Research Papers and Talks by Dr. Alan K. Betts
Reverse chronological order. First paper is brief overview.
Papers published by the American Meteorological Society are subject to AMS copyright. View published open abstracts at http://dx.doi.org. Copyrighted papers may not be reproduced without explicit permission from the publisher.
My Orcid #https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2749-5333
Research datasets for download - completed:
VIMHEX 1972 data ; FIFE surface DATA
ERA-40 Monthly river basin DATA: 1958-1978; 1979-2002
LBA 1999 Rondonia pasture data archive
- 2020's
Betts, A. K. (2023). A brief overview of my research by decade.
https://alanbetts.com/research/paper/research-overview-alan-k-bettsCrossett, C.A., A.K. Betts, L-A. L. Dupigny-Giroux, A. Bomblies (2020) Evaluation of Daily Precipitation from the ERA5 Global Reanalysis Against GHCN Observations in the Northeastern United States. Climate 2020, 8, 148. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli8120148
Betts AK, Reid D and Crossett C (2020) Evaluation of the FLake Model in ERA5 for Lake Champlain. Front. Environ. Sci. 8:609254. doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2020.609254 [Frontiers]
Alan K. Betts, Darren Z. Chan, Raymond L. Desjardins (2020) Near-surface biases in ERA5 over the Canadian Prairies. In: Anna Strunecka, editor. Prime Archives in Environmental Research. Hyderabad, India: Vide Leaf. 2020.
- 2010's
Betts, A.K. and A.C.M. Beljaars (2017): Analysis of near-surface biases in ERA-Interim over the Canadian Prairies. J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 9, doi:10.1002/2017MS001025.
“Land-Atmosphere Interactions” Alpine Summer School, Lecture 1 "Review" by Alan Betts (2015).
Beljaars, A.C.M, A.K. Betts, and E. Brown de Colstoun (2014). ISLSCP II ECMWF Near-Surface Meteorology Parameters. In Hall, Forrest G., G. Collatz, B. Meeson, S. Los, E. Brown de Colstoun, and D. Landis (eds.). ISLSCP Initiative II Collection. Data set. Available on-line [http://daac.ornl.gov/] from Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distributed Active Archive Center, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. http://dx.doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/1222
Wu, W., Y. Liu and A.K. Betts (2012), Observational based evaluation of NWP reanalyses in modeling cloud properties over the Southern Great Plains. J. Geophys. Res. 117, D12202, doi:10.1029/2011JD016971
Jiménez, C., C. Prigent, B. Mueller, S. I. Seneviratne, M. F. McCabe, E.F. Wood, W. B. Rossow, G. Balsamo, A. K. Betts, P. A. Dirmeyer, J. B. Fisher, M. Jung, M. Kanamitsu, R. H. Reichle, M. Reichstein, M. Rodell, J. Sheffield, K. Tu and K. Wang (2011), Global inter-comparison of 12 land surface heat flux estimates. J. Geophys. Res., 116, D02102, doi:10.1029/2010JD014545.
- 2000's
Betts, A. K. (2009), Land-surface-atmosphere coupling in observations and models. J. Adv. Model Earth Syst., Vol. 1, Art. #4, 18 pp., doi: 10.3894/JAMES.2009.1.4 [Published Online 1 Jul. '09] http://james.agu.org/index.php/JAMES/article/view/v1n4/JAMES.2009.1.4
Balsamo, G., P. Viterbo, A. Beljaars, B. van den Hurk, M. Hirschi, A.K. Betts and K. Scipal (2009), A revised hydrology for the ECMWF model: Verification from field site to terrestrial water storage and impact in the Integrated Forecast System., J. Hydrometeorol., 10, 623–643. ECMWF Tech. Memo 563. http://www.ecmwf.int/publications/library/ecpublications/_pdf/tm/501-600/tm563.pdf http://ams.allenpress.com/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.1175%2F2008JHM1068.1
Betts, A. K., M. Köhler, and Y. Zhang (2009), Comparison of river basin hydrometeorology in ERA-Interim and ERA-40 reanalyses with observations, J. Geophys. Res., 114, D02101, doi:10.1029/2008JD010761.
ECMWF Tech Memo 568 http://www.ecmwf.int/publications/library/ecpublications/_pdf/tm/501-600/tm568.pdfFernandes, K., R. Fu and A. K. Betts (2008), How well does the ERA-40 surface water budget compare to observations in the Amazon River basin? J. Geophys. Res., 113, D11117, doi:10.1029/2007JD009220.
Luo, Y., E. H. Berbery, K. E. Mitchell and A. K. Betts (2007), Relationships between land surface and near-surface atmospheric variables in the NCEP North American Regional Reanalysis. J. Hydrometeorol. 8, 1184-1203.
Betts, A. K. (2007), Coupling of water vapor convergence, clouds, precipitation, and land-surface processes, J. Geophys. Res., 112, D10108, doi:10.1029/2006JD008191.
Betts, A. K, J.H., Ball, P. Viterbo, A. Dai and J. A. Marengo, (2005): Hydrometeorology of the Amazon in ERA-40. J. Hydrometeorology. 6, 764-774. ERA-40 Project Report 22. http://www.ecmwf.int/publications/library/ecpublications/pdf/era40/ERA40PRS22.pdf
Betts, A. K and P. Viterbo, (2005): Land-surface, boundary layer and cloud-field coupling over the south-western Amazon in ERA-40. J. Geophys. Res., 110, D14108, doi:10.1029/2004JD005702. ERA-40 Project Report 25 (in color) http://www.ecmwf.int/publications/library/ecpublications/pdf/era40/ERA40PRS25.pdf
Bechtold, P., J.-P. Chaboureau, A. Beljaars, A. K. Betts , M. Miller, M. Köhler, M. Miller and J.-L. Redelsperger, (2004): The simulation of the diurnal cycle of convective precipitation over land in a global model. Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc., 130, 3119-3137.
Betts, A.K., and A.C.M. Beljaars, (2004): Comparisons of ECMWF ISLSCP-II near-surface dataset from ERA-40 with GEWEX observational data sets. GEWEX News, 14, 1, Feb. 2004. http://www.gewex.org/Feb2004.pdf
Betts, A. K., (2004): Understanding Hydrometeorology using global models. Bull. Amer. Meteorol. Soc., 85, 1673-1688.
Betts, A. K., J. H. Ball and P. Viterbo, (2003): Evaluation of the ERA-40 surface water budget and surface temperature for the Mackenzie River basin. J. Hydrometeorology, 4, 1194-1211. Also available in color as ERA-40 Project report series No. 6 from ECMWF, Reading RG2 9AX, UK. http://www.ecmwf.int/publications/library/ecpublications/pdf/ERA40/ERA40PRS_6.pdf
Betts, A. K., J. H. Ball, M, Bosilovich, P. Viterbo, Y.-C. Zhang, and W. B. Rossow, (2003): Intercomparison of Water and Energy Budgets for five Mississippi Sub-basins between ECMWF Reanalysis (ERA-40) and NASA-DAO fvGCM for 1990-1999. J. Geophys. Res., 108 (D16), 8618, doi:10.1029/2002JD003127. GCIP-3 issue. Also available in color as ERA-40 Project report series No. 7 from ECMWF, Reading RG2 9AX, UK, http://www.ecmwf.int/publications/library/ecpublications/pdf/ERA40/ERA40PRS_7.pdf
Van den Hurk, B.J.J.M., P. Viterbo, A.C.M. Beljaars and A. K. Betts, 2000: Offline validation of the ERA40 surface scheme. ECMWF Tech Memo, 295, 43 pp., Eur. Cent. For Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, Shinfield Park, Reading RG2 9AX, England,UK. http://www.ecmwf.int/publications/library/ecpublications/_pdf/tm/001-300/tm295.pdf
Roads, J. and A. K. Betts, 2000: NCEP/NCAR and ECMWF Reanalysis Surface Water and Energy Budgets for the GCIP Region. J. Hydrometeorol., 1, 88-94.
Betts, A., and P. Viterbo, 2000. BOREAS AFM-08 ECMWF Hourly Surface and Upper Air Data for the SSA and NSA. Data set. Available on-line [http://www.daac.ornl.gov/BOREAS/guides/AFM08_ECMWF.html] from Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distributed Active Archive Center, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A. doi:10.3334/ORNLDAAC/523.
- 1990's
Herring, D., (1999), Should we talk about the weather? Improving global forecasts with BOREAS research. NASA Earth Observatory Feature Article, Boreal ecosystem series, 3. http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/BOREASAlbedo
(Plain English review of Alan Betts research)
Viterbo, P. and A.K. Betts, 1999: The impact on ECMWF forecasts of changes to the albedo of the boreal forests in the presence of snow. J. Geophys. Res., 104, 27803-27810.
Betts, A.K., P. Viterbo, A.C.M. Beljaars and B. Van den Hurk, 1999: Use of field data to diagnose land-surface interaction. Proc. ECMWF Semina on Diagnosis of Models and Data Assimilation systems. Sept. 6-10, 1999, Reading, United Kingdom, 347-364. http://www.ecmwf.int/publications/library/ecpublications/pdf/seminar/1999/sem1999betts.pdf
Viterbo, P. and A.K. Betts, 1999: The impact of the ECMWF reanalysis soil water on forecasts of the July 1993 Mississippi Flood. J. Geophys. Res., 104, 19361-19366.
Betts, A. K., J.H. Ball and P. Viterbo, 1999: Basin-scale surface water and energy budgets for the Mississippi from the ECMWF Reanalysis. J. Geophys. Res., 104, 19293-19306. 1999JD900056.pdf).
Betts, A. K., P. Viterbo and E. Wood, 1998: Surface energy and water balance for the Arkansas-Red River basin from the ECMWF reanalysis. J. Climate, 11, 2881-2897.
Betts A. K., P. Viterbo, A.C.M. Beljaars, H-L. Pan, S-Y. Hong, M. L.Goulden and S.C. Wofsy, 1998: Evaluation of the land-surface interaction in the ECMWF and NCEP/NCAR reanalyses over grassland (FIFE) and boreal forest (BOREAS). J. Geophys. Res., 103, 23079-23085.
Betts, A. K., 1998: Evaluating the land-surface component of NWP models using field experiment data, specifically BOREAS. ECMWF/WCRP/GEWEX Workshop, 29 June - 2 July 1998. http://www.ecmwf.int/publications/library/ecpublications/pdf/workshop/1998/Modelling/wsmodelling_betts.pdf
Betts A. K., P. Viterbo and A.C.M. Beljaars, 1998: Comparison of the land-surface interaction in the ECMWF reanalysis model with the 1987 FIFE data. Mon. Wea. Rev., 126, 186-198.
Betts, A.K., F.Chen, K. Mitchell, and Z.Janjic, 1997: Assessment of land-surface and boundary layer models in 2 operational versions of the Eta Model using FIFE data. Mon. Wea. Rev., 125, 2896-2915.
Betts, A.K., S-Y. Hong and H-L. Pan, 1996: Comparison of NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis with 1987 FIFE data. Mon. Wea.Rev., 124, 1480-1498.
Chen,F.,K. Mitchell, J. Schaake, Y. Xue, H-L. Pan, V. Koren, Q. Duan, and A. Betts, 1996: Modeling of land-surface evaporation by four schemes and comparison with FIFE observations. J. Geophys. Res., 101, 7251-7268.
Betts, A. K., J.H. Ball, A.C.M. Beljaars, M.J. Miller and P. Viterbo, 1996: The land-surface-atmosphere interaction: a review based on observational and global modeling perspectives. J. Geophys. Res. 101, 7209-7225.
Beljaars, A.C.M., P. Viterbo, M.J. Miller and A.K. Betts, 1996: The anomalous rainfall over the United States during July 1993: sensitivity to land surface parameterization and soil moisture anomalies. Mon. Wea. Rev., 124, 362-383.
Bretherton, C., E. Klinker, A.K. Betts, and J.A. Coakley, 1995: Comparison of ceilometer, satellite and synoptic measurements of boundary layer cloudiness and the ECMWF diagnostic cloud parameterization scheme during ASTEX. J. Atmos. Sci., 52, 2736-2751.
Betts, A.K. and M.J. Miller, 1993. The Betts-Miller scheme. Chapter 9 in "The Representation of Cumulus Convection in Numerical Models of the Atmosphere". (Eds. K.A. Emanuel and D.J. Raymond.) Amer. Meteor. Soc., Meteor. Mon. 24, No 46, 107-121.
Betts, A.K., J.H. Ball, and A.C.M. Beljaars, 1993: Comparison between the land surface response of the European Centre model and the FIFE-1987 data. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 119, 975-1001.
- 1980's
Betts, A. K., 1986: A new convective adjustment scheme. Part I: Observational and theoretical basis. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 112, 677 692.
Betts, A. K. and M. J. Miller, 1986: A new convective adjustment scheme. Part II: Single column tests using GATE wave, BOMEX, ATEX, and Arctic Airmass data sets. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 112, 693 -710.
Recent Research Talks
Selected research talks (pdfs)
- 2022-04-27Climate Crisis is Here: Why can’t society deal with it? How can we deal with it? (Global Strategic Forum - Earth Science)
- 2021-02-08Climate Crisis is Here. How do we plan creatively? (UVM)
- 2020-05-20NASA PBL Workshop Talk
- 2020-02-03Climate catastrophe ahead: How do we plan creatively? (UVM)
- 2019-11-20Climate Catastrophe ahead - how do we deal with it? (Keene State)
- 2019-06-19Climate Change and Society (HS teams)
- 2019-05-29Global and Local Climate and our Future (BREE interns)
- 2018-12-10Climate Advisor to Vermont (AGU poster)
- 2018-11-13Climate Change and Vermont (BREE semina)
- 2018-06-20Global and Local Climate and our Future: BREE High School briefing
- 2018-05-30Global and Local Climate and our future: BREE intern orientation
- 2018-05-09The GEWEX Challenge (2018 GEWEX Open Science Conf., Canmore, Alberta, Canada)
- 2018-03-09Extreme Weather and Climate Change (NE Storm Conf., Saratoga)
- 2018-01-30Climate Change and Community Resilience (UVM class: Asim Zia)
- 2017-10-24Land ABL: Observations and Models (NAS BL Workshop)
- 2017-10-05The Climate Challenge Deepens (Lyndon State College)
- 2017-09-19The Climate Challenge Deepens (Mount Holyoke College)
- 2017-09-15Climate Challenge Deepens (Castleton Univ.)
- 2017-07-25Seasonal analysis of near-surface biases in ERA-Interim (ECMWF)
- 2017-06-21Global and local climate and our future (BREE High School teams)
- 2017-06-01Global and local climate and our future (BREE interns)
- 2017-04-24Hydroclimatology: an integrated view (Boston Univ.)
- 2017-04-06Hydroclimatology: an integrated view (Texas A&M)
- 2016-12-14Using cloud and climate data to understand warm season hydrometeorology from diurnal to monthly timescales (AGU 2016)
- 2016-12-14Interweaving Climate Research and Public Understanding (AGU - Bert Bolin Talk)
- 2016-12-14Addressing Vermont’s concerns on climate change (AGU poster: Road Maps to Successfully Sharing Science)
- 2016-10-06Impacts on Numerical Weather Prediction and Climate Modeling - FIFE and BOREAS (NASA)
- 2016-09-08Global and Local Climate Change: a Complex Challenge (UVM-HCOL 185)
- 2016-07-11Revisiting hydrometeorology using cloud and climate observations (ECMWF)
- 2016-06-22Climate Change: how it is affecting us? (RACC HS groups at SMC)
- 2016-06-03Reinventing Hydrometeorology using Cloud and Climate Observations (Eric Wood Symposium: Princeton)
- 2016-05-26Global and Local Climate and our Future (RACC interns)
- 2016-04-04Land-surface-snow-cloud climate coupling (Texas A&M)
- 2016-03-07Land-surface-snow-cloud climate coupling (41st STORM, Saratoga, NY)
- 2015-10-21Addressing Current Environmental Challenges (Johnson State)
- 2015-06-29Land-cloud-climate coupling on the Canadian Prairies (Valsavarenche, Italy)
- 2015-06-29Land-Atmosphere Coupling in Observations and Models - review (Valsavarenche, Italy)
- 2015-05-06Land-cloud-climate Coupling on the Canadian Prairies (CGU/AGU Montreal)
- 2015-03-23Understanding Daily Climate at Northern Latitudes (Lyndon State)
- 2014-12-15Landscape Coupling Between Climate, Clouds, Precipitation, Snow, Crops and the Surface Radiation Budget (AGU-2)
- 2014-12-15Understanding Land-atmosphere Coupling in the Warm Season (AGU-1)
- 2014-11-07Understanding Land-Atmosphere Coupling (George Mason Univ)
- 2014-10-21Understanding Land-Atmosphere Coupling (Harvard)
- 2014-09-27Understanding Land-Atmosphere Coupling (SUNY-Plattsburgh))
- 2014-07-30Understanding Land-Atmosphere Coupling (ECMWF)
- 2014-06-24Dealing with Climate Change (HS teams-SMC)
- 2014-04-08Coupling Climate to Clouds, Land-use, Precipitation and Snow (UT, Austin, TX)
- 2014-03-08Coupling Climate to Clouds, Precipitation and Snow (STORM, Rutland)
- 2014-02-12Coupling Climate to Clouds, Land-use, Precipitation and Snow (Lorenz Center Workshop, MIT)
- 2014-01-27Coupling of Diurnal Climate to Clouds, Land-use and Snow (LSC)
- 2013-12-06Coupling of Diurnal Climate to Clouds, Land-use and Snow (LSM, COLA)
- 2013-12-03Vermont's Changing Climate (Foresters, VTC)
- 2013-11-11Coupling of Diurnal Climate to Clouds, Land-use and Snow (Madison, TAMU, UA)
- 2013-10-17What Climate Change means for New England (NE Epi)
- 2013-09-25Climate Change and Vermont (VCA-UVM)
- 2013-09-18Climate Change - an Overview (Zia - Sustainable Development Policy)
- 2013-06-24Climate Change and Vermont: an Overview (RACC HS training - June 24, 2013)
- 2013-05-16Understanding and Facing Climate Extremes (24th Annual NPS Conference)
- 2013-01-31Breaking News in Climate Change (NESAF, Saratoga, NY)
- 2012-11-13Using Data, Models and Physics to Plan: Knowns and Unknowns (RACC, Burlington, VT: with VIDEO)
- 2012-10-01Climate Change in the Northeast (SUNY, Albany, NY)
- 2012-09-11Vermont: Historic and future climate change (GMNF, Wallingford, VT)
- 2012-08-23Land-surface-BL-cloud coupling & the diurnal cycle (FASTER-GISS, NYC)
- 2012-07-09Historic Trends & Future Climatic Projections for VT (Statehouse, Montpelier, VT)
- 2012-06-29Environmental Stewardship and Climate datasets (EPSCoR-RACC-HS program)
- 2012-06-26Vermont's Climate and Climate Change (EPSCoR-RACC-HS program)
- 2012-05-29Land-surface-atmosphere-climate coupling: Ray Desjardins Session, AMS Boston, May 29, 2012
- 2012-03-19Climate Change and New England (MIT)
- 2012-03-07Climate Change and New England (RSMAS, Miami)
- 2012-03-07Betts Research: 1969-1989: the inside story (RSMAS)
- 2012-03-05Land-surface-atmosphere interactions: Lessons learned and outstanding challlenges (RSMAS)
- 2012-01-19Climate Change and Vermont (UVM-Wemple)
- 2011-12-08Understanding Climate Change in Vermont (NWS-BTV)
- 2011-06-24Climate Change and Environmental Issues in the Media: a Vermont Strategy (AESS, Burlington, VT)
- 2011-06-24Vermont Climate Change Indicators (AESS, Burlington, VT)
- 2011-04-18Hydroclimate Issues: Water, Energy and Carbon (TRACE Workshop, Silver Spring, MD)
- 2011-03-10Communicating Climate Science (VT WX & Climate, Burlington, VT)
- 2011-01-27Vermont Climate Change Indicators (AMS, Seattle, WA)
- 2011-01-24Seasonal Climate Transitions in New England (AMS, Seattle, WA)
- 2011-01-06Convection according to Betts and Miller (ECMWF Martin Miller Symposium, Reading, UK)
- 2010-12-14Coupling of the surface energy balance, clouds and their diabatic forcings (A21I, Fall AGU, San Francisco, CA)
- 2010-12-13Understanding the surface and BL coupling of water, CO2 and clouds (A12B, Fall AGU, San Francisco, CA)
- 2010-08-05Surface-atmosphere interactions (Howard-Beltsville, MD)
- 2010-08-04Explaining climate change (NASA-GSFC & Howard-Beltsville, MD)
- 2010-05-27Land-surface-atmosphere coupling (Split Workshop, Croatia)
- 2010-04-28Land-surface-atmosphere coupling (Penn State Univ., College Park, PA)
- 2010-01-19Land-surface-BL-cloud coupling as climate changes (AMS-Atlanta)
- 2009-06-04Land-atmosphere interactions and water balances for major basins of the Americas (San Juan, PR)
- 2009-03-10Ecosystem change and land-surface-cloud coupling (Climate Change Congress, Copenhagen)
- 2009-01-14Comparison of ERA-Interim and ERA-40 reanalyses with observations over river basins (AMS-Phoenix, AZ)
- 2009-01-14Diagnostic evaluation of the ECMWF model using observations (AMS-Phoenix, AZ: Tony Hollingsworth Symposium)
- 2008-11-18Progress in understanding land-surface-atmosphere coupling over the Amazon (Manaus, Brazil)
- 2008-11-12Global Climate Change (Campinas, Brazil)
- 2008-01-23Comparison of MERRA with ERA-40 on river basin scales (AMS-New Orleans)
- 2007-01-17Coupling of clouds, precipitation, land-surface processes in the climate over land (AMS, San Antonio, TX)
- 2006-04-11Radiative control on the diurnal temperature range and the nocturnal boundary layer (ETH, Zurich, Switzerland)
- 2006-01-31Assessing the land-surface, boundary layer and cloud field coupling in ERA-40 (AMS, Atlanta, GA)
- 2005-10-09Boundary layer equilibrium over tropical oceans (Lyndon State, VT)
- 2005-09-15Boundary layer land surface as a coupled system (GLASS/GABLS, De Bilt, The Netherlands)
- 2005-06-14Land-surface-BL-cloud coupling (Lake Arrowhead, CA)
- 2005-02-25How can flux-tower nets improve weather forecast and climate models? (FLUXNET-CA, Quebec City)
- 2004-11-09Land-surface, boundary layer and cloud-field coupling over the Amazon in ERA-40 (ECMWF/ELDAS, Reading, UK)
- 2004-09-27Impact of agriculture, forest and cloud feedback on the surface energy balance in BOREAS (Ottawa, Canada)
- 2004-07-12Hydrologic cycles over Land (Woods Hole, MA)
- 2004-06-09Diurnal Cycle over Land (NCAR, Boulder, CO)
- 2004-06-08Boundary layer equilibrium – oceans and land (NCAR, Boulder, CO)
- 2004-06-08River basin budgets from ERA40 (NCAR, Boulder, CO)
- 2004-06-07Understanding Hydrometeorology using global models (NCAR, Boulder, CO)
- 2004-05-09Climate Change and Society: a Scientist’s Perspective (USP, Brazil)
- 2004-05-07The Parameterization of Deep Convection and the Betts-Miller scheme (CPTEC, Brazil)
- 2004-01-14Understanding Hydrometeorology using global models (AMS Horton lecture, Seattle, WA)
- 2002-05-23Role of Moist convection in the Amazon Basin (LBA-SSC, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil)
- 1999-01-11TROPICAL CONVECTION: 25 years after GATE (AMS, Long Beach, CA)