Hamlington-Milliff Group
Earth-observing satellite data provide multi-scale perspectives on atmosphere-ocean systems in both global and regional contexts. Our research exploits the volume and precision of multi-platform data in conjunction with in-situ data and process models for particular phenomena in the earth system. Using methodologies like Bayesian Hierarchical Models (BHMs) and Cyclostationary Empirical Orthogonal Functions (CSEOFs), we test the limits of satellite and in-situ measurements of the atmosphere and ocean. In particular, we seek to develop and implement techniques that use satellite data in novel and innovative ways to obtain a better understanding of the earth system. Sample research includes sea-level reconstructions based on multi-variate historical datasets, regional and global ensemble surface wind dataset construction, ocean forecast model error analyses, Madden-Julian Oscillation studies, and tsunami detection and monitoring using satellite remote sensing.
Projects
Past Projects
Ocean ensemble forecasting. Part I: Ensemble Mediterranean winds from a Bayesian hierarchical model
Learn MoreDominant spatial variability scales from observations around the Hawaiian Islands.
Learn MoreOcean ensemble forecasting. Part II: Mediterranean Forecast System response.
Learn MoreModeling 3-D spatio-temporal biogeochemical processes with a forest of 1-D statistical emulators.
Learn More"Trends in sunspots and North Atlantic sea level pressure.
Learn MoreUncertainty Management in Coupled Physical-Biological Lower Trophic Level Ocean Ecosystem Models
Learn More
Title: Improving sea level reconstructions using non-sea level measurements
Author(s): Hamlington, B. D.; Leben, R. R.; Kim, K. -Y.
Source: JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS Volume: 117 Article Number: C10025 DOI: 10.1029/2012JC008277 Published: OCT 31 2012
Title: Could satellite altimetry have improved early detection and warning of the 2011 Tohoku tsunami?
Author(s): Hamlington, B. D.; Leben, R. R.; Godin, O. A.; et al.
Source: GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS Volume: 39 Article Number: L15605 DOI: 10.1029/2012GL052386 Published: AUG 8 2012
Title: Regional Sea Level Reconstruction in the Pacific Ocean
Author(s): Hamlington, B. D.; Leben, R. R.; Wright, L. A.; et al.
Source: MARINE GEODESY Volume: 35 Special Issue: SI Supplement: 1 Pages: 98-117 DOI: 10.1080/01490419.2012.718210 Published: 2012
Title: Reconstructing sea level using cyclostationary empirical orthogonal functions
Author(s): Hamlington, B. D.; Leben, R. R.; Nerem, R. S.; et al.
Source: JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS Volume: 116 Article Number: C12015 DOI: 10.1029/2011JC007529 Published: DEC 13 2011
Title: Seasat and Geosat Revisited: Using Sea Level Measurements to Improve Satellite Altimeter Orbits
Author(s): Leben, R. R.; Hamlington, B. D.; Haines, B. J.
Source: JOURNAL OF THE ASTRONAUTICAL SCIENCES Volume: 58 Issue: 3 Special Issue: SI Pages: 479-493 Part: 2 Published: JUL-SEP 2011
Title: The Effect of Signal-to-Noise Ratio on the Study of Sea Level Trends
Author(s): Hamlington, B. D.; Leben, R. R.; Nerem, R. S.; et al.
Source: JOURNAL OF CLIMATE Volume: 24 Issue: 5 Pages: 1396-1408 DOI: 10.1175/2010JCLI3531.1 Published: MAR 1 2011
Title: Detection of the 2010 Chilean tsunami using satellite altimetry
Author(s): Hamlington, B. D.; Leben, R. R.; Godin, O. A.; et al.
Source: NATURAL HAZARDS AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES Volume: 11 Issue: 9 Pages: 2391-2406 DOI: 10.5194/nhess-11-2391-2011 Published: 2011
Title: Variations in sea surface roughness induced by the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman tsunami
Author(s): Godin, O. A.; Irisov, V. G.; Leben, R. R.; et al.
Source: NATURAL HAZARDS AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES Volume: 9 Issue: 4 Pages: 1135-1147 Published: 2009
Milliff Publications:
Uncertainty Management in Coupled Physical-Biological Lower Trophic Level
Ocean Ecosystem Models
R.F. Milliff, J. Fiechter, W.B. Leeds, R. Herbei, C.K. Wikle, M.B. Hooten, A.M. Moore, T.M. Powell, and J. Brown. 2013. Oceanography 26(4):98–115, http://dx.doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2013.78.
Title: A Bayesian parameter estimation method applied to a marine ecosystem model for the coastal Gulf of Alaska
Author(s): Fiechter, J.; Herbei, R.; Leeds, W.; et al.
Source: ECOLOGICAL MODELLING Volume: 258 Pages: 122-133 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2013.03.003 Published: JUN 10 2013
Title: Modeling 3-D spatio-temporal biogeochemical processes with a forest of 1-D statistical emulators
Author(s): Leeds, W. B.; Wikle, C. K.; Fiechter, J.; et al.
Source: ENVIRONMETRICS Volume: 24 Issue: 1 Pages: 1-12 DOI: 10.1002/env.2187 Published: FEB 2013
Title: Trends in sunspots and North Atlantic sea level pressure
Author(s): van Loon, Harry; Brown, Jeremiah; Milliff, Ralph F.
Source: JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES Volume: 117 Article Number: D07106 DOI: 10.1029/2012JD017502 Published: APR 11 2012
Title: Dominant spatial variability scales from observations around the Hawaiian Islands
Author(s): Matthews, Dax; Powell, Brian; Milliff, Ralph
Source: DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART I-OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH PAPERS Volume: 58 Issue: 10 Pages: 979-987 DOI: 10.1016/j.dsr.2011.07.004 Published: OCT 2011
Title: Ocean ensemble forecasting. Part I: Ensemble Mediterranean winds from a Bayesian hierarchical model
Author(s): Milliff, Ralph F.; Bonazzi, Alessandro; Wikle, Christopher K.; et al.
Source: QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY Volume: 137 Issue: 657 Pages: 858-878 DOI: 10.1002/qj.767 Part: B Published: APR 2011
Title: Ocean ensemble forecasting. Part II: Mediterranean Forecast System response
Author(s): Pinardi, Nadia; Bonazzi, Alessandro; Dobricic, Srdjan; et al.
Source: QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY Volume: 137 Issue: 657 Pages: 879-893 DOI: 10.1002/qj.816 Part: B Published: APR 2011
Title: Near real-time ocean circulation assimilation and prediction in the Intra-Americas Sea with ROMS
Author(s): Powell, B. S.; Moore, A. M.; Arango, H. G.; et al.
Source: DYNAMICS OF ATMOSPHERES AND OCEANS Volume: 48 Issue: 1-3 Pages: 46-68 DOI: 10.1016/j.dynatmoce.2009.04.001 Published: OCT 2009
Title: A Spatio-Temporal Model for Mean, Anomaly, and Trend Fields of North Atlantic Sea Surface Temperature Comment
Author(s): Wikle, C. K.; Milliff, R. F.
Source: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN STATISTICAL ASSOCIATION Volume: 104 Issue: 485 Pages: 22-23 DOI: 10.1198/jasa.2009.0027 Published: MAR 2009
Title: Stochastic Forcing of Ocean Variability by the North Atlantic Oscillation
Author(s): Chhak, Kettyah C.; Moore, Andrew M.; Milliff, Ralph F.
Source: JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY Volume: 39 Issue: 1 Pages: 162-184 DOI: 10.1175/2008JPO3972.1 Published: JAN 2009
Title: Composite Life Cycle of Maritime Tropical Mesoscale Convective Systems in Scatterometer and Microwave Satellite Observations
Author(s): Mapes, Brian; Milliff, Ralph; Morzel, Jan
Source: JOURNAL OF THE ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES Volume: 66 Issue: 1 Pages: 199-208 DOI: 10.1175/2008JAS2746.1 Published: JAN 2009
Title: QuikSCAT Impacts on Coastal Forecasts and Warnings: Operational Utility of Satellite Ocean Surface Vector Wind Data
Author(s): Milliff, Ralph F.; Stamus, Peter A.
Source: WEATHER AND FORECASTING Volume: 23 Issue: 5 Pages: 878-890 DOI: 10.1175/2008WAF2007081.1 Published: OCT 2008
Title: 4DVAR data assimilation in the Intra-Americas Sea with the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) (vol 23, pg 130, 2008)
Author(s): Powell, B. S.; Arango, H. C.; Moore, A. M.; et al.
Source: OCEAN MODELLING Volume: 25 Issue: 3-4 Pages: 172-172 DOI: 10.1016/j.ocemod.2008.08.001 Published: 2008
Title: 4DVAR data assimilation in the Intra-Americas Sea with the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS)
Author(s): Powell, B. S.; Arango, H. G.; Moore, A. M.; et al.
Source: OCEAN MODELLING Volume: 25 Issue: 3-4 Pages: 173-188 DOI: 10.1016/j.ocemod.2008.08.002 Published: 2008
Title: 4DVAR data assimilation in the Intra-Americas Sea with the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS)
Author(s): Powell, B. S.; Arango, H. G.; Moore, A. M.; et al.
Source: OCEAN MODELLING Volume: 23 Issue: 3-4 Pages: 130-145 DOI: 10.1016/j.ocemod.2008.04.008 Published: 2008
Title: Generalized quasi-geostrophy for spatially anisotropic rotationally constrained flows
Author(s): Julien, K; Knobloch, E; Milliff, R; et al.
Source: JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS Volume: 555 Pages: 233-274 DOI: 10.1017/S002112006008949 Published: MAY 25 2006
Title: Stochastic forcing of the North Atlantic wind-driven ocean circulation. Part I: A diagnostic analysis of the ocean response to stochastic forcing
Author(s): Chhak, KC; Moore, AM; Milliff, RF; et al.
Source: JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY Volume: 36 Issue: 3 Pages: 300-315 DOI: 10.1175/JPO2852.1 Published: MAR 2006
Title: Stochastic forcing of the North Atlantic wind-driven ocean circulation. Part II: An analysis of the dynamical ocean response using generalized stability theory
Author(s): Chhak, KC; Moore, AM; Milliff, RF; et al.
Source: JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY Volume: 36 Issue: 3 Pages: 316-334 DOI: 10.1175/JPO2853.1 Published: MAR 2006
Title: A state-space model for ocean drifter motions dominated by inertial oscillations
Author(s): Bengtsson, T; Milliff, R; Jones, R; et al.
Source: JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS Volume: 110 Issue: C10 Article Number: C10015 DOI: 10.1029/2004JC002850 Published: OCT 14 2005
Title: Resonant inertial oscillations in moored buoy ocean surface winds
Author(s): Stockwell, RG; Large, WG; Milliff, RF
Source: TELLUS SERIES A-DYNAMIC METEOROLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY Volume: 56 Issue: 5 Pages: 536-547 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0870.2004.00086.x Published: OCT 2004
Title: Wind stress curl and wind stress divergence biases from rain effects on QSCAT surface wind retrievals
Author(s): Milliff, RF; Morzel, J; Chelton, DB; et al.
Source: JOURNAL OF ATMOSPHERIC AND OCEANIC TECHNOLOGY Volume: 21 Issue: 8 Pages: 1216-1231 DOI: 10.1175/1520-0426(2004)021<1216:WSCAWS>2.0.CO;2 Published: AUG 2004
Title: Satellite measurements reveal persistent small-scale features in ocean winds
Author(s): Chelton, DB; Schlax, MG; Freilich, MH; et al.
Source: SCIENCE Volume: 303 Issue: 5660 Pages: 978-983 DOI: 10.1126/science.1091901 Published: FEB 13 2004
Title: Winds from a Bayesian hierarchical model: Computation for atmosphere-ocean research
Author(s): Hoar, TJ; Milliff, RF; Nychka, D; et al.
Source: JOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL AND GRAPHICAL STATISTICS Volume: 12 Issue: 4 Pages: 781-807 DOI: 10.1198/1061860032616 Published: DEC 2003
Title: Deep convection in the Irminger Sea forced by the Greenland tip jet
Author(s): Pickart, RS; Spall, MA; Ribergaard, MH; et al.
Source: NATURE Volume: 424 Issue: 6945 Pages: 152-156 DOI: 10.1038/nature01729 Published: JUL 10 2003
Title: Hierarchical Bayesian approach to boundary value problems with stochastic boundary conditions
Author(s): Wikle, CK; Berliner, LM; Milliff, RR
Source: MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW Volume: 131 Issue: 6 Pages: 1051-1062 DOI: 10.1175/1520-0493(2003)131<1051:HBATBV>2.0.CO;2 Published: JUN 2003
Title: The Southern Oscillation in the early 1990s
Author(s): van Loon, H; Meehl, GA; Milliff, RF
Source: GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS Volume: 30 Issue: 9 Article Number: 1478 DOI: 10.1029/2002GL016307 Published: MAY 9 2003
Title: Mesoscale correlation length scales from NSCAT and Minimet surface wind retrievals in the Labrador Sea
Author(s): Milliff, RF; Niiler, PP; Morzel, J; et al.
Source: JOURNAL OF ATMOSPHERIC AND OCEANIC TECHNOLOGY Volume: 20 Issue: 4 Pages: 513-533 DOI: 10.1175/1520-0426(2003)20<513:MCLSFN>2.0.CO;2 Published: APR 2003
Title: Bayesian hierarchical modeling of air-sea interaction
Author(s): Berliner, LM; Milliff, RF; Wikle, CK
Source: JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS Volume: 108 Issue: C4 Article Number: 3104 DOI: 10.1029/2002JC001413 Published: APR 1 2003
Title: Spatiotemporal hierarchical Bayesian modeling: Tropical ocean surface winds
Author(s): Wikle, CK; Milliff, RF; Nychka, D; et al.
Source: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN STATISTICAL ASSOCIATION Volume: 96 Issue: 454 Pages: 382-397 DOI: 10.1198/016214501753168109 Published: JUN 2001
Title: The global distribution of the time-average wind stress curl from NSCAT
Author(s): Milliff, RF; Morzel, J
Source: JOURNAL OF THE ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES Volume: 58 Issue: 2 Pages: 109-131 DOI: 10.1175/1520-0469(2001)058<0109:TGDOTT>2.0.CO;2 Published: 2001
Title: Surface wind variability on spatial scales from 1 to 1000 km observed during TOGA COARE
Author(s): Wikle, CK; Milliff, RF; Large, WG
Source: JOURNAL OF THE ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES Volume: 56 Issue: 13 Pages: 2222-2231 DOI: 10.1175/1520-0469(1999)056<2222:SWVOSS>2.0.CO;2 Published: JUL 1 1999
Title: Ocean general circulation model sensitivity to forcing from scatterometer winds
Author(s): Milliff, RF; Large, WG; Morzel, J; et al.
Source: JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS Volume: 104 Issue: C5 Pages: 11337-11358 DOI: 10.1029/1998JC900045 Published: MAY 15 1999
Title: Quasi-stationary wave variability in NSCAT winds
Author(s): Milliff, RF; Hoar, TJ; van Loon, H; et al.
Source: JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS Volume: 104 Issue: C5 Pages: 11425-11435 DOI: 10.1029/1998JC900087 Published: MAY 15 1999
Title: Scatterometer winds composited according to the phase of tropical intraseasonal oscillations
Author(s): Madden, RA; Hoar, TJ; Milliff, RF
Source: TELLUS SERIES A-DYNAMIC METEOROLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY Volume: 51 Issue: 2 Pages: 263-272 DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0870.1999.t01-2-00007.x Published: MAR 1999
Title: Basin-scale, high-wavenumber sea surface wind fields from a multiresolution analysis of scatterometer data
Author(s): Chin, TM; Milliff, RF; Large, WG
Source: JOURNAL OF ATMOSPHERIC AND OCEANIC TECHNOLOGY Volume: 15 Issue: 3 Pages: 741-763 DOI: 10.1175/1520-0426(1998)015<0741:BSHWSS>2.0.CO;2 Published: JUN 1998
Title: Part I Stratified, rotating turbulence: Disciplinary overviews - Preface
Author(s): Charbonneau, P; Herring, J; Milliff, R
Source: THEORETICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS Volume: 11 Issue: 3-4 Pages: 137-138 Published: JUN 1998
Title: Fast, eastward-moving disturbances in the surface winds of the equatorial Pacific
Author(s): Milliff, RF; Hoar, TJ; Madden, RA
Source: TELLUS SERIES A-DYNAMIC METEOROLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY Volume: 50 Issue: 1 Pages: 26-41 DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0870.1998.00003.x Published: JAN 1998
Title: The general circulation responses of high-resolution North Atlantic Ocean models to synthetic scatterometer winds
Author(s): Milliff, RF; Large, WG; Holland, WR; et al.
Source: JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY Volume: 26 Issue: 9 Pages: 1747-1768 DOI: 10.1175/1520-0485(1996)026<1747:TGCROH>2.0.CO;2 Published: SEP 1996
Title: The existence and vertical structure of past, eastward-moving disturbances in the equatorial troposphere
Author(s): Milliff, RF; Madden, RA
Source: JOURNAL OF THE ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES Volume: 53 Issue: 4 Pages: 586-597 DOI: 10.1175/1520-0469(1996)053<0586:TEAVSO>2.0.CO;2 Published: FEB 15 1996
Title: THE EVOLUTION OF BOUNDARY PRESSURE IN OCEAN BASINS
Author(s): MILLIFF, RF; MCWILLIAMS, JC
Source: JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY Volume: 24 Issue: 6 Pages: 1317-1338 DOI: 10.1175/1520-0485(1994)024<1317:TEOBPI>2.0.CO;2 Published: JUN 1994
Title: STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS OF THE RHODES GYRE SYSTEM AND DYNAMIC INTERPOLATION FOR ESTIMATES OF THE MESOSCALE VARIABILITY
Author(s): MILLIFF, RF; ROBINSON, AR
Source: JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY Volume: 22 Issue: 4 Pages: 317-337 DOI: 10.1175/1520-0485(1992)022<0317:SADOTR>2.0.CO;2 Published: APR 1992
Title: A MODIFIED CAPACITANCE MATRIX-METHOD TO IMPLEMENT COASTAL BOUNDARIES IN THE HARVARD OPEN OCEAN MODEL
Author(s): MILLIFF, RF
Source: MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTERS IN SIMULATION Volume: 31 Issue: 6 Pages: 541-564 DOI: 10.1016/0378-4754(90)90060-V Published: FEB 1990
Title: A NOTE ON CONSISTENT QUASI-GEOSTROPHIC BOUNDARY-CONDITIONS IN PARTIALLY OPEN, SIMPLY AND MULTIPLY CONNECTED DOMAINS
Author(s): PINARDI, N; MILLIFF, RF
Source: DYNAMICS OF ATMOSPHERES AND OCEANS Volume: 14 Issue: 1-2 Pages: 65-76 DOI: 10.1016/0377-0265(89)90005-5 Published: DEC 1989
Title: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF POTENTIAL-DENSITY REGRESSIONS
Author(s): GOODCHILD, MF; MILLIFF, RF; DAVIS, SM
Source: PROFESSIONAL GEOGRAPHER Volume: 33 Issue: 3 Pages: 341-349 DOI: 10.1111/j.0033-0124.1981.00341.x Published: 1981
Ralph F. Milliff is teaching ATOC 6020 at the University of Colorado in Fall 2013. The Oceanography Seminar meets Mondays 4-5pm in Duane Physics, E126.
Fall 2013
Sep 9: “Sea ice predictability on seasonal to interannual timescales”, Dr. Marika Holland, NCAR
- Download Lecture (these slides are proprietary)
- Suggested Reading: Holland et al., (2013)
- Suggested Reading: Holland et al., (2010)
Sep 16: “Carbon in the Southern Ocean: Known knowns and known unknowns”, Prof. Nikki Lovenduski, ATOC/INSTAAR
Sep 23: “The past, present, and future of the meridional overturning circulation in the Atlantic", Dr. Stephen Yeager, NCAR
Sep 30: "A Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate parameters of a lower-trophic level ocean ecosystem model" Dr. Ralph Milliff, CIRES, CU
- Related Lecture given at Boulder Fluid Dynamics Seminar (these slides are proprietary)
- Suggested Reading: Milliff et al., (2013) in revision.
Oct 7: "The Influence of Oceanic Mesoscale Eddies on Surface Stress" Distinguished Professor Dudley Chelton, Oregon State Univ SPECIAL SEMINAR LOCATION: CIRES Auditorium, Ekeley Sciences
Oct 14: "Air-Sea Interaction on the Ocean Mesoscale" Dr. Frank Bryan, NCAR This and all subsequent seminars to be held in CIRES Fellows Room, S274 Ekeley Sciences
- Download Lecture (these slides are proprietary)
- Suggested Reading: Bryan et al., (2010)
- Suggested Reading: Wu et al., (2006)
Oct 21: "Tsunami Early Detection and Warning Using Satellite Remote Sensing" Dr. Benjamin D. Hamlington, CIRES, CU
- Download Lecture (these slides are proprietary)
- Suggested Reading: Hamlington et al., (2012)
- Suggested Reading: Godin et al., (2009)
Oct 28: "Langmuir Turbulence in the Oceanic Mixed Layer" Prof. Peter E. Hamlington, Mechanical Engineering (MCEN), CU
- Download Lecture (these slides are proprietary)
- Suggested Reading: Van Roekel et al., (2012)
- Suggested Reading: McWilliams et al., (1997)
Nov 4: "Ocean Acidification and its Impacts on Coral Reef Ecosystems" Dr. Joanie Kleypas, NCAR
- Download Lecture (these slides are proprietary)
- Suggested Reading: Kleypas and Yates (2009)
- Suggested Reading: Kleypas et al., (2011)
Nov 11: "An Introduction to Remote Sensing of the Gulf of Mexico" Prof. Robert R. Leben, Aerospace Engineering (ASEN), CU
- Download Lecture (these slides are proprietary)
- Suggested Reading: Walker et al., (2005)
- Suggested Reading: Walker et al., (2011)
- Suggested Reading: Leben (2005)
Nov 18: "Characterizing Turbulence at a Prospective Tidal Energy Site: Observational Data Analysis" Ms. Katherine McCaffrey, ATOC, CIRES, CU
Nov 25: No Class, FALL BREAK ...
Dec 2: No Student Practice Talks ... Class Over
Members of Hamlington-Millif Group
Benjamin Dillon Hamlington
Benjamin Dillon Hamlington is interested in a variety of applications of satellite sensor data in studies of Earth's ocean system. He has identified and explained signals contributing to regional and global sea level variability and trends.
Ralph Milliff
Ralph F. Milliff is as CIRES researcher interested in understanding Earth's atmosphere-ocean systems on both regional and global scales. He utilizes a large variety of data including Earth-observing satellite data as well as in-situ data, for example.
