Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences

Curriculum Vitae :  Konrad Steffen

Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL

Zürcherstr. 111, CH-8903 Birmendorf, Switzerland

Tel: +41 44 739 24 55; Konrad.steffen@wsl.ch, koni@ethz.ch

US and Swiss Citizen, widower and two kids

Education

Dr.sc.nat.ETH,1984 Surface temperature distribution of an Arctic polynya: North Water in winter; advisor Prof. Dr. Atsumu Ohmura, ETH-Zürich.

Dipl.nat.ETH, 1977   Snow distribution on tundra and glaciers on Axel Heiberg Island, NWT, Canada; advisor Prof. Dr. Fritz Müller, ETH-Zürich.

Professional Experiences

2012-present            Director, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL

2012-present            Professor, Inst. Atmosphere & Climate, ETH-Zürich

2012-present            Professor, Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, EPF-Lausanne

2005- 2012               Director, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), University of Colorado (CU)

2004-2005                Interim Director, CIRES, University of Colorado (CU)

2003-2004                Deputy Director, CIRES, University of Colorado (CU)

2002-2003                Interim Director, CIRES, University of Colorado (CU)

1998-2005                Associate Director Cryosphere and Polar Processes, CIRES

1997-2012                Professor at Dept. of Geography, University of Colorado at Boulder

1993-2012                Faculty, Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

1991-1997                Associate Professor at Dept. of Geography, University of Colorado

1991-2012                Fellow CIRES, University of Colorado at Boulder

Sept.-Oct. 1987        Visiting Professor at Dept. of Geography, McGill University, Montreal

1986-1988                Visiting Fellow at Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), on leave from ETH for two years

1985-1990                Oberassistent (Lecturer) at Climate Research Group, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland

1983-1985                Assistant at Climate Research Group, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland

Recent Graduate Students

Dr. Waleed Abdalati, University of Colorado, Prof. in Geography, Director of CIRES

Dr. Atsu Muto, Penn State University, Post-Doc

Dr. Thomas Phillips, University of Colorado, Post-Doc

Dr. Jason Box, Ohio State University, Assoc. Prof. in Geography

Dr. Nicolas Cullen, Department of Geography, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

Dr. John Heinrichs, Fort Hays State University, Assoc. Prof. in Dept. Geosciences

Dr. Marcel Haefliger, Swiss Meteorological Institute, CH-8044 Zurich; Switzerland

Dr. Axel Schweiger, Polar Science Center/Applied Physics Lab, University of Washington

Dr. Julienne Stroeve, NSIDC, University of Colorado

Dr. Sandy Starkweather, NOAA/CIRES Boulder, Colorado

Dr. Andrew Slater, NSIDC/CIRES, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA

Dr. David Levinson, Climate Monitoring Branch, NOAA/NESDIS, Asheville, NC

Dr. Russell Huff, GIS Company, Boulder, CO

Dr. Dan McGrath, University of Colorado, CIRES, post-doc

Dr. John Adler, NOAA Washington D.C.

Dr. Liam Colgan, University of Copenhagen, post Doc

Mr. John Maurer, Hawaii Ocean Observing System

Ms. Molly Mcallister, NISDC, University of Colorado at Boulder

Mr. Kevin Sampson, NCAR, Boulder, CO

Ms. Kate Daniels, Law Office, Boulder, CO

Summary of Graduate Students and Postdoctorals Schoolars Sponsered

1992-2012         7 Master Students; 16 Ph.D. Students; 8 Post. Docs

Teaching        http://cires.colorado.edu/science/groups/steffen/classes/

 University of Colorado at Boulder (CU)

Physical Climatology: Principles (GEOG 4211), Applied (GEOG 4221)

Physical Climatology: Field Methods (GEOG 5231/4231)

Remote Sensing of the Environment (GEOG/GEOL 4093/5093)

Remote Sensing Field Methods (GEOG 6181)

Reading in Climatology (GEOG 6211)

Research          http://cires.colorado.edu/science/groups/steffen/projects/        

1976-1984:            North Water Project, Canadian high Arctic, jointly sponsored by the US National Science Foundation, Petro Canada Ltd., Calgary, Canada, and the Swiss National Science Foundation.

1979-1981             Energy flux measurements in the Swiss Alps (RHONEX, ALPEX).

1984-1985             Reevaluation of energy balance in North Water area.  

1985-1987             Energy flux measurements on Glacier No.1, Tienshan, China.

1987-1990             Validation of sea ice parameters derived from passive microwave data of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I), NASA, Principal Investigator, June 1987 - March 90 US$ 223,000.

1987-1993             Reevaluation of global energy balance, Co-PI, Swiss National Science Foundation 1986, April 1987 - April 1993, Co-PI, $US 452,000.

1990-1992             Greenland Ice Cap, Climate and Climate Processes, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Swiss National Science Foundation, Co-PI, March 1990 - March 1992, $US 550,000.

1990-1993             Sea Ice - Atmosphere Interaction: Application of Multispectral Satellite Data in Polar Surface Energy Flux Estimates. Principal Investigator, NASA, April 1990 - April 1993, US$  440,000.

1991-1995             Parametrization and Scaling of Arctic Ice Conditions in the Context of Ice-Atmosphere Processes, NASA, April 1991 - December 1995, Co-PI, $US 290,000.

1993-1994             Energie and Massenbilanz auf dem grönländischen Eisschild, Swiss National Science Foundation, Co-PI, US$ 24,000.

1993-1996             Ice Surface Retrieval from AVHRR, ATSR, and Passive Microwave Satellite Data: Algorithm Development and Application, NASA, April 1993 - March 1996, Co-PI, US$ 237,000.

1993-1996             Assessment of Climate Variability of the Greenland Ice Sheet: Integration of in situ and Satellite Data, NASA, April 1993 - March 1996, PI, US$ 560,000.

1994-1996             Spatial and Temporal Variability of the Arctic Surface Radiation Budget, NSF/OPP, Jan 1994 - Jan 1996, Co-PI, US$ 239,000.

1994-1996             Energie- und Massenbilanz auf dem grönländischen Eisschild: Fernerkundungsmethoden, Swiss National Science Foundation, Co-PI, US$ 232,000.

1995-1997             Assessment of Variations in the Snow Accumulation Rate in northern Greenland, National Science Foundation, April 1995-March 1997, US$ 320,000.

1995-1996             Assessment of Climate Variability of the Greenland Ice Sheet: Integration of in situ and Satellite Data, NASA, April 1995 - March 1995, Additional Funding for Greenland Climate network, PI, US$ 74,000.

1995-1997             Absolute Gravity/GPS Measurements in Greenland, NASA, May 1995 - April 1997, Co-PI, US$ 105,000.

1996-1997             Instrumentation for Snow Hydrological Research, DoD, June 1996-May 1997, CoPI: $ 270,000.

1996-1999             Sea Ice and Ocean Processes in Baffin Bay: A Study using Radarsat Data and Numerical Modeling, NASA, Jan 1996 - Dec 1998, PI, US$ 313,000.

1996-2000             Greenland Ice Sheet Climatology and Surface Energy Balance Modeling: Greenland Climate network, NASA, April 1996-March 2000, PI, US$ 825,000.

1997-1999             Hyperspectral Imaging and Related Field Methods: Building the Science, NASA-MTPE, Co-PI, US$ 420,000.

1997-2000             Documenting, Understanding, and Predicting the Aggregate Scale Surface Radiation Flux for SHEBA, April 1997 March 2000, CoPI, NASA, US$ 311,000.

1997-2000             Documenting, Understanding, and Predicting the Aggregate Scale Surface Radiation Flux for SHEBA, October1997 - September 2000, CoPI, NSF-OPP, US$ 302,000.

1998-2006             Aerosol - Cloud - Climate Interactions,  NASA-GSFC, PI: US$ 780,000.

1999-2002             Investigation of Photochemical Transformation within Snow and their Effects on Snow and Atmospheric Composition, Sept. 1999- August 2002, NSF/OPP, PI: US$ 138.721.

1999-2000             NASA Cryospheric Sciences, RADARSAT Wide ScanSAR images over Bering Sea and Baffin Bay, Co-PI: $49,800.

2000-2004             Climatology of Arctic Canada, March 2000 – Feb 2004, NASA-GSFC, PI: US$ 240,472.

2001-2005             Greenland Ice Sheet Climatology and Surface Energy Balance Modeling: Greenland Climate network, NASA, April 2001-March 2005, PI, US$ 879,000.

2002-2005             Assessment of Basal Melt of Petermann Gletscher in Northwestern Greenland, NSF/NASA, March 2002 – February 2005, PI: US$ 246,981.

2002-2005             NASA Cryospheric Sciences, Greenland ice sheet melt climatology based on passive and active satellite data: SSM/I and QuikSCAT data, PI: $390,000.

2002-2005             NASA Cryospheric Sciences, Reanalysis of the energy Budget of the ice sheet, Co-PI: $275,000.

2004-2005             NOAA Cooperative Agreement Funding: US$ 19,300,000,

2005-2007             Greenland - Accumulation and Melt Layer, PI, NASA Cryospheric Processes, US$ 510,000.

2005-2006             NOAA Cooperative Agreement Funding: US$20,440,000.

2006-2008             Melt flow acceleration of the Greenland ice sheet, NASA GSFC, US$122,221.

2006-2007             Monitoring Moulin Depth and Pathways in the Pakisoq Region, West-Greenland Ice Sheet, PI, NASA Cryospheric Processes, US$ 12,000.

2006-2007             NOAA Cooperative Agreement Funding: US$ 20,950,000.

2007-2008             NOAA Cooperative Agreement Funding: US$ 22,840,000.

2008-2011             Stability of Larsen C Ice shelf in a warming climate, NSF OPP, US$360,000.

2008-2011             Melt flow acceleration of the Greenland ice sheet, (same title then 2007, 2^nd year funding) NASA GSFC, US$ 417,000.

2008-2009             NOAA Cooperative Agreement Funding: US$ 24,180,000.

2009-2011             Surface Processes of the Greenland ice sheet under a warming climate, NASA Cryospheric Sciences, US$ 930,000.

2009-2010             NOAA Cooperative Agreement Funding: US$ 28,040,000.

2011-2014             Surface Processes, Glacio-Hydrology, and Englacial Modeling of the Greenland Ice, NASA Cryospheric Sciences, US$ 386,937.

2011-2015             Western Water Assessment, NOAA-OAR, US$ 6,574,000.

Professional experience

-    experimental climate measurements of heat fluxes and radiation balance; (RHONEX, ALPEX, 1979, 1980, 1981), (Axel Heiberg Expedition, North Water Expedition, 1975 - 1984), Tienshan, China (1986), Arctic Sea Ice Validation (1987 – 1988), Greenland ice sheet (1990-present)

-    instrument development for spectral bidirectional reflectance measurements.

-    aircraft and satellite remote sensing data collection and analysis in visible, thermal IR, and microwave (passive and active) regions for cryosphere-atmosphere interaction in climate research.

-    sensor evaluation for Earth Observing System (EOS) passive microwave instrument, and validation of sea ice products derived from DMSP SSM/I satellite.

-    surface energy balance measurements, eddy-correlation and bulk transfer methods over the Greenland ice sheet.

-    remote climate recording, instrument development, and maintaining the Greenland Climate Network

National and International Committee and Editorial Membership

1986-1987             Associate Scientific Editor, Annals of Glaciology

1986-1991             Member, executive board of "Schweizerische Geographische Gesellschaft".

1987-1991             Member, SSM/I Validation Team, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt.

1988-1991             Member, SSM/I Sea Ice Archive Working Team (SSIAWT), NASA GSFC.

1989-1993             Member, executive board of the Program for International Polar Ocean Research (PIPOR).

1991-1992             Chief Editor, Annals of Glaciology – Remote Sensing of Snow and Ice

1991-1999             Chairman, Polar Data Archive Distribution Advisory Group, NASA/EOSDIS.

1992-1995             Council Member, Executive Board, International Glaciological Society.

1994-1998             Member of EOS Science Operation Focus Team, NASA/EOSDIS.

1995-2003             Member, Radarsat Geophysical Processor System Team (NASA/RGPS)

1995-2102             Member, Program for Arctic Regional Climate Assessment (NASA/PARCA)

1996-1999             Council Member, Executive Board, International Glaciological Society.

1996-2001             Associate Editor, Journal of Applied Meteorology

1999-2000             Chief Editor, Annals of Glaciology - Cryosphere Models and Validation

1999-2004             Chairman, World Climate Research Program ,CliC Observation Products Panel

2003-2005             Vice President, International Commission of Snow and Ice, IAHS

2003-2012             Theme leader for sea level change, WCRP/CliC

2003-2011             SEARCH Science Steering committee member

2004-2007             Vice President IUGG Commission on the Cryospheric Sciences (CCS)

2007-2012             Association for Cryospheric Sciences, liaison for WMO/WCRP/CliC

2008-2012             Chair WCRP/Climate and Cryosphere program

2006-2008             CReSIS advising board chair, NSF STC, University of Kansas

2006 –2013            NASA Advisory Council Earth Science Subcommittee Member

2006-2010             Zeitschrift fuer Gletscherkunde and Glazialgeologie, Editorial Board

2007-2010             CCSP 3.4: Abrupt Climate Chance, Cryosphere chapter lead

2007-2010             Chair, NOAA Cooperative Institutes Executive Committee

2007-2011             National Academy, Polar Research Board member

2007-2012             GCOS Observation Panel for Climate (TOPC) member

2009-2011             NRC Committee on Stabilization Targets for Atmospheric Greenhouse Gas Concentrations

2009 – 2012           Honorary Consul of Switzerland in Denver, certified by US Dept. of State

2010-2013             IPCC AR5 Lead Author for Cryopshere Chapter

2010-present         Scientific Advisory Board, Alfred Wegner Institute for Polar and Marin Research

2012-present         GCOS Observation Panel for Climate (TOPC) chair

2013-present         Member, Swiss Committee on Polar and High Altitude Research

2014-present         Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Delegate for Switzerland

International Organizations Membership

International Glaciological Society, Cambridge, England

American Geophysical Union

American Meteorological Society