Eli’s primary interest is the hydrological cycle. He utilizes observations and dynamically downscaled GCM simulations to evaluate the transfers of water and energy between the land surface and the atmosphere. Land–atmosphere interactions can either intensify drought, or enhance precipitation, depending on the local climate, timescale, and region. As the climate continues to evolve, these interactions will also change, leading to important differences in drought, extreme precipitation, and water resources.
Eli received his PhD from the University of Maryland in August 2021 and joined the Center for Climate Science in September 2021. His dissertation focused on the role of land surface properties in modulating land–atmosphere interactions to affect surface fluxes of water and energy, low-level atmospheric thermodynamics, atmospheric stability, dynamical moisture transports, and regional precipitation. Before his PhD research began, he spent time NASA-GSFC studying local land-atmosphere interactions and the initialization of soil moisture in NWP models. He completed his BS and MS at Penn State with focuses on hail production in idealized supercell thunderstorms and convection initiation in operational NWP models, respectively.
Water is a fundamental human necessity. It is Eli’s hope that his research will lead to a better understanding of the water cycle and eventually to more sustainable water use practices and policy.