Resume Michael John Dixon
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- Knowledge and skills General
- Automated processing of weather data
- Detailed Description of Professional Experience
- TITAN - Thunderstorm Identification, Tracking, Analysis and Nowcasting: 1991 - present
- Weather modification evaluation: 1976 – 2006
- Software for Doppler RADAR signal processing: 2003 – present
- Advanced Operation Aviation Weather System, Taiwan: 1998 – present
- Weather Support to Deicing Decision-Making, FAA, USA: 1996 - 2000
- Operational Wind-shear Warning System, Hong Kong Observatory, Hong Kong: 1994 - 1997
- Aviation Weather Products Generator (AWPG), FAA: 1994 - 1995
- River management engineering: 1982 - 1989
- Civil engineering consulting and construction: 1980 - 1982
- Recent conference papers
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Resume Michael John Dixon dixon@ucar.edu 560 Yale Road, Boulder, Colorado, 80305-5808, USA (303)-494-9020 Born South Africa, 19 November 1953 Citizenship: USA, Ireland (EU), South Africa Professional experience summary 1990 - present: Software engineering, hydro-meteorology, radar meteorology, signal processing, software project management, weather modification research. Research Applications Laboratory (RAL), National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, CO, USA. 1983-1984, 1986-1987, 1988-1989: Consulting engineering: river management, hydrology, hydraulics. Drummond and Associates, Victoria, Australia. 1987-1988: Software engineering, computing support and instrumentation support. Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. 1982-1983, 1984-1986: Scientific applications programming: hydrology, weather radar, weather modification. CloudQuest, South Africa. 1977 - 1978, 1980 - 1982: Civil engineering: water resources, geotechnical engineering, construction. Various companies, South Africa. Education Ph.D., Hydro-meteorology (Civil Engineering), University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA, 1994. M.S., Hydrology (Civil Engineering), Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA, 1980. M.Sc., Civil Engineering, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa, 1977. B.Sc., Civil Engineering, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa, 1975.
Software engineering: expert Software engineering management: expert Aviation industry: full working knowledge Aviation weather: expert Radar meteorology: expert Meteorology: general knowledge Numerical weather prediction: general knowledge River management engineering: full working knowledge Civil engineering hydraulics: full working knowledge Field project design and support: full working knowledge Field project instrumentation: full working knowledge Hydrometeorology: Ph.D. Hydrology: M.S., M.Sc. Civil engineering: B.Sc.
Java: full working knowledge LabView: full working knowledge MatLab: general knowledge FORTRAN: full working knowledge UNIX shell (Bourne, bash, C): full working knowledge Perl: full working knowledge Python: general knowledge Automated processing of weather data Weather radar data processing: expert Doppler radar signal processing: full working knowledge Instrumentation: full working knowledge Convective storm tracking: expert Stratiform precipitation tracking: expert Short-term convective forecasting: expert Short-term snowfall forecasting: expert Convective storm climatology: full working knowledge Microburst detection: full working knowledge Outflow boundary detection: full working knowledge Turbulence detection: general knowledge
South Africa: Commercial. Multi-engine. Australia. Private. Single-engine. Gliding. USA: Private. Single-engine. Gliding. Detailed Description of Professional Experience Below I have included narrative details of my work experience, under the following headings:
TITAN - Thunderstorm Identification, Tracking, Analysis and Nowcasting: 1991 - present TITAN is my invention. I started development of TITAN in FORTRAN when I was working on software for the objective analysis of weather modification efforts. When I joined NCAR, I re-wrote the software to work in real-time with data from a prototype NEXRAD radar. In the years since then I have refined the program and its related infrastructure, which is now in C++ and runs on LINUX-based computer systems. TITAN is a computer program that identifies convective storms in volumetric radar data, computes storm properties, tracks storms through time and provides extrapolation-based forecasts. These forecasts are useful to about 45 minutes for small isolated thunderstorms, 1 hour for large storms and 2 hours for super-cell storms, mesoscale convective complexes and squall lines. TITAN forms an integral part of the FAA-funded convective weather research program at NCAR, both at the local and national scales. TITAN is part of a larger software system, most of which I developed, for ingesting weather radar data, performing analyses, producing forecasts and displaying the results. Many researchers, universities, weather services and other organizations make use of this software. I keep it up to date and provide fresh revisions as computer operating systems change. I maintain a web site for TITAN and the related software. The software and documentation may be found at: www.ral.ucar.edu/projects/titan. Weather modification evaluation: 1976 – 2006 I became involved in both aviation and weather modification shortly after completing my B.Sc. in Civil Engineering. While working for the South African Department of Water Affairs I was assigned to investigate possible changes in rainfall patterns resulting from weather modification efforts in the Lowveld of the Eastern Transvaal in South Africa. I spent two years working on the project, including one season as a co-pilot on seeding missions in a Learjet 24. I operated the radar, installed instrumentation and operated the weather observing systems. I originally developed the TITAN software system for objective evaluation of convective cloud seeding. In addition to software for radar analysis, I also developed software for analyzing and displaying data from airborne instruments, such as 1-D and 2-D particle probes. From 1996 to 1998, NCAR carried out a weather-modification research project in Mexico, designed to validate a similar project carried out earlier in South Africa. For the Mexican project, I upgraded TITAN extensively, particularly in regard to the seeding evaluation aspects. I participated in the field project design and helped to set up the radar and related hardware. TITAN has become a principal tool for weather modification projects in many countries, including South Africa, Burkina Faso, the USA, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Greece, Spain, France, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and India. I maintain the system and provide upgrades and support to assist these projects in the use of the software.
I implemented detailed algorithms in C++ for Doppler RADAR signal processing. For some of these algorithms I worked on both the software and the scientific aspects, while for others I implemented the work of other scientists. I am the principal software engineer on a team that includes 4 other scientists and engineers. This work is aimed at development of software for advanced Doppler RADAR signal processing for the US National Weather Service (NWS) as part of the NEXRAD upgrade program. When I joined the program, the focus of the work was range/velocity ambiguity unfolding using the SZ864 (Sachinanda/Zrnic 8/64 pulse coding) and dual–PRT techniques. The focus has since shifted to clutter mitigation techniques. I made significant scientific contributions to the development of the Clutter Mitigation Decision (CMD) system for NEXRAD. I also developed the code for testing the algorithm and prepared the algorithm description documents for the NWS. The following signal-processing aspects are included in the work:
Advanced Operation Aviation Weather System, Taiwan: 1998 – present I have been the lead software engineer for the duration of the Advanced Operation Aviation Weather System (AOAWS) project, from initial negotiations with the client, through the delivery of the Phase 1 system, a maintenance phase and now into a second development phase. I lead a team of engineers that has varied in size from 5 to 10 depending on the phase of the project. The AOAWS team was awarded the UCAR Scientific and Technology Advancement Award for 2002. I have provided engineering management for the budgeting, planning and implementation aspects of all of the software components except for the mesoscale model. I designed and coded a large part of the system, including data server and data distribution aspects, algorithms and system monitoring software. I developed plans for the deployment of the system to the field and supervised field installation and testing. The AOAWS is a relatively large aviation weather forecasting and flight planning system. It includes a mesoscale model running on a super-computer and acquisition of satellite data, lightning data, radar products and aviation-specific data such as surface reports (METARs) and forecasts (TAFs). The AOAWS products are distributed to remote interactive displays at meteorological stations, flight service stations, radar installations and air traffic control centers. In addition, product content is generated for dissemination via the web. More recently, a Java display application has been added.
I managed the instrumentation, software and data system engineering aspects of the Lantau Experiment (LANTEX) field project in Hong Kong, which was the initial phase of the Operational Wind-shear Warning System project (OWWS). The purpose of LANTEX was to gather data for the subsequent scientific phase of the project. I spent over 4 months in the field. I organized the data network infrastructure, managed and participated in the installation of surface sensors and instrumentation, coordinated the aircraft data acquisition, trained support personnel at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and served as a liaison with the client. I spent 2 months on the planning phase at NCAR and 4 months in the field. After the field project was complete, I continued work on the project as a software engineer. I coded the algorithm for producing wind-shear forecasts based on surface anemometer measurements. The OWWS was a $15M wind-shear warning project for the new Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok airport. The installed system provides operational wind-shear and turbulence warnings to arriving and departing traffic at the airport. The system is still in use today. Aviation Weather Products Generator (AWPG), FAA: 1994 - 1995 I worked on the AWPG project as a software engineer. My primary responsibilities were the interactive display and the data infrastructure. I was asked to join the project at a time at which it was in some trouble because of personnel changes. It was one of my responsibilities to help get the development back on track. I was a member of the testing team for the AWPG at the Denver Flight Information Service station and the Longmont Air Route Traffic Control Center in N.E Colorado. The AWPG was funded by the FAA with the goal of providing interactive tactical and flight-planning information to Flight Service Stations. In its planning functions it was very similar to the AOAWS, and many of the ideas developed during the AWPG were later incorporated into the AOAWS. River management engineering: 1982 - 1989 During the 1980s, I spent 3 years working for a small consulting company in Australia engaged in river management. The clients of the company were for the most part local authorities with responsibility for the health of the river systems in their districts. I worked on the following aspects:
Civil engineering consulting and construction: 1980 - 1982 Early in my career I was involved in a number of aspects of civil engineering practice. In South Africa, in order to register as a professional engineer, a candidate must obtain 3 years of experience in the analysis, design and construction phases of a project. My early experience included:
I registered as a professional civil engineer in South Africa in 1982. Education narrative I received my primary education at Westville Boys High School in Durban, South Africa. After a year in compulsory military service, I attended the University of Natal, also in Durban, and obtained my B.Sc. in Civil Engineering. After graduation I worked for the South African Department of Water Affairs investigating possible changes in rainfall patterns resulting from weather modification efforts in the Lowveld of the Eastern Transvaal in South Africa. During this time, I registered for and completed a masters degree. My M.Sc. thesis is titled: A proposed mathematical model for the estimation of the areal properties of high intensity, short duration storms. The research was based on analyses of data from the radar used to observe the seeding operations. Since my M.Sc. in South Africa was a research-only degree, without advanced course-work, I traveled the USA in 1978 to pursue a course work M.S. degree. The subjects included surface hydrology, groundwater hydrology, hydraulics, river mechanics, geomorphology, water quality, and mathematical statistics. I returned to the USA in 1989 to pursue a Ph.D. I started working at NCAR while working towards my PhD. at the University of Colorado in Boulder. My thesis is titled Automated storm identification, tracking and forecasting – a radar-based method.
Rasmussen, R., Dixon, M., Vasiloff, S., Hage, F., Knight, S., Vivekanandan, J., Xu, M. 2003. Snow nowcasting using real-time correlation of radar reflectivity with snow gauge accumulation. Journal of Applied Meteorology, 42 (1): 20-36.
Weather support to deicing decision making (WSDDM): A winter weather nowcasting system. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 82 (4): 579-595. Tapia, A., Smith, J.A., Dixon, M. 1998. Estimation of convective rainfall from lightning observations. Journal of Applied Meteorology, 37 (11): 1497-1509. Wilson, J.W., Crook, N.A., Mueller, C.K., Sun, J., Dixon, M. 1998. Nowcasting thunderstorms: A status report. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 79 (10): 2079-2099. Dixon, M., Wiener, G. 1993 TITAN - Thunderstorm identification, tracking, analysis, and nowcasting - a radar-based methodology. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 10 (6): 785-797 Mather, G.K., Dixon, M.J., DeJager, J.M. 1996. Assessing the potential for rain augmentation – The Nelspruit randomized convective cloud seeding experiment. Journal of Applied Meteorology 35 (9): 1465-1482 Recent conference papers Dixon M., Hubbert, J.C., Kessinger, C., Meymaris, G. 2007. Intelligent mitigation of normal and anomalous propagation clutter. Real time clutter identification and mitigation for NEXRAD. 33rd Conference on Radar Meteorology, AMS, Cairns, Australia. Hubbert J., Dixon, M., Kessinger, C. 2007. Real time clutter identification and mitigation for NEXRAD. 23rd Conference on IIPS, AMS, San Antonio, TX. Hubbert, J.C., Dixon, M. 2006. Real time mitigation of anomalous propagation clutter. ERAD, Barcelona, Spain. Hubbert, J.C., Meymaris, G., Ellis, S., Dixon, M. 2006. Application and issues of SZ phase coding for NEXRAD. IIPS of Annual AMS Meeting, Atlanta, GA. Dixon, M., Kessinger, C., Hubbert, J.C. 2005. Echo classification and spectral processing for the discrimination of clutter from weather. 32nd Conference on Radar Meteorology, AMS, Albuquerque, NM. Hubbert, J.C., Meymaris, G., Dixon, M., Ellis, S. 2005. Data quality improvements using SZ phase coding. 32nd Conference on Radar Meteorology, AMS, Albuquerque, NM. Directory: pub -> titan pub -> Acm word Template for sig site pub -> The german unification, 1815-1870 pub -> Baltic Olympiads in Informatics: Challenges for Training Together pub -> Preparation of Papers for ieee transactions on medical imaging pub -> Forthcoming meetings and conferences pub -> Asilomar Conference on Circuits, Systems & Computers, Pacific Grove, ca, November 1978, pp. 55 58 pub -> Forthcoming meetings and conferences pub -> Harmonised compatibility and sharing conditions for video pmse in the 7 9 ghz frequency band, taking into account radar use titan -> SI2-ssi: Lidar Radar Open Software Environment (lrose) Download 34.7 Kb. Share with your friends:
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