School of Earth and Environment

Peter Knippertz Prof Peter Knippertz

Professor of Meteorology

Telephone number: +44(0) 113 34 36422
Email address: p.knippertz@leeds.ac.uk
Room: 11.104

Knippertz working group

Biography

Prof Peter Knippertz is a Professor of Meteorology and has extensive research expertise in analyzing, modelling and forecasting storm systems in the tropics and extratropics.

His current work is focussed on dust storms over the Sahara and windstorms over the North Atlantic/Europe using a wide range of observations (conventional, satellite, aircraft) and modelling tools. He has been involved in several international research programmes and field campaigns such as THORPEX (The Observing System Research and Predictability Experiment), AMMA (African Monsoon Multiscale Analysis), SAMUM (Saharan Mineral Dust Experiment), DIAMET (DIAbatic influence on Mesoscale structures in ExTratropical storms) and FENNEC.

Ongoing projects are being funded by the European Research Council (ERC), the AXA Research Fund and the National Environmental Research Council (NERC). He has authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles on tropical-extratropical interations, the dynamics of dust storms, precipitation dynamics in Africa and extratropical wind storms.

Peter is Deputy Director of the University hub on Climate and Geohazard Services (CGS).

Qualifications

          • Diploma Meteorology, University of Cologne
          • PhD Meteorology, University of Cologne

Memberships/Fellowships

          • Associate Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society
          • Member of the German Meteorological Society and the European Geosciences Union

Research Interests

          • Atmospheric Dynamics
          • Tropical Meteorology
          • Dust Research
          • Wind and Rain Storms

Academic CV (pdf file)

Publications

  • Odell L; Knippertz P; Pickering S; Parkes B; Roberts A (2013) The Braer storm revisited, Weather, 68, pp.105-111. doi: 10.1002/wea.2097
  • Baker L; Martinez-Alvarado O; Methven J; Knippertz P (2013) Flying through extratropical cyclone Friedhelm, Weather, 68, pp.9-13. doi: 10.1002/wea.2047
  • Wiegand L; Knippertz P (2013) Equatorward breaking Rossby waves over the North Atlantic and Mediterranean region in the ECMWF operational Ensemble Prediction System, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, . doi: 10.1002/qj.2112
  • Davis J; Knippertz P; Fink AH (2012) The predictability of precipitation episodes during the West African dry season, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, . doi: 10.1002/qj.2014
  • Waliser DE; Guan B; Moncrieff MW; Gochis D; Goswami BN; Burridge D; Fink AH; Harr P; Heming J; Hsu H-H; Jakob C; Janiga M; Nguyen H; Thorncroft C; Johnson R; Jones S; Knippertz P; Marengo J; Pope M; Serra Y; Wheeler M; Wood R; Yuter S (2012) The "year" of tropical convection (May 2008-April 2010): Climate variability and weather highlights, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 93, pp.1189-1218. doi: 10.1175/2011BAMS3095.1
  • Roberts A; Knippertz P (2012) Haboobs: Convectively generated dust storms in West Africa, Weather, 67, pp.311-316. doi: 10.1002/wea.1968
  • Glaeser G; Knippertz P; Heinold B (2012) Orographic Effects and Evaporative Cooling along a Subtropical Cold Front: The Case of the Spectacular Saharan Dust Outbreak of March 2004, MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW, 140, pp.2520-2533. doi: 10.1175/MWR-D-11-00315.1
  • Schepanski K; Wright TJ; Knippertz P (2012) Evidence for flash floods over deserts from loss of coherence in InSAR imagery, Journal of Geophysical Research D: Atmospheres, 117, . doi: 10.1029/2012JD017580
  • Berkes F; Knippertz P; Parker DJ; Jeans G; Quiniou-Ramus V (2012) Convective Squalls over the Eastern Equatorial Atlantic, WEATHER AND FORECASTING, 27, pp.770-783. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-11-00086.1
  • Knippertz P; Todd MC (2012) Mineral dust aerosols over the Sahara: Meteorological controls on emission and transport and implications for modeling, Reviews of Geophysics, 50, . doi: 10.1029/2011RG000362
  • Fink AH; Pohle S; Pinto JG; Knippertz P (2012) Diagnosing the influence of diabatic processes on the explosive deepening of extratropical cyclones, GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, 39, . doi: 10.1029/2012GL051025
  • Brindley H; Knippertz P; Ryder C; Ashpole I (2012) A critical evaluation of the ability of the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) thermal infrared red-green-blue rendering to identify dust events: Theoretical analysis, Journal of Geophysical Research D: Atmospheres, 117, . doi: 10.1029/2011JD017326
  • Tompkins AM; Parker DJ; Hobby M; Knippertz P; Nicklin KJ; Danour S; Amekudzi L; Bain CL; Dominguez A; Lamb PJ; Douglas MW; Fink AH; Grimes DIF; Yorke C (2012) Capacity building in meteorological education and research-lessons learned and future prospects, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 93, pp.595-601. doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00098.1
  • Knippertz P; Fink AH; Schuster R; Trentmann J; Schrage JM; Yorke C (2011) Ultra-low clouds over the southern West African monsoon region, GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, 38, . doi: 10.1029/2011GL049278
  • Stein THM; Parker DJ; Delanoe J; Dixon NS; Hogan RJ; Knippertz P; Maidment RI; Marsham JH (2011) The vertical cloud structure of the West African monsoon: A 4 year climatology using CloudSat and CALIPSO, JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES, 116, . doi: 10.1029/2011JD016029
  • Wiegand L; Twitchett A; Schwierz C; Knippertz P (2011) Heavy Precipitation at the Alpine South Side and Saharan Dust over Central Europe: A Predictability Study Using TIGGE, WEATHER AND FORECASTING, 26, pp.957-974. doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-10-05060.1
  • Marsham JH; Knippertz P; Dixon NS; Parker DJ; Lister GMS (2011) The importance of the representation of deep convection for modeled dust-generating winds over West Africa during summer, GEOPHYS RES LETT, 38, . doi: 10.1029/2011GL048368
  • Heinold B; Tegen I; Schepanski K; Tesche M; Esselborn M; Freudenthaler V; Gross S; Kandler K; Knippertz P; Muller D; Schladitz A; Toledano C; Weinzierl B; Ansmann A; Althausen D; Muller T; Petzold A; Wiedensohler A (2011) Regional modelling of Saharan dust and biomass-burning smoke Part I: Model description and evaluation, TELLUS B, 63, pp.781-799. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2011.00570.x
  • Knippertz P; Tesche M; Heinold B; Kandler K; Toledano C; Esselborn M (2011) Dust mobilization and aerosol transport from West Africa to Cape Verde-a meteorological overview of SAMUM-2, TELLUS B, 63, pp.430-447. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2011.00544.x
  • Schepanski K; Knippertz P (2011) Soudano-Saharan depressions and their importance for precipitation and dust: a new perspective on a classical synoptic concept, Q J ROY METEOR SOC, 137, pp.1431-1445. doi: 10.1002/qj.850
  • Muller D; Weinzierl B; Petzold A; Kandler K; Ansmann A; Muller T; Tesche M; Freudenthaler V; Esselborn M; Heese B; Althausen D; Schladitz A; Otto S; Knippertz P (2010) Mineral dust observed with AERONET Sun photometer, Raman lidar, and in situ instruments during SAMUM 2006: Shape-independent particle properties, J GEOPHYS RES-ATMOS, 115, . doi: 10.1029/2009JD012520
  • Knippertz P; Chagnon JM; Foster A; Lathouwers L; Marsham JH; Methven J; Parker DJ (2010) Research flight observations of a prefrontal gravity wave near the southwestern UK, WEATHER, 65, pp.293-297. doi: 10.1002/wea.632
  • Knippertz P; Wernli H (2010) A Lagrangian Climatology of Tropical Moisture Exports to the Northern Hemispheric Extratropics, J CLIMATE, 23, pp.987-1003. doi: 10.1175/2009JCLI3333.1
  • Cuesta J; Lavaysse C; Flamant C; Mimouni M; Knippertz P (2010) Northward bursts of the West African monsoon leading to rainfall over the Hoggar Massif, Algeria, Q J ROY METEOR SOC, 136, pp.174-189. doi: 10.1002/qj.439
  • Lafore JP; Flamant C; Giraud V; Guichard F; Knippertz P; Mahfouf JF; Mascart P; Williams ER (2010) Introduction to the AMMA Special Issue on 'Advances in understanding atmospheric processes over West Africa through the AMMA field campaign', Q J ROY METEOR SOC, 136, pp.2-7. doi: 10.1002/qj.583
  • Knippertz P; Todd MC (2010) The central west Saharan dust hot spot and its relation to African easterly waves and extratropical disturbances, J GEOPHYS RES-ATMOS, 115, . doi: 10.1029/2009JD012819
  • Lavaysse C; Flamant C; Janicot S; Knippertz P (2010) Links between African easterly waves, midlatitude circulation and intraseasonal pulsations of the West African heat low, Q J ROY METEOR SOC, 136, pp.141-158. doi: 10.1002/qj.555
  • Emmel C; Knippertz P; Schulz O (2010) Climatology of convective density currents in the southern foothills of the Atlas Mountains, J GEOPHYS RES-ATMOS, 115, . doi: 10.1029/2009JD012863
  • Kandler K; Schutz L; Deutscher C; Ebert M; Hofmann H; Jackel S; Jaenicke R; Knippertz P; Lieke K; Massling A; Petzold A; Schladitz A; Weinzierl B; Wiedensohler A; Zorn S; Weinbruch S (2009) Size distribution, mass concentration, chemical and mineralogical composition and derived optical parameters of the boundary layer aerosol at Tinfou, Morocco, during SAMUM 2006, TELLUS B, 61, pp.32-50. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2008.00385.x
  • Knippertz P; Fink AH; Pohle S (2009) Comments on "Dry-Season Precipitation in Tropical West Africa and Its Relation to Forcing from the Extratropics'' Reply, MON WEATHER REV, 137, pp.3151-3157. doi: 10.1175/2009MWR3006.1
  • Heinold B; Tegen I; Esselborn M; Kandler K; Knippertz P; Muller D; Schladitz A; Tesche M; Weinzierl B; Ansmann A; Althausen D; Laurent B; Massling A; Muller T; Petzold A; Schepanski K; Wiedensohler A (2009) Regional Saharan dust modelling during the SAMUM 2006 campaign, TELLUS B, 61, pp.307-324. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2008.00387.x
  • Knippertz P; Trentmann J; Seifert A (2009) High-resolution simulations of convective cold pools over the northwestern Sahara, J GEOPHYS RES-ATMOS, 114, . doi: 10.1029/2008JD011271
  • Petzold A; Rasp K; Weinzierl B; Esselborn M; Hamburger T; Dornbrack A; Kandler K; Schutz L; Knippertz P; Fiebig M; Virkkula A (2009) Saharan dust absorption and refractive index from aircraft-based observations during SAMUM 2006, TELLUS B, 61, pp.118-130. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2008.00383.x
  • Knippertz P; Fink AH; Pohle S (2009) Reply, Monthly Weather Review, 137, pp.3151-3157. doi: 10.1175/2009MWR3006.1
  • Knippertz P; Fink AH (2009) Prediction of Dry-Season Precipitation in Tropical West Africa and Its Relation to Forcing from the Extratropics, WEATHER FORECAST, 24, pp.1064-1084. doi: 10.1175/2009WAF2222221.1
  • Knippertz P; Ansmann A; Althausen D; Muller D; Tesche M; Bierwirth E; Dinter T; Muller T; Von Hoyningen-Huene W; Schepanski K; Wendisch M; Heinold B; Kandler K; Petzold A; Schutz L; Tegen I (2009) Dust mobilization and transport in the northern Sahara during SAMUM 2006 - a meteorological overview, TELLUS B, 61, pp.12-31. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2008.00380.x
  • Freudenthaler V; Esselborn M; Wiegner M; Heese B; Tesche M; Ansmann A; Muller D; Althausen D; Wirth M; Fix A; Ehret G; Knippertz P; Toledano C; Gasteiger J; Garhammer M; Seefeldner M (2009) Depolarization ratio profiling at several wavelengths in pure Saharan dust during SAMUM 2006, TELLUS B, 61, pp.165-179. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2008.00396.x
  • Tesche M; Ansmann A; Muller D; Althausen D; Mattis I; Heese B; Freudenthaler V; Wiegner M; Esselborn M; Pisani G; Knippertz P (2009) Vertical profiling of Saharan dust with Raman lidars and airborne HSRL in southern Morocco during SAMUM, TELLUS B, 61, pp.144-164. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2008.00390.x
  • Reinfried F; Tegen I; Heinold B; Hellmuth O; Schepanski K; Cubasch U; Huebener H; Knippertz P (2009) Simulations of convectively-driven density currents in the Atlas region using a regional model: Impacts on dust emission and sensitivity to horizontal resolution and convection schemes, J GEOPHYS RES-ATMOS, 114, . doi: 10.1029/2008JD010844
  • Ansmann A; Tesche M; Knippertz P; Bierwirth E; Althausen D; Muller D; Schulz O (2009) Vertical profiling of convective dust plumes in southern Morocco during SAMUM, TELLUS B, 61, pp.340-353. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2008.00384.x
  • Kahn R; Petzold A; Wendisch M; Bierwirth E; Dinter T; Esselborn M; Fiebig M; Heese B; Knippertz P; Muller D; Schladitz A; Von Hoyningen-Huene A (2009) Desert dust aerosol air mass mapping in the western Sahara, using particle properties derived from space-based multi-angle imaging, TELLUS B, 61, pp.239-251. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2008.00398.x
  • Muller D; Heinold B; Tesche M; Tegen I; Althausen D; Arboledas LA; Amiridis V; Amodeo A; Ansmann A; Balis D; Comeron A; D'amico G; Gerasopoulos E; Guerrero-Rascado JL; Freudenthaler V; Giannakaki E; Heese B; Iarlori M; Knippertz P; Mamouri RE; Mona L; Papayannis A; Pappalardo G; Perrone RM; Pisani G; Rizi V; Sicard M; Spinelli N; Tafuro A; Wiegner M (2009) EARLINET observations of the 14-22-May long-range dust transport event during SAMUM 2006: validation of results from dust transport modelling, TELLUS B, 61, pp.325-339. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2008.00400.x
  • Meier F; Knippertz P (2009) Dynamics and Predictability of a Heavy Dry-Season Precipitation Event over West Africa-Sensitivity Experiments with a Global Model, MON WEATHER REV, 137, pp.189-206. doi: 10.1175/2008MWR2622.1
  • Flamant C; Knippertz P; Parker DJ; Chaboureau JP; Lavaysse C; Agusti-Panareda A; Kergoat L (2009) The impact of a mesoscale convective system cold pool on the northward propagation of the intertropical discontinuity over West Africa, Q J ROY METEOR SOC, 135, pp.139-159. doi: 10.1002/qj.357
  • Knippertz P (2008) Dust emissions in the West African heat trough - the role of the diurnal cycle and of extratropical disturbances, METEOROLOGISCHE ZEITSCHRIFT, 17, pp.553-563. doi: 10.1127/0941-2948/2008/0315
  • Karam DB; Flamant C; Knippertz P; Reitebuch O; Pelon J; Chong M; Dabas A (2008) Dust emissions over the Sahel associated with the West African monsoon intertropical discontinuity region: A representative case-study, Q J ROY METEOR SOC, 134, pp.621-634. doi: 10.1002/qj.244
  • Born K; Christoph M; Fink AH; Knippertz P; Paeth H; Speth P (2008) Moroccan climate in the present and future: Combined view from observational data and regional climate scenarios., In: Zereini F; Hötzl H (Ed) Climate changes and water resources in the Middle East and in North Africa, Springer, pp.29-45.
  • Ansmann A; Tesche M; Althausen D; Muller D; Seifert P; Freudenthaler V; Heese B; Wiegner M; Pisani G; Knippertz P; Dubovik O (2008) Influence of Saharan dust on cloud glaciation in southern Morocco during the Saharan Mineral Dust Experiment, J GEOPHYS RES-ATMOS, 113, . doi: 10.1029/2007JD008785
  • Todd MC; Washington R; Raghavan S; Lizcano G; Knippertz P (2008) Regional model simulations of the Bodele low-level jet of northern Chad during the Bodele Dust Experiment (BoDEx 2005), J CLIMATE, 21, pp.995-1012. doi: 10.1175/2007JCLI1766.1
  • Knippertz P; Fink AH (2008) Dry-season precipitation in tropical West Africa and its relation to forcing from the extratropics, MON WEATHER REV, 136, pp.3579-3596. doi: 10.1175/2008MWR2295.1
  • Frohlich L; Knippertz P (2008) Identification and global climatology of upper-level troughs at low latitudes, METEOROLOGISCHE ZEITSCHRIFT, 17, pp.565-573. doi: 10.1127/0941-2948/2008/0320
  • Fink AH; Piecha K; Brücher T; Knippertz P (2008) Precipitation variability in Northwest Africa, In: Schulz O; Judex M (Ed) IMPETUS Atlas Morocco. Research Results 2000?2007., Department of Geography, University of Bonn.
  • Knippertz P; Martin JE (2007) A Pacific moisture conveyor belt and its relationship to a significant precipitation event in the semiarid southwestern United States, WEATHER FORECAST, 22, pp.125-144. doi: 10.1175/WAF963.1
  • Kandler K; Benker N; Bundke U; Cuevas E; Ebert M; Knippertz P; Rodriguez S; Schutz L; Weinbruch S (2007) Chemical composition and complex refractive index of Saharan Mineral Dust at Izana, Tenerife (Spain) derived by electron microscopy, ATMOS ENVIRON, 41, pp.8058-8074. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.06.047
  • Knippertz P (2007) Tropical-extratropical interactions related to upper-level troughs at low latitudes, DYNAM ATMOS OCEANS, 43, pp.36-62. doi: 10.1016/j.dynatmoce.2006.06.003
  • Knippertz P; Martin JE (2007) The role of dynamic and diabatic processes in the generation of cut-off lows over Northwest Africa, METEOROL ATMOS PHYS, 96, pp.3-19. doi: 10.1007/s00703-006-0217-4
  • Knippertz P; Deutscher C; Kandler K; Muller T; Schulz O; Schutz L (2007) Dust mobilization due to density currents in the Atlas region: Observations from the Saharan Mineral Dust Experiment 2006 field campaign, J GEOPHYS RES-ATMOS, 112, . doi: 10.1029/2007JD008774
  • Knippertz P; Fink AH (2006) An extreme Saharan dust outbreak in spring 2004 and its impact on the onset of the West African monsoon, 27th Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology, .
  • Evan AT; Heidinger AK; Knippertz P (2006) Analysis of winter dust activity off the coast of West Africa using a new 24-year over-water advanced very high resolution radiometer satellite dust climatology, J GEOPHYS RES-ATMOS, 111, . doi: 10.1029/2005JD006336
  • Knippertz P; Fink AH (2006) Synoptic and dynamic aspects of an extreme springtime Saharan dust outbreak, Q J ROY METEOR SOC, 132, pp.1153-1177. doi: 10.1256/qj.05.109
  • Knippertz P (2005) Tropical-extratropical interactions associated with an Atlantic tropical plume and subtropical jet streak, MON WEATHER REV, 133, pp.2759-2776.
  • Knippertz P; Martin JE (2005) Tropical plumes and extreme precipitation in subtropical and tropical West Africa, Q J ROY METEOR SOC, 131, pp.2337-2365. doi: 10.1256/qj.04.148
  • Knippertz P (2004) A simple identification scheme for upper-level troughs and its application to winter precipitation variability in northwest Africa, J CLIMATE, 17, pp.1411-1418.
  • Knippertz P; Fink AH; Reiner A; Speth P (2003) Three late summer/early autumn cases of tropical-extratropical interactions causing precipitation in northwest Africa, MON WEATHER REV, 131, pp.116-135.
  • Knippertz P; Ulbrich U; Marques F; Corte-Real J (2003) Decadal changes in the link between El Nino and springtime North Atlantic oscillation and European-North African rainfall, INT J CLIMATOL, 23, pp.1293-1311. doi: 10.1002/joc.944
  • Knippertz P (2003) Tropical-extratropical interactions causing precipitation in northwest Africa: Statistical analysis and seasonal variations, MON WEATHER REV, 131, pp.3069-3076.
  • Knippertz P; Christoph M; Speth P (2003) Long-term precipitation variability in Morocco and the link to the large-scale circulation in recent and future climates, METEOROL ATMOS PHYS, 83, pp.67-88. doi: 10.1007/s00703-002-561-y
  • Fink AH; Knippertz P (2003) An extreme precipitation event in southern Morocco in spring 2002 and some hydrological implications, WEATHER, 58, pp.377-387.
  • Knippertz P; Ulbrich U; Speth P (2000) Changing cyclones and surface wind speeds over the North Atlantic and Europe in a transient GHG experiment, CLIMATE RES, 15, pp.109-122.