Benjamin Trabing

CPAESS

3090 Center Green Drive

Boulder, CO 80301

I am an Associate Scientist at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) working remotely for the National Hurricane Center. I got my M.S. and Ph.D. in atmospheric science from Colorado State University and a B.S. in meteorology from the University of Oklahoma. I have a passion for both learning and teaching about the weather. My research interests include tropical meteorology, tropical cyclones, lightning, mesoscale meteorology, and radiation. My goal is to improve forecasts of tropical cyclone hazards and I am actively working on a number of projects to better communicate tropical cyclone intensity forecasts and provide storm surge forecasts to new areas around the world.

Selected Publications

2023

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The Development and Evaluation of a Tropical Cyclone Probabilistic Landfall Forecast Product

Benjamin C. Trabing, Kate D. Musgrave, Mark DeMaria, and 3 more authors

Weather and Forecasting, 2023

Bib HTML

@article{TheDevelopmentandEvaluationofaTropicalCycloneProbabilisticLandfallForecastProduct,
  author = {Trabing, Benjamin C. and Musgrave, Kate D. and DeMaria, Mark and Zachry, Brian C. and Brennan, Michael J. and Rappaport, Edward N.},
  title = {The Development and Evaluation of a Tropical Cyclone Probabilistic Landfall Forecast Product},
  journal = {Weather and Forecasting},
  year = {2023},
  publisher = {American Meteorological Society},
  address = {Boston MA, USA},
  volume = {38},
  number = {8},
  doi = {10.1175/WAF-D-22-0199.1},
  pages = {1363 - 1374},
}

2021

The Sensitivity of Eyewall Replacement Cycles to Shortwave Radiation

B. C. Trabing, and M. M. Bell

Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 2021

e2020JD034016 2020JD034016

Abs Bib HTML

Abstract The sensitivity of tropical cyclone secondary eyewall formation (SEF) and subsequent eyewall replacement cycles (ERCs) to shortwave radiation is examined in this study by varying the solar constant and diurnal cycle at different times prior to an ERC using idealized simulations from the Weather Research and Forecasting model. The magnitude of shortwave radiation plays an important role in modifying the timing of the SEF with nonlinear interactions amplifying the SEF formation differences at longer lead-times. Shortwave radiation has a delaying effect on the SEF and ERC primarily through its modifications of the distribution of convective and stratiform heating profiles in the rainbands. Shortwave radiation reduces both the area and diabatic heating of convection in the model domain, while increasing the amount of stratiform precipitation that has weaker low-level cooling and upper-level heating rates. The primary mechanism by which shortwave radiation reduces the diabatic heating profile and frequency of convection in the rainbands is through heating of the mid-upper troposphere which stabilizes the region and reduces convective available potential energy.
@article{https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JD034016, author = {Trabing, B. C. and Bell, M. M.}, title = {The Sensitivity of Eyewall Replacement Cycles to Shortwave Radiation}, journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres}, volume = {126}, number = {8}, pages = {e2020JD034016}, keywords = {Eyewall replacement cycle, shortwave radiation, tropical cyclones}, doi = {10.1029/2020JD034016}, eprint = {https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/2020JD034016}, note = {e2020JD034016 2020JD034016}, year = {2021}, }

Observations of Diurnal Variability under the Cirrus Canopy of Typhoon Kong-rey (2018)

Benjamin C. Trabing, and Michael M. Bell

Monthly Weather Review, 2021

Bib HTML

@article{ObservationsofDiurnalVariabilityundertheCirrusCanopyofTyphoonKongrey2018,
  author = {Trabing, Benjamin C. and Bell, Michael M.},
  title = {Observations of Diurnal Variability under the Cirrus Canopy of Typhoon Kong-rey (2018)},
  journal = {Monthly Weather Review},
  year = {2021},
  publisher = {American Meteorological Society},
  address = {Boston MA, USA},
  volume = {149},
  number = {9},
  doi = {10.1175/MWR-D-20-0327.1},
  pages = {2945 - 2964},
}

2019

Impacts of Radiation and Upper-Tropospheric Temperatures on Tropical Cyclone Structure and Intensity

Benjamin C. Trabing, Michael M. Bell, and Bonnie R. Brown

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 2019

Bib HTML

@article{ImpactsofRadiationandUpperTroposphericTemperaturesonTropicalCycloneStructureandIntensity,
  author = {Trabing, Benjamin C. and Bell, Michael M. and Brown, Bonnie R.},
  title = {Impacts of Radiation and Upper-Tropospheric Temperatures on Tropical Cyclone Structure and Intensity},
  journal = {Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences},
  year = {2019},
  publisher = {American Meteorological Society},
  address = {Boston MA, USA},
  volume = {76},
  number = {1},
  doi = {10.1175/JAS-D-18-0165.1},
  pages = {135 - 153},
}