Hi, my name is Katrina Virts.  Welcome to my (extremely bare bones) webpage!  I am a postdoc at the University of Washington, working with Bob Houze. My current work involves analysis of lightning and aerosols in the vicinity of tropical mesoscale convective systems. My published articles and posters are below.

Previously, I completed my doctoral research with Mike Wallace, focusing on intraseasonal variability in the organization and dynamical impacts of tropical convection. I also analyzed the diurnal cycle of lightning using data from the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN). Check out my lightning page, which includes hourly lightning climatologies.

Publications

Virts, K. S., and R. A. Houze, Jr., 2014: MJO modulation of lightning in mesoscale convective systems. In preparation.

Virts, K. S., and J. M. Wallace, 2013: Observations of temperature, wind, cirrus, and trace gases in the tropical tropopause transition layer during the MJO. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, in review. PDF

Virts, K. S., J. M. Wallace, M. L. Hutchins, and R. H. Holzworth, 2013: Diurnal lightning variability over the Maritime Continent: Impact of low-level winds, cloudiness, and the MJO. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, Vol. 70, p. 3128-3146. PDF (official version coming soon)

Hutchins, M. L., R. H. Holzworth, K. S. Virts, J. M. Wallace, and S. Heckman, 2013: Radiated VLF energy differences of land and oceanic lightning. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 40, p. 1-5. PDF

Virts, K. S., J. M. Wallace, M. L. Hutchins, and R. H. Holzworth, 2013: Highlights of a new ground-based, hourly global lightning climatology. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, Vol. 94, p. 1381-1391. PDF, supplementary text, and animations for Indonesia, the Central Andes, and central Africa.

Virts, K. S., 2012: Analysis of new observational datasets relating to the organization and dynamical impacts of tropical convection. Doctoral dissertation. PDF

Virts, K. S., J. A. Thornton, J. M. Wallace, M. L. Hutchins, R. H. Holzworth, and A. R. Jacobson, 2011: Daily and intraseasonal relationships between lightning and NO₂ over the Maritime Continent. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 38, L19803, doi:10.1029/2011GL048578. PDF and supplementary material

Virts, K. S., J. M. Wallace, Q. Fu, and T. P. Ackerman, 2010:  Tropical Tropopause Transition Layer Cirrus as Represented by CALIPSO Lidar Observations.  Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, Vol. 67, p. 3113-3129.  PDF

Virts, K. S., and J. M. Wallace, 2010:  Annual, Interannual, and Intraseasonal Variability of Tropical Tropopause Transition Layer Cirrus.  Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, Vol. 67, p. 3097-3112.  PDF

Virts, K. S., 2009:  Cirrus in the Tropical Tropopause Transition Layer:  Formation Mechanisms and Influence of the Local and Planetary-Scale Environment.  Masters thesis.  PDF  [Note:  Since the publication of this thesis, NASA has released a new version of the CALIPSO cloud data that substantially decreases low cloud fraction.  The published versions of Virts et al. (2010) and Virts and Wallace (2010; see above) include corrected cloud cross sections. The primary TTL cirrus results were not affected.]

Posters

“A New Ground-Based, Hourly Global Lightning Climatology,” AGU fall meeting 2012. PDF

"Signature of the Madden-Julian Oscillation in the Tropical Tropopause Transition Layer," AMS annual meeting 2011. PDF

"Cirrus in the Tropical Tropopause Transition Layer:  Association with Planetary-Scale Waves and the Madden-Julian Oscillation," AGU fall meeting 2009.  PDF

The best way to contact me is via email.