EUGENE C. CORDERO
Assistant Professor
Department of Meteorology
San José State University
San José, CA 95192-0104
Voice: (408) 924-5188
FAX: (408) 924-5191
mailto:cordero@met.sjsu.edu
EDUCATION
Ph. D.
Atmospheric Science, University of California, Davis, 1996.
Dissertation Title: The effects of ozone heating on the quasi-biennial oscillation.
B. S. and M. S.
Physics, California State University, Northridge, 1988 (B.S.) and 1991 (M.S.)
AREAS OF INTEREST
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Climate change, atmospheric dynamics, atmospheric modeling and constituent transport.
Analysis and interpretation of satellite and in-situ observations.
Public understanding and teaching of environmental issues such as ozone depletion and global
warming.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Research Fellow, CRC-Southern Hemisphere Meteorology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia,
10/97- 11/00. Investigated the dynamics and chemistry of long-lived tracers such as ozone in the
upper troposphere/lower stratosphere using both multi-dimensional models and analysis from
satellite and ground-based observations. Projects included quantifying transport rates during the
break-up of the Antarctic ozone hole and identifying dynamical links to ozone variations in the low
to middle latitudes. Work was also initiated to use the chemical transport model along with tracer
observations to better diagnose model output from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology’s climate
and data assimilation models.
NASA Guest Investigator Program, NASA Goddard, Maryland, 10/95- 9/97. Utilized data from
the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) to investigate dynamical and chemical processes
on long-lived stratospheric tracers. Determined the structural characteristics of tracer variations in
the tropical stratosphere in connection with the quasi-biennial oscillation. Modeled the influence of
tropical winds on constituent transport during large-scale planetary wave events using a 3-D
mechanistic chemical transport model. Calculated dynamical budgets in the summer Northern
Hemisphere stratosphere using UARS observations to support the Photochemistry of Ozone Loss in
the Arctic Region in Summer aircraft mission.
NASA Global Change Research Fellow, Atmospheric Science Program, UC, Davis, 9/92 - 9/95.
Investigated the interactions between radiation, chemistry and dynamics using both analytical and
numerical methods. Determined that these interactions affect the genesis, maintenance and decay of
traveling waves of the midlatitude circulation. Developed an explicit relationship describing how
thermal damping and ozone heating affect the structure and stability of large-scale waves and modify
the zonal wind and ozone equatorial quasi-biennial oscillations.
REFEREED PUBLICATIONS
Li, S., E. C. Cordero and D. J. Karoly, 2003: Three-dimensional simulations of springtime dissipation of
the Antarctic ozone hole. Aust. Met. Mag.,52, 1-9.
Grainger, S., and E. C. Cordero, 2002: An examination of low ozone concentrations over Macquarie
Island during 1997 Part II: Satellite ozone analysis. Aust. Met Mag., 51, 95-106.
Cordero, E. C., and T. R. Nathan, 2002: An examination of low ozone values in the Southern Hemisphere
middle latitudes during 1997, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29, doi: 10.1029/2001GL013948.
Li, S., E. C. Cordero and D. J. Karoly, 2002: Transport out of the Antarctic polar vortex from a threedimensional transport model. J. Geophys. Res. 107, doi: 10.1029/2001JD000508.
Cordero, E. C., 2002: Is the ozone hole over your classroom? Aust. Sci. Teach. J. 48, 34-39.
Cordero, E. C., and S. Grainger, 2002: Low ozone concentrations over Macquarie Island during 1997
Part I: trajectory analysis. Aust. Met. Mag., 51, 85-94.
Cordero, E. C., and S. R. Kawa, 2001: Ozone and tracer transport variations in the summer Northern
Hemisphere stratosphere. J. Geophys. Res., 106, 12,227-12,237.
Cordero, E. C., 2000: Misconceptions in Australian students understanding of ozone depletion.
Melbourne Studies in Education, 41, 85-97.
Cordero, E. C. and T. R. Nathan, 2000: The influence of wave- and zonal mean-ozone feedbacks on the
quasi-biennial oscillation. J. Atmos. Sci, 57, 3426-3442.
Nathan, T. R., E. C. Cordero, L. Li and D. J. Wuebbles, 2000: Effects of planetary waves on the seasonal
variation of total column ozone. Geophys. Res. Lett., 27, 1907-1910.
Cordero, E. C., S. R. Kawa and M. R. Schoeberl, 1997: An analysis of tropical transport: influence of
the quasi-biennial oscillation. J. Geophys. Res., 102, 16,453-16,461.
Cordero, E. C., T. R. Nathan and R Echols, 1996: An analytical study of the effects of Kelvin and
Rossby-gravity waves: Effects on the QBO. J. Atmos. Sci., 55, 1051-1062.
Nathan, T. R., E. C. Cordero and L. Li, 1994: Ozone heating and the destabilization of traveling waves
during summer. Geophys. Res. Lett., 21, 1531-1534.
PAPERS IN PREPARATION
Cordero, E. C., and T. R. Nathan, 2003: Forced planetary waves in an atmosphere with radiativephotochemical feedbacks. To be submitted to J. Atmos. Sci.
Cordero, E. C., 2003: The influences of dynamical variations on the climate of the equatorial lower
stratosphere. To be submitted to J. Geophys. Res.
Cordero, E. C. 2003: Teaching ozone depletion using conceptual change teaching strategies. To be
submitted to J. College Sci. Teach.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Recent papers have been presented at the following national and international conferences:
Cordero, E. C., An analysis of 1997 low ozone in the Southern Hemisphere middle latitudes, SPARC
General Meeting, Mar de Plata, Argentina, 2000.
Cordero, E. C. and S. Li, An examination of low ozone values in the Southern Hemisphere middle
latitudes during 1997, Quadrennial Ozone Symposium, Sapporo, Japan, 2000.
Cordero, E. Misconceptions in Australian students’ understanding of ozone depletion, 4th Education,
Weather and Climate Conference, Melbourne, 1999.
Cordero, E. C. and S. R. Kawa, Seasonal variations in the summer northern hemisphere stratosphere:
Estimates of the ozone budget, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, San Francisco,
CA, 1998.
AUTHORED GRANTS
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Forecasting and modeling support for SOLVE, SAGE III ozone loss and validation experiment, 2000
(Co-Investigator, NASA).
Solar influences on the dynamics of the middle atmosphere. Global Change Fellowship Program,
NASA training grant, 1992.
Efficient generation of three-dimensional body-fitted grids. Graduate Student Researchers Program,
NASA training grant, 1989.
TEACHING AND RELATED EXPERIENCE
Mathematics and Statistics Department, Monash University, Australia, 7/99-11/00 (three
semesters). Responsible for coordinating and teaching The Dynamic Atmosphere (ATM1010), a first
year introductory elective for science students. Duties included preparing lectures, practicals and
assessment activities. Also responsible for the development and implementation of a new syllabus
and laboratory structure. Course textbook: E. Aguado and J. Burt, Understanding Weather and
Climate. Class size: ~60 students per semester.
Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching, Monash University, 2/00 – present. An
internationally accredited course designed to assist university teachers in acquiring a range of
knowledge and skills to develop and advance their professional teaching practice. The learning
modules have both theoretical and practical components that utilize the lecturer’s current teaching
environment. The course is offered on a part time basis over four semesters. Completion of course
expected in January, 2002.
Mathematics and Statistics Department, Monash University, Australia, 2/99-6/99. Practical
coordinator. Prepared and coordinated practical sessions for first year science course.
University of California, Davis, USA, 1/95 – 3/95. Taught a one quarter upper division
atmospheric dynamics course (calculus based) under the guidance of the Teaching Resource Center
and Professor Terry Nathan. Prepared curricula and lectured on the basic principles of atmospheric
motion. Course textbook: Holton, J. R. An Introduction to Dynamic Meteorology, 3rd edition. Class
size: approximately 10 students.
Program in College Teaching Participant, Teaching Resource Center, UC Davis, 6/94 – 6/95.
Program aimed to provide graduate students with the opportunity to prepare themselves more fully
for careers as college and university instructors. Participation included: i) teaching an atmospheric
science course under the guidance of a faculty mentor; ii) regularly scheduled meetings focusing on
academic issues such as student motivation, designing effective learning materials and classroom
gender inequities and; iii) completion of seven individualized activity reports focusing on various
topics related to teaching.
Professors for the Future Fellow, Graduate Division, UC Davis 6/92 - 6/93. Program intended to
examine the principles of teaching, mentoring and professionalism through activities focusing on the
roles students will assume as educators and scholars. Activities include ethics seminars, roundtable
meetings with various members of the administration, service on administrative committees, and
projects intended to examine the various components of academia. As a founding fellow, helped in
the initial development of the program’s goals and methods.
ACADEMIC AND PUBLIC SERVICE
Ph.D. supervisor for Shuhua Li, Monash Uni.
Co-Editor for review book on Recent Advances in Stratospheric Processes
Meteorology talks to students and teachers
Education: Weather, Ocean and Climate conference local organizing committee
CSIRO Student Research Scheme supervisor
Lead author for chapter on ozone depletion CDROM (NASA)
Athletic Administrative Advisory Committee (U.C. Davis)
Chancellor’s Athletic Administrative Advisory Committee (U.C. Davis)
Dean's Advisory Committee on Ethnic Diversity (U.C. Davis)
Graduate Studies Minority Students Recruitment Team (U.C. Davis)
(1998-2001)
(1998-1999)
(1997-present)
(1999)
(1998,1999)
(1997-1998)
(1995)
(1993-1994)
(1992-1993)
(1992-1993)
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Meteorological Society
American Geophysical Union
Australian Meteorological and Oceanography Society
REFERENCES
Professor Terrence R. Nathan
Atmospheric Science Program
University of California, Davis
Davis, CA 95616 USA
+1 530 752-1669 (work); +1 530 752-1552 (fax)
trnathan@ucdavis.edu
Professor David Karoly
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
PO Box 28M
Monash University
Clayton, VIC 3800 Australia
+61 3 9905-4416 (work); +61 3 9905-3870 (fax)
d.karoly@sci.monash.edu.au
Dr. S. R. Kawa
Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics, Code 916
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD 20770 USA
+1 301 614-6004 (work); +1 301 614-5903 (fax)
kawa@maia.gsfc.nasa.gov
(1992-present)
(1993-present)
(1999-present)