Dr. Patrick Fitzpatrick

Dr. Pat Fitzpatrick is an Assistant Professor of Meteorology at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi. Within the Department of Physics, Atmospheric Sciences, & General Science, Fitzpatrick is responsible for teaching undergraduate courses, conducting research, and performing system administrative tasks on the department UNIX computers.

Classes taught at Jackson State include: Introduction to Science and Technology; Introduction to Meteorology; Dynamic Meteorology; Synoptic Meteorology I; Synoptic Meteorology II; Climatology; and Tropical Meteorology. He also judges science fairs. This summer Fitzpatrick will teach a two-week undergraduate class at the Army High Performance Computing Center on using the MM5 model.
Fitzpatrick received his Bachelors of Science in Meteorology from Texas A&M University in 1988. He remained at Texas A&M to pursue his Masters of Science, where his responsibilities included being a synoptic lab assistant, student computer consultant, and teaching instructor. Upon receiving his Masters in 1992, Fitzpatrick entered the atmospheric science Ph.D program at Colorado State University under the supervision of Dr. William M. Gray. Fitzpatrick investigated processes which control tropical cyclone intensity change for his Ph.D., which was completed in 1995.
Fitzpatrick's research interests include tropical cyclones, tropical meteorology, synoptic and mesoscale meteorology, Gulf Coast meteorology, numerical modeling, boundary layer meteorology, and storm surge modeling. Currently, Fitzpatrick is working on several projects related to tropical cyclones, mesoscale modeling, storm surge modeling, and the commercialization of remote sensing capabilities.
The first project, funded by NASA, involves developing a database of the tropical cyclone boundary layer based on oceanic surface observations. Currently, Atlantic data from 1970-1996, the western North Pacific from 1979-1997, and the South Pacific and South Indian from 1939-1998 have been compiled into a easy-to-use format, making it the largest database of its kind in the world. From this database, a variety of theoretical and modeling studies are being performed related to tropical cyclone intensity change. These research efforts include: 1) composites of the eyewall boundary layer thermodynamics; 2) comparisons of the buoy dataset against triple-nested simulations of Hurricanes Andrew, Hugo, and Mitch (storms which underwent rapid intensification); and 3) sensitivity studies of hurricane intensification using different wind profiles and eyewall configurations based on MM5 simulations and balanced vortex simulations.
Fitzpatrick is involved in a second project known as the Mississippi Space Commerce Initiative, which is a partnership between private companies and universities sponsored by NASA, the Navy, and the state of Mississippi to promote the remote sensing industry at Stennis Space Center. Fitzpatrick is working with a company at Stennis called User Systems Enterprises, Inc. (USEI), which is selling two numerical models with data assimilation capabilities. One model, called the Quasi-Lagrangian Model (QLM), is a simplified primitive equation model capable of producing weather forecasts in 10-minutes, and runs in a Windows NT environment. The second model is the MM5 model used for more sophisticated forecasts. The QLM model has been running since June 1997, and the MM5 since November 1999.
Both models assimilate in-situ observations to improve the background MRF field. This data, which is provided real-time through a satellite feed to the Family of Services, includes buoy, CMAN, ship, METAR, and wind profiler observations. Also included in the data assimilation process are SSM/I, TOPEX, and ERS-2 satellite-derived surface winds provided by the Navy through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. Fitzpatrick and his Jackson State colleagues provide programming assistance, meteorological insight on technical issues, and commercial support. For example, USEI recently was awarded a contract to produce oceanic wind data to NASA as a substitute for observations originally slated for the failed NSCAT scatterometer. USEI was also involved in a Navy project comparing three models (MM5, COAMPS, and RAMS).
Recently, Jackson State has obtained a Memorandum of Agreement to run the Navy's Coupled Ocean Atmospheric Mesoscale Prediction System for JSU research activities, and in support of the Northern Gulf of Mexico Littoral Initiative. For more information, click here.
Another project involves storm surge modeling using a finite element model called "ADCIRC" through the cooperation of the Waterways Experiment Station in Vicksburg. This state-of-the-art model contains better numerical proporties than current storm surge models used by the National Hurricane Center. We currently are in the final phase of validating the model against 28 hurricane storm surges.
Fitzpatrick has also recently completed his first book. Entitled "Natural Disasters --- Hurricanes," this is a reference book containing 7 chapters on tropical cyclones. It includes: an introductory chapter; a chronology of historic events and achievements in hurricane science; biographies of influential hurricane researchers; a description of important organization (i.e., the National Hurricane Center, the National Weather Service, the American Red Cross, etc); tables, letters, government documents, mitigation issues; a comprehensive list and description of hurricane publications; electronic sources for hurricane information; and a glossary. This book was published in December, 1999 by ABC-CLIO, Inc..

Fitzpatrick has written several conference papers and manuscripts as well as peer-reviewed articles. He has made presentations at conferences, universities, commercial companies, and governmental agencies. Fitzpatrick is a voluntary hurricane consultant for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.