputs from comprehensive meteorological models in air quality applications: A case study in Wilmington, CA. Atmos. Environ. (in print).

Koracin, D., A. Kochanski, C.E. Dorman, and E.P. Dever, 2005 :

Wind stress curl and upwelling along the California coast. Bull. Amer. Met. Soc., 86, 629-630.

Bebis, G., R. Boyle, D. Koracin, and B. Parvin, Eds, 2005:

Advances in Visual Computing. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 3804, Springer, 755pp.

Luria, M., R.L. Tanner, R.J. Valente, S. T. Bairai, D. Koracin, and A.W. Gertler, 2005:

Local and transported pollution over San Diego California . Atmospheric Environment, 39, 6765-6776.

Koracin, D., D.F. Leipper, and J.M. Lewis, 2005:

Modeling sea fog on the U.S. California coast during a hot spell event. Geofizika, 22, 59-82.

Koracin, D., J.A. Businger, C.E. Dorman, and J.M. Lewis, 2005:

Formation, evolution, and dissipation of coastal sea fog. Bound.-Layer Meteorol., 117, 447-478.