Dr. David W. Tarasick

Senior Research Scientist - Atmospheric research using ozonesondes, aircraft and satellite observations, including field and model process studies of tropospheric ozone and other chemical species

Environment and Climate Change Canada

Current research and/or projects

Conducting research and studies in the following fields:

Tropospheric ozone and air quality: Analysis of ozonesonde data, studies of tropospheric ozone budgets and processes via ozonesondes, dynamical and air quality models. Studies of the Arctic boundary layer, including surface ozone depletions, via ozonesondes and other data.
Ozone measurement data quality, uncertainty and trends: Laboratory, chamber and field work to examine ozone data quality. Assessment of measurement uncertainty, and long-term changes relevant to climate.
Trajectory-mapping of ozonesonde and aircraft data: Use of trajectory modeling to map sparse ozonesonde and aircraft data, to create 3D global fields of stratospheric and tropospheric ozone, and other species. Merging with satellite data sets.
Stratospheric ozone and UV: Analysis of ozonesonde data, Brewer total ozone and UV data. Studies of Arctic ozone depletion.
Strategic network studies: BORTAS (Quantifying the impact of BOReal forest fires on Tropospheric oxidants over the Atlantic using Aircraft and Satellites) and IONS (INTEX Ozonesonde Network Study) campaigns; studies of tropospheric ozone budgets and sources over North America, including stratosphere/troposphere exchange (STE) and boreal forest fires, as well as satellite and air quality model validation studies.

Professional activities / interests

Elected to the international Commission for Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (iCACGP). http://www.icacgp.org/

Canadian representative on the IGAC TOAR Steering Committee

Chapter co-lead on TOAR-Observations http://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.376

Canadian representative, Scientific Steering Committee, Assessment of Standard Operating Procedures for Ozonesondes (ASOPOS) https://library.wmo.int/pmb_ged/gaw_201_en.pdf

Canadian representative, Scientific Steering Committee, Ozonesonde Data Quality Assessment (O3S-DQA) http://www-das.uwyo.edu/~deshler/NDACC_O3Sondes/O3s_DQA/O3S-DQA-Guidelines%20Homogenization-V2-19November2012.pdf

Scientific Program Committee Chair, Quadrennial Ozone Symposium 2012

Research scientist responsible for the Canadian Ozonesonde Network

Principal investigator, BORTAS Intensive Sounding Network (2010-2011)

Co-discoverer, Arctic ozone hole (2011) https://www.nature.com/articles/nature10556

Principal investigator on CFCAS Grant #7042 “Impact of Large-scale Stratospheric Ozone Intrusions on Operational Air Quality Forecast Model Applications” (2008-10)

Canadian principal investigator for ARC-IONS (ARCTAS-INTEX Ozonesonde Network Study) (2008)

Canadian representative on the Ozonesonde Working Group in NDACC

Author of ~100 scientific papers with ~5000 citations. h-index 42.

Co-developer, UV Index (1992) Ozone in the Troposphere and Stratosphere: Proceedings; https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/met.5060010307.

Education and awards

Honours B.Sc. in Physics and Mathematics, Trent University

M.Sc. in Physics, l'Université de Montréal

Ph.D. in Physics, York University

Key publications

Tarasick, D.W., H.G.J. Smit, A.M. Thompson G.A. Morris, J.C. Witte, J. Davies, T. Nakano, R. van Malderen, R.M. Stauffer, T. Deshler, B.J. Johnson, R. Stübi, S.J. Oltmans and H. Vömel (2020), Improving ECC Ozonesonde Data Quality: Assessment of Current Methods and Outstanding Issues, Earth and Space Science, submitted.

Tarasick, D., I. Galbally, O.R. Cooper, M.G. Schultz, G. Ancellet, T. LeBlanc, T.J. Wallington, J. Ziemke, X. Liu, M. Steinbacher, J. Stähelin, C. Vigouroux, J. Hannigan, O. García, G. Foret, P. Zanis, E. Weatherhead, I. Petropavlovskikh, H. Worden, M. Osman, J. Liu, K-L. Chang, A. Gaudel, M. Lin, M. Granados-Muñoz, A.M. Thompson, S.J. Oltmans, J. Cuesta, G. Dufour, V. Thouret, B. Hassler, T. Trickl and J.L. Neu (2019), TOAR- Observations: Tropospheric ozone from 1877 to 2016, observed levels, trends and uncertainties, Elem Sci Anth, 7(1), p.39. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.376.

Tarasick, D.W., T.K. Carey-Smith, W.K. Hocking, O. Moeini, H. He, J. Liu, M. Osman, A.M. Thompson, B. Johnson, S.J. Oltmans and J.T. Merrill (2019), Quantifying stratosphere-troposphere transport of ozone using balloon-borne ozonesondes, radar windprofilers and trajectory models, Atmos. Environ., 198 (2019), 496–509, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2018.10.040.

Tarasick, D.W., J. Davies, H.G.J. Smit and S.J. Oltmans (2016), A re-evaluated Canadian ozonesonde record: measurements of the vertical distribution of ozone over Canada from 1966 to 2013, Atmos. Meas. Tech. 9, 195-214, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-195-2016.

Liu, G., J.J. Liu, D.W. Tarasick, V.E. Fioletov, J. Liu, J. Jin, O. Moeini and C.E. Sioris (2013), A global tropospheric ozone climatology from trajectory-mapped ozone soundings, Atmos. Chem. Phys. 13, 10659-10675, doi:10.5194/acp-13-10659-2013.

Liu, J., D.W. Tarasick, V.E. Fioletov, C. McLinden T. Zhao, S. Gong, C. Sioris, J. Jin, G. Liu, and O. Moeini (2013), A Global Ozone Climatology from Ozone Soundings via Trajectory Mapping: A Stratospheric Perspective, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 11441-11464, doi:10.5194/acp-13-11441-2013.

Manney, G.L., M.L. Santee, M. Rex, N.J. Livesey, M.C. Pitts, P. Veefkind, E.R. Nash, I. Wohltmann, R. Lehmann, L. Froidevaux, L.R. Poole, M.R. Schoeberl, D.P. Haffner, J. Davies, V. Dorokhov, H. Gernandt, B. Johnson, R. Kivi, E. Kyrö, N. Larsen, P.F. Levelt, A. Makshtas, C.T. McElroy, H. Nakajima, M.C. Parrondo, D.W. Tarasick, P. von der Gathen, K.A. Walker and N.S. Zinoviev (2011), Unprecedented Arctic Ozone Loss in 2011, Nature, 478, 469–475, doi:10.1038/nature10556.

Oltmans, S.J., A.S. Lefohn, J.M. Harris, D.W. Tarasick, A.M. Thompson, H. Wernli, B.J. Johnson, P.C. Novelli, S.A. Montzka, J.D. Ray, L.C. Patrick, C. Sweeney, A. Jefferson, T. Dann, J. Davies, M. Shapiro and B.N. Holben (2010), Enhanced ozone over western North America from biomass burning in Eurasia during April 2008 as seen in surface and profile observations. Atmospheric Environment, ,44, (35) 4497-4509, ISSN 1352-2310, DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2010.07.004.

Cooper, O.R., D.D. Parrish, A. Stohl, M. Trainer, P. Nédélec, V. Thouret, J. P. Cammas, S.J. Oltmans, B.J. Johnson, D. Tarasick, T. LeBlanc, I.S. McDermid, D. Jaffe, R. Gao, J. Stith, T. Ryerson, K. Aikin, T. Campos and A. Weinheimer. 2009. Increasing ozone above western North America during springtime. Nature, 463, 344-348, doi:10.1038/nature08708.

Liu, G., D.W. Tarasick, V.E. Fioletov, C.E. Sioris, and Y.J. Rochon. 2009. Ozone correlation lengths and measurement uncertainties from analysis of historical ozonesonde data in North America and Europe. J. Geophys. Res., 114, D04112, doi:10.1029/2008JD010576.

Hocking, W.K., T. Carey-Smith, D. Tarasick, S. Argall, K. Strong, Y. Rochon, I. Zawadzki, P. Taylor. 2007. Application of WindProfiler Radars to Identification of Stratospheric Ozone Intrusions and Subsequent Tropospheric Pollution Events. Nature, 450, 281-284, doi:10.1038/nature06312.

Tarasick, D.W., et al. 2007. Comparison of Canadian Air Quality Forecast Models With Tropospheric Ozone Profile Measurements Above Mid-Latitude North America During the IONS/ICARTT Campaign: Evidence for Stratospheric Input. J. Geophys. Res., 112, No. D12, D12S22, doi:10.1029/2006JD007782.

Tarasick, D.W., V.E. Fioletov, D.I. Wardle, J.B. Kerr and J. Davies. 2005. Changes in the vertical distribution of ozone over Canada from ozonesondes: 1980-2001. J. Geophys. Res., 110, D02304, doi:10.1029/2004JD004643.

Tarasick, D.W., and J.W Bottenheim. 2002. Surface ozone depletion episodes in the Arctic and Antarctic from historical ozonesonde records. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 2, 197-205.

Kerr, J.B., C.T. McElroy, D.W. Tarasick and D.I. Wardle [1992] The Canadian Ozone Watch and UV-B Advisory Programs. Proc. Quadrennial Ozone Symposium 1992, Charlottesville, Va., June, 1992, NASA Conf. Publ. 3266, 794-797.