Dr. Rickenbach’s research investigates how precipitation systems control and respond to changes in regional climate – today and in the future. His work applies observations of precipitating cloud systems toward understanding the linkage and feedbacks between these cloud systems and the global circulation of the atmosphere. This work is motivated generally by three scientific goals. First, to advance understanding of the sub-seasonal to multi-year variations of precipitation in the Tropics and extratropics. Second, to guide the representation of clouds and precipitation in climate models, which is presently one of the major contributors to uncertainty in simulations of present and future climate. Third, to aid in validation of precipitation retrieval from spaceborne instruments on satellites.
As a radar meteorologist, Dr. Rickenbach has traveled around the world to study feedbacks between thunderstorms and regional and global patterns of climate. He has played leadership roles in NASA-sponsored field programs to investigate tropical weather systems and to calibrate satellite observations of tropical rainfall. His research has been supported by NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Science Foundation.
Watch this brief video overview describing my recent research work:
Recent Conference Presentations
Rickenbach, T. M, R. Nieto-Ferreira: Monsoonal aspects of seasonal precipitation in the southeast United States. American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting, Washington D.C., 9-13 December 2024. Download presentation here.
Day, P., T. Rickenbach and R. Nieto-Ferreira: An investigation of mechanisms producing the diurnal cycle of precipitation in the Carolinas and Gulf Stream. American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting, Washington D.C., 9-13 December 2024. Download presentation here.
Recent Publications
Nieto-Ferreira, R. and Rickenbach, T., Mechanisms for springtime onset of isolated precipitation across the Southeastern United States. Atmosphere, 12(2), 213; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12020213, 2021. Download here.
Nieto-Ferreira, R. and Rickenbach, T., Effects of the North Atlantic Subtropical High on summertime precipitation organization in the southeast United States. International Journal of Climatology, 1-15, https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.6561, 2020. Download here.
Rickenbach, T., R. Nieto-Ferreira, and H. Wells, Springtime onset of isolated convection precipitation across the southeastern United States: Framework and regional evolution. Monthly Weather Review, 148(3), 891-906, https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-19-0279.1 2020. Download here.
Rickenbach, T., The Flying Trapeze. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 100 (4), 692-698, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-18-0171.1, 2019. Download here.
Nieto-Ferreira, R., Nissenbaum, M. and Rickenbach, T., Climate change effects on precipitation organization: A summertime modeling case study in the southeast United States. Atmospheric Research, 214, 348-363, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2018.08.012 , 2018. Download here.
Rickenbach, T., Seasonal changes of extremes in isolated and mesoscale precipitation for the southeastern United States. Atmosphere, 9(8), 309, https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos9080309 , 2018. Download here.
Phan, M., Montz, B., Curtis, S., and Rickenbach, T., Weather on the Go: An assessment of smartphone mobile weather applications use among college students. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, Early online release, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-18-0020.1, 2018. Download here.
Luchetti, N., R. Nieto-Ferreira, T. Rickenbach, M. Nissenbaum, and J. McAuliffe, Influence of the North Atlantic subtropical high on wet and dry sea-breeze events in North Carolina, United States. Investigaciones Geográficas (68), 9-25, https:// doi.org/10.14198/INGEO2017.68.01 2017. Download here.
Johnson, R., P. Ciesielski, and T. Rickenbach, A further look at Q1 and Q2 from TOGA COARE. Multiscale convection-coupled systems in the Tropics: A tribute to Dr. Michio Yanai. American Meteorological Society – Meteorological Monographs, 56, Ch. 1. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/AMSMONOGRAPHS-D-15-0002.1 , 2016. Download here.
Rickenbach, T. M., R. Nieto-Ferreira, C. Zarzar, and B. Nelson, A seasonal and diurnal climatology of precipitation organization in the southeastern United States. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 141 (690), 1938-1956, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.2500, 2015. Download here.
Nieto-Ferreira, R., L. Hall, and T. Rickenbach, A climatology of the structure, evolution, and propagation of midlatitude cyclones in the southeast United States. Journal of Climate, 26, 8406–8421. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00657.1., 2013. Download here.
Rickenbach, T. M., R. Nieto-Ferreira, R. Barnhill, and S. Nesbitt, Seasonal and regional differences in the rainfall and intensity of isolated convection over South America. International Journal of Climatology, 33, 2002-2007, 2013. Download here.
Rickenbach, T. M., The 16 April 2011 EF3 tornado in Greene County, eastern North Carolina. Southeastern Geographer, 52, 2, 183-211, 2012. Download here.
Rickenbach, T. M., R. Nieto-Ferreira, R. Barnhill, and S. Nesbitt, Regional contrast of mesoscale convective system structure prior to and during monsoon onset across South America. Journal of Climate, 24, 3753-3763, 2011. Download here.
Nieto-Ferreira, T. M. Rickenbach, and E. Wright, The role of cold fronts in the onset of the South American monsoon. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 137, 908-922, doi: 10.1002/qj.810, 2011. Download here.
Nieto-Ferreira, R. and T. M. Rickenbach, Regionality of monsoon onset in South America: A three-stage conceptual model. International Journal of Climatology, 31, 1309-1321, doi:10.1002/joc.2161, 2010. Download here.
Rickenbach, T. M., R. Nieto-Ferreira, J. Rickenbach, and E. Wright: Monsoon in the Americas: Opportunities and challenges. Geography Compass, 3, 1-16, doi:10.1111/j.1749-8198.2009.00266.x, 2009. Download here.
Nieto-Ferreira, R., T. Rickenbach, N. Guy, and E. Williams: Radar observations of convective system variability in relationship to African easterly waves during the 2006 AMMA special observing period. Monthly Weather Review, 137, 4136-4150, 2009. Download here.
Rickenbach, T. M., R. Nieto-Ferreira, N. Guy, and E. Williams: Radar-observed squall line propagation and the diurnal cycle of convection in Niamey, Niger during the 2006 African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses Intensive Observing Period. Journal of Geophysical Research, 114, D03107, doi:10.1029/2008JD010871, 2009. Download here.
Rickenbach, T. M., P. Kucera, M. Gentry, L. Carey, A. Lare, R. F. Lin, , B. Demoz, and D. Starr, Relationship between anvil clouds and convective cells: A case study in South Florida during CRYSTAL-FACE, Monthly Weather Review, 136, 3917-3932, 2008. Download here.
Haertel, P. T., G. Kiladis, A. Denno, and T. Rickenbach, Vertical mode decompositions of 2-day waves and the Madden Julian Oscillation. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 65, 813-833, 2008.