Jenni
Evans
Professor of Meteorology,
Director for the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences
Expertise:
- Earth Science
Focus Areas:
- Climate Change
- Extreme Weather
- Hurricanes
In The Media:
About
- Developed a framework for mapping the structural evolution of cyclonic storms, the Cyclone Phase Space (CPS)
- Developed a new understanding of extra-tropically transitioning tropical cyclones, such as Hurricane Sandy of 2012
- Fellow of the American Meteorological Society (AMS)
- 2019 American Meteorological Society President
Jenni Evans’ research focuses on tropical cyclones and tropical meteorology, statistical meteorology, climate, numerical weather prediction and convection studies. As much of her work has involved forecasting and predicting tropical cyclones using advanced computational techniques, she is an expert in the big data research that Penn State’s Institute for Cyber Science enables.
Evans was one of a small group of scientists who developed a new understanding of extra-tropically transitioning tropical cyclones, such as Hurricane Sandy of 2012. These systems can have potentially devastating societal impacts far from their tropical genesis – even in Scandinavia and Japan. Inspired by the need to characterize the structural evolution of ET events, she collaborated on developing a framework for mapping the structural evolution of cyclonic storms, the Cyclone Phase Space (CPS). The CPS is used in operations, including at the United States National Hurricane Center.
Evans has employed a variety of novel statistical methodologies. The tools of her research include observational diagnostics; statistical analyses and modeling of observations, simulations and re-analyses; and dynamical modeling.
In The Media
Two Penn State researchers are changing the way we hear hurricanes
from BTN LiveBIG February 2, 2018
"Evans and her team research select hurricanes, measuring each one every six hours according to four specific characteristics: air pressure, latitude, longitude and asymmetry. From there, an audio file is created, with Ballora synthesizing the data through a computer program that scales and transposes the audio of a hurricane. That allows a storm that lasts for several days to become a ‘song’ that runs for only a few minutes. For people who haven’t experienced the brutality of hurricanes, the audio is a startling wake-up call."
When Nature Strikes: Hurricanes
from NBC Learn September 24, 2015
"We might have a whole fan of forecasts of where the storm might go. But the path clustering says well really there are three or four possible ways the atmosphere is going to evolve." - Jenni Evans
Hurricanes are the last major weather system meteorologists can't predict
from PennLive August 11, 2011
"'The first thing you have to understand is hurricanes are powerful and volatile,' said Jenni Evans, a meteorology professor at Penn State. Hurricanes are influenced by the ocean and every weather front they contact. At the same time, hurricanes influence the ocean and every weather system they contact."
Hurricane plus oil equals more problems
from CNN May 27, 2010
"Not only is it hard to track how contaminants would be redistributed by a hurricane, but it's also hard to predict how the slick would affect the storm."
In Penn State News
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Climate, Energy and the Environment
The effects of human-caused climate change continue to ripple around the world. Penn State experts are at the forefront of the science behind the effects and possible solutions.
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Extreme Weather
From earthquakes and wildfires to hurricanes and catastrophic flooding, Penn State researchers are prepared to talk about extreme weather events and the forces that cause them.