Gregory S. Jenkins

Gregory S. Jenkins

  • Professor of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science, Geography, and African Studies.
605 Walker Building
University Park, PA 16802
Email: gsj1@psu.edu
Phone: (814) 865-0479

Websites:

Education:

  1. BS Physics Lincoln University
  2. MS, Ph.D., Department of Atmospheric Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan

Research Specialties:

Atmospheric/Air Chemistry:

Biomass burning, soils and lightning in Africa provide natural and anthropogenic sources of ozone to the free troposphere, which can influence air quality and increase net radiative surface forcing.  Mineral dust can act as a sink of tropospheric ozone through heterogeneous chemical processes.  I have been trying to understand how lightning in particular and mineral dust aerosols can act as sources and sinks of tropospheric ozone in regions downstream of continental Africa.

  • Jenkins, G. S., K. Mohr, V. R. Morris, O. Arino, 1997: The role of convective processes over the Zaire-Congo Basin to the Southern Hemispheric ozonemaximum.  Journal of Geophysical Research, 102.
  • Jenkins, G. S., 2000: TRMM satellite estimates of convective processes in Central Africa during September, October, November 1998: implications for elevated Atlantic tropospheric ozone, Geophysical Research Letters, 27, 1711-1714.
  • Ryu, J-H., G. S. Jenkins, 2005: Lightning-tropospheric ozone connections: EOF analysis of TCO and lightning data, Atmospheric Environment, 39, 5799-5805.
  • Jenkins, G. S., M. Camara, S. Ndiaye, 2008: Observational Evidence of Enhanced Middle/Upper Tropospheric Ozone via Convective Processes over the Equatorial Tropical Atlantic during the Summer of 2006, Geophys. Res. Lett., doi:10.1029/2008GL033954.
  • Jenkins, G. S., Robjhon, M., Smith. J., Clark. J., Mendes. L., 2012: The influence of the SAL on tropospheric ozone:  Results from Cape Verde during 2010. Geophys. Res. Lett.,39, 20, doi:10.1029/2012GL053532.
  • Jenkins, G. S. et al. 2013: Multi-site tropospheric ozone measurements across the north Tropical Atlantic during the summer of 2010, Atmospheric Environment 70, 131-148.
  • Jenkins, G. S., Ndiaye, S., Gueye, M., Fitzhugh, R., Smith J. W., Kebe, A., 2013:  Enhancement and depletion of lower/middle tropospheric ozone in Senegal during pre-monsoon and monsoon periods of summer 2008: Observations and Model results, J. Atmos. Chem. DOI: 10.1007/s10874-012-9240-7.
  • J. W. Smith, G. S. Jenkins and K. Pickering, 2014:  Quantifying African biomass burning ozone precursor transport and tropospheric ozone enhancement over the Eastern Equatorial Atlantic Ocean in June of 2006, J Atmospheric Chemistry.
  • Jenkins, G. S, M. Gueye, M.S. Drame, A Ndiaye, 2014: Evidence of a LNOX influence on middle/upper troposphere ozone mixing ratios at Dakar, Senegal during Northern Hemisphere Summer Season, Atmospheric Science Letters, doi: 10.1002/asl2.489.
  • Jenkins, G. S., Robjhon, M. L., Reyes A., Valentine, A., Neves, L, 2015:  Elevated Middle and Upper troposphere ozone observed downstream of Atlantic tropical cyclones, Atmospheric environment, Atmospheric Environment 118 (2015) 70-86.
Climate:

Late 20th century drying and model projections of more arid conditions in the middle to late 21st century have and may further altered the way of life for many in West Africa.  Understanding the processes related to these changes require analysis of regional and global models.  It also requires a better understanding of limited observations for determining emerging trends in West Africa.   Climate variability and change will increase the challenges of decision-makers in West Africa who are addressing issues of urbanization, poverty alleviation, water resources, public health and food security. 

  • Jenkins, G. S., G. Adamou, S. Fongang, 2002: The challenges of modeling climate variability and change in West Africa, Climatic Change, 52, 263-286.
  • Kamga, A. F., G. S. Jenkins, A. Gaye, A. Garba, A. Sarr, A. Adedoyin, 2005: Evaluating the NCAR CSM over West Africa:  Present-day and 21st Century A1, Scenario, J. Geophys. Res., 110, D03106, doi:10.1029/2004JD004689. 
  • Jenkins, G. S., A. Gaye, B. Sylla, 2005: Late 20th century attribution of drying trends in the Sahel from the Regional Climate Model (RegCM3), GRL, 32, doi:10.1029/2005GL024225.
  • Sylla, M. B., A. T. Gaye, J. S. Pal, G.S. Jenkins, X. Q. Bi, 2010: Projected 21st Century Summer Rainfall over West               Africa, Changes in the Monsoon Circulation and Extremes from a Regional Climate Model (RegCM3), J. Geophys. Res., 115, D16108  doi:10.1029/2009JD012983
Tropical Meteorology:

Weather hazards in the form of mesoscale convective systems, Saharan dust storms and tropical cyclones in the Eastern Atlantic pose a threat to continental, coastal zones and the Island Nation of Cape Verde.  Tropical cyclone formation over the Eastern Atlantic also poses a threat to downstream communities of the Caribbean, the United States and Central America.  Limited real-time weather forecasts and observations do not provide the necessary protection or provide a complete picture of how vulnerable communities in West Africa are being impacted.     

  • Jenkins, G. S., and A. Pratt, 2008: Saharan dust, lightning and tropical cyclones in the eastern tropical Atlantic during NAMMA-06, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L12804, doi:10.1029/2008GL033979.
  • Jenkins, G. S., A. S. Pratt, and A. Heymsfield, 2008: Possible linkages between Saharan dust and tropical cyclone rain band invigoration in the eastern Atlantic during NAMMA-06, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L08815, doi:10.1029/2008GL034072.
  • Jenkins, G. S., P. Kucera, E. Joseph, J. Fuentes, A. Gaye, J. Gerlach, F. Roux, N. Viltard, M. Papazzoni, A. Protat, D. Bouniol, A.  Reynolds, J. Arnault, D. Badiane, F. Kebe, M. Camara, S. Sall, 2010:  Coastal Observations of Weather Features in Senegal during the AMMA SOP-3 period, J. Geophys. Res., 115, D18108, doi:10.1029/2009JD013022.
  • Chiao S. and G. S. Jenkins, 2010: Numerical Investigations on the Formation of Tropical Storm Debby during NAMMA-06, Wea. Forecasting, 25, 866–884. doi: 10.1175/2010WAF2222313.1
  • Drame, M, Jenkins, G. S., Camara, M., Robjhon, M., 2011. Observations and simulation of a Saharan air layer event with a midtropospheric dust layer at Dakar, Senegal, 6–7 July 2010.  J. Geophys. Res., 116, doi:10.1029/2011JD016368.
  • Diokhane, A. M, Jenkins, G. S., Manga, N., Drame, M. S., 2015: Linkages between Observed, Modeled Saharan dust loading and Meningitis in Senegal during 2012 and 2013, Int J Biometeorol DOI 10.1007/s00484-015-1051-5

Biography:

Gregory Jenkins is a native of Philadelphia and is currently a professor in the Department of Meteorology at Penn State University and director of the Alliance for Education, Sciences, Engineering and Development in Africa (AESEDA) in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.  He received his BS in Physics from Lincoln University and his MS and Ph.D. degrees in Atmospheric and Space Sciences from the University of Michigan.   After receiving his Ph.D. he spent 2 years at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder Colorado as a post-doc fellow.  In 1996, Dr. Jenkins joined the faculty at Penn State University in the Department of Meteorology and joined Howard University in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Howard University Program in Atmospheric Sciences (HUPAS) in 2003.  He was the director of HUPAS from 2004-2007 and chair of the department of physics and astronomy from 2007 through 2010.  He was a recipient of the NSF Career award and was selected as a Fulbright Senior Research Fellow in 2003/2004.  Dr. Jenkins has taken part in NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis field campaign in Cape Verde and Senegal.  He has published in numerous journals and is the recipient of the 2007 Alumni Merit Award from the AOSS department in the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan.  He is a member of the HistoryMakers and was named a fellow of the American Meteorological Society in 2014.  His areas of research are in weather, climate and air quality of West Africa.