Peer-Reviewed Publications
(Current/former SSRG members in bold)
de Boer, G, B.J. Butterworth, J.S. Elston, A. Houston, E. Pillar-Little, B. Argrow, T.M. Bell, P. Chilson, C. Choate, B.R. Greene, A. Islam, R. Martz, M. Rhodes, D. Rico, M. Stachura, F.M. Lappin, A.R. Segales, S. Whyte, M. Wilson, 2023: Evaluation and Intercomparison of Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Used for Atmospheric Research. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, In Review.
Frew, E. W., B. Argrow, A. Houston, and C. C. Weiss, 2023: An Energy-Aware Airborne Dynamic Data-Driven Application System for Persistent Sampling. Second Handbook of Dynamic Data Driven Applications Systems. Edited by Frederica Darema and Erik Blasch. In Review.
Shield, S.A. and A.L. Houston, 2023: A Comparison of Thunderstorm Identification Methods. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, In Review.
Shield, S.A. and A.L. Houston, 2023: Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Deep Convection Initiation in the Central United States. International Journal of Climatology, Accepted pending revisions.
Wilson, M. B., A.L. Houston, C.L. Ziegler, D.M. Stechman, B. Argrow, E.W. Frew, M. Coniglio, S. Swenson, E. Rasmussen, and M. Coniglio, 2023: Environmental Controls on Close Proximity Supercells Observed by TORUS on 8 June 2019. Monthly Weather Review, Accepted pending revisions.
Axon, K. L., A.L. Houston, C.L. Ziegler, C.C. Weiss, E. Rasmussen, B. Argrow, E.W. Frew, and S. Swenson, 2023: The potential roles of preexisting airmass boundaries on a tornadic supercell observed by TORUS on 28 May 2019. Monthly Weather Review, Accepted pending revisions.
Marquis, J, Z. Feng, A. Varble, T.C. Nelson, A. Houston, J.M. Peters, J.P. Mulholland, and J. Hardin, 2023: Near-Cloud Atmospheric Ingredients for Deep Convection Initiation. Mon. Wea. Rev., 151, 1247–1267. Doi: 10.1175/MWR-D-22-0243.1
Houston, A.L. 2023: Storms. The Nebraska Sandhills. Norby, M., J. Diamond, A. Sutherlen, S.C. Fritz, K. Hachiya, D. Norby, and M. Forsberg (editors). University of Nebraska Press. In production.
Jensen, A.A., J.O. Pinto, S.C.C. Bailey, R.A. Sobash, G. Romine, G. De Boer, A.L. Houston, S.W. Smith, D. Lawrence, C. Dixon, J.K. Lundquist, J.D. Jacob, J. Elston, S. Waugh, D. Brus, M. Steiner, 2022: Assimilation of a coordinated fleet of uncrewed aircraft system observations in complex terrain: Observing System Experiments. Mon. Wea. Rev., In Review.
Houston, A.L. and G. Limpert, 2022: The sensitivity of vortex sheets along airmass boundaries to low-level vertical shear, parent airmass temperature perturbation, and positive buoyancy in surmounting convection. Mon. Wea. Rev., Accepted. Doi: 10.1175/MWR-D-21-0249.1.
Shield, S.A. and A.L. Houston, 2022: Diagnosing supercell environments: A machine learning approach. Wea. Forecasting, 37. 771-785. Doi: 10.1175/WAF-D-21-0098.1.
Houston, A.L., L.M. PytlikZillig, J.C. Walther, 2021: National Weather Service data needs for short-term forecasts and the role of unmanned aircraft in filling the gap: Results from a nationwide survey. 102. E2106–E2120. doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-20-0183.1
Pinto, J. O., A. A. Jensen, M. Steiner, D. O’Sullivan, S. Taylor, J. Elston, C. B. Baker, D. Hotz, C. Marshall, J. Jacob, K. Bärfuss, B. Piguet, G. Roberts, N. Omanovic, M. Fengler, and A. Houston, 2021: The Status and Future of Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) in Operational Meteorology. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc. doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-20-0138.1
Islam, A., A. Shankar, A. Houston, and C. Detweiler, 2021: University of Nebraska UAS profiling during LAPSE-RATE. Earth System Science Data. 13, 2457-2470. Doi: 10.5194/essd-2020-374
Jensen, A.A., J.O. Pinto, S.C.C. Bailey, R.A. Sobash, G. De Boer, A.L. Houston, P.B. Chilson, T.M. Bell, G. Romine, S.W. Smith, D. Lawrence, C. Dixon, J.K. Lundquist, J.D. Jacob, J. Elston, M. Steiner, 2021: Assimilation of a coordinated fleet of unmanned aircraft systems observations in complex terrain using high-resolution EnKF. Mon. Wea. Rev., In Press. doi: 10.1175/MWR-D-20-0359.1
de Boer, G., S. Waugh, A. Erwin, S. Borenstein, C. Dixon, W. Shanti, A. Houston, and B. Argrow, 2021: Measurements from mobile surface vehicles during LAPSE-RATE. Earth System Science Data. 13, 155–169. doi: 0.5194/essd-13-155-2021.
de Boer, G., A. Houston, J. Jacob, P.B. Chilson, S. W. Smith, B. Argrow, D. Lawrence, J. Elston, D. Brus, O. Kemppinen, P. Klein, J. K. Lundquist, S. Waugh, S.C.C. Bailey, A. Frazier, M. P. Sama, C. Crick, D. Schmale III, J. Pinto, E. A. Pillar-Little, V. Natalie, and A. Jensen, 2020: Data Generated During the 2018 LAPSE-RATE Campaign: An Introduction and Overview. Earth System Science Data. 12, 3357–3366. doi: 10.5194/essd-12-3357-2020.
McFarquhar, G.M., E. Smith, E.A. Pillar-Little, K. Brewster, P.B. Chilson, T.R. Lee, S. Waugh, N. Yussouf, X. Wang, M. Xue, G. de boer, J. A. Gibbs, C. Fiebrich, B. Baker, J. Brotzge, F. Carr, H. Christophersen, M. Fengler, P. Hall, T. Hock, A. Houston, R. Huck, J. Jacob, R. Palmer, P. K. Quinn, M. Wagner, Y. Zhang, and D. Hawk, 2020: Current and Future Uses of UAS for Improved Forecasts/Warnings and Scientific Studies. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 101, E1322–E1328. doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-20-0015.1.
Houston, A.L, and J. Keeler, 2020: Sounding characteristics that yield significant convective inhibition errors due to ascent rate and sensor response of in situ profiling systems. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology. 37. 1163-1172. doi: 10.1175/JTECH-D-19-0191.1
Houston, A.L, J.C. Walther, L.M. PytikZillig, J. Kawamoto, 2020: Initial Assessment of unmanned aircraft system characteristics required to fill data gaps for short-term forecasts: Results from focus groups and interviews. Short Contribution submissions. J. Operational Meteor. 8. 111-120. doi: https://doi.org/10.15191/nwajom.2020.0809.
Frew, E., B. Argrow, S. Borenstein, S. Swenson, C.A. Hirst, H. Havenga, and A. Houston, 2020: Field Observation of Tornadic Supercells by Multiple Autonomous Fixed-Wing Drones. Journal of Field Robotics. 37, 1077-1093. doi: 10.1002/rob.21947.
de Boer, G., C. Diehl, J. Jacob, A. Houston, S.W. Smith, P. Chilson, D. G. Schmale III, J. Intrieri, J. Pinto, J. Elston, D. Brus, O. Kemppinen, A. Clark, D. Lawrence, S.C.C. Bailey, M. P. Sama, A. Frazier, C. Crick, V. Natalie, E. Pillar-Little, P. Klein, S. Waugh, J. K. Lundquist, L. Barbieri, S. T. Kral, A. A. Jensen, C. Dixon, S. Borenstein, D. S. Hesselius, K. Human, P. Hall, B. Argrow, T. Thornberry, R.-S. Gao, R. Wright, J. T. Kelly, 2020: Development of community, capabilities and understanding through unmanned aircraft-based atmospheric research: The LAPSE-RATE campaign. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society., 101, E684–E699, doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0050.1
Yuan, S., Wang, Y., Quiring, S.M. T.W. Ford, A. L. Houston, 2020: A sensitivity study on the response of convection initiation to in situ soil moisture in the central United States. Clim Dyn., 54, 2013–2028, doi:10.1007/s00382-019-05098-0
Bailey, S.C.C, C.A. Canter, M. P. Sama, S.W. Smith, and A.L. Houston, 2019: Unmanned aerial vehicles reveal impact of total solar eclipse on atmospheric surface layer. Proc. Roy. Soc. A, 475, doi: 10.1098/rspa.2019.0212.
Walther, J.C., L.M. PytlikZillig, J. Kawamoto, C. Detweiler, and A. Houston, 2019: How people make sense of drones used for atmospheric science (and other purposes): Hopes, concerns, and recommendations. Journal of Unmanned Vehicle Systems, 7, 219-234, doi: 10.1139/juvs-2019-0003
Barbieri, L., S. T. Kral , S. C. C. Bailey, A. E. Frazier, J. D. Jacob, J. Reuder, D. Brus, P. B. Chilson, C. Crick, C. Detweiler, A. Doddi, J. Elston, H. Foroutan, J. Gonzalez-Rocha, B. R. Greene, M. I. Guzman, A. L. Houston, A. Islam, O. Kemppinen, D. Lawrence , E. A. Pillar-Little , S. D. Ross , M. Sama , D. G. Schmale III , T. J. Schuyler , A. Shankar , S. W. Smith , S. Waugh , S. Borenstein , C. Dixon , G. de Boer, 2019: Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) in Atmospheric Science: Measurement Intercomparison for LAPSE-RATE. Sensors, 19, 2179, doi: 10.3390/s19092179.
Islam, A., A. Houston, A. Shankar, C. Detweiler, 2019: Design and Evaluation of Sensor Housing for Boundary Layer Profiling using Multirotors. Sensors, 19, 2481, doi: 10.3390/s19112481
Jacob, J., P. Chilson, A. L. Houston, and S. Smith, 2018: Considerations for Atmospheric Measurements with Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems as part of the CLOUD-MAP Flight Campaign. Atmosphere, 9, 252, doi: 10.3390/atmos9070252
Houston, A.L., and J.M. Keeler, 2018: The Impact of Sensor Response and Airspeed on the Representation of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Phenomena by Airborne Instruments. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 35, 1687–1699, doi: 10.1175/JTECH-D-18-0019.1
Hanft, W. and A. L. Houston, 2018: An observational and modeling study of mesoscale air masses with high theta-e. Monthly Weather Review, 146, 2503-2524. doi: 10.1175/MWR-D-17-0389.1.
Limpert, G. and A. L. Houston., 2018: Ensemble Sensitivity Analysis for Targeted Observations of Supercell Thunderstorms. Monthly Weather Review, 146, 1705-1721. doi: 10.1175/MWR-D-17-0029.1.
Ford, T, S. Quiring, B. Thakur, R. Jogineedi, A. Houston, S. Yuan, A. Kalra, N. Lock: 2018: Evaluating Soil Moisture-Precipitation Interactions Using Remote Sensing: A Sensitivity Analysis. Journal of Hydrometeorology, 19, 1237-1253. doi: 10.1175/JHM-D-17-0243.1.
Nasta, P., Z. Adane, N. Lock, A. Houston, and J. Gates, 2018: Links between episodic groundwater recharge rates and rainfall events classified according to stratiform-convective storm scoring: a plot-scale study in eastern Nebraska. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 259, 154-161. doi: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2018.05.003.
Houston, A. L., 2017: The role of density current dynamics on the generation of low-level vertical vorticity in supercells. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 74, 3191–3208. doi: 10.1175/JAS-D-16-0227.1
Riganti, C. J. and A. L. Houston, 2017: Rear-flank dynamics and thermodynamics in the 10 June 2010 Last Chance, Colorado supercell. Monthly Weather Review, 145, 2487–2504. doi: 10.1175/MWR-D-16-0128.1
Orf, L, R. B. Wilhelmson, B. D. Lee, C. Finley, and A. L. Houston, 2017: Evolution of a Long-Track Violent Tornado within a Simulated Supercell. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 98, 45-68. doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-15-00073.1.
Houston, A. L., R. J. Laurence III, T. W. Nichols, S. Waugh, B. Argrow, and C. L. Ziegler, 2016: Intercomparison of unmanned aircraft-borne and mobile mesonet atmospheric sensors. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology. 33, 1569-1582, doi: 10.1175/JTECH-D-15-0178.1.
Houston, A. L., 2016: The Sensitivity of Deep Ascent of Cold Pool air to Vertical Shear and Cold Pool Buoyancy. Electronic Journal of Severe Storms Meteorology. 11, 1-29.
Houston, A. L, N. A. Lock, J. Lahowetz, B. L. Barjenbruch, G. Limpert, C. Oppermann, 2015: Thunderstorm Observation by Radar (ThOR): An algorithm to develop a climatology of thunderstorms. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 32, 961-981. DOI: 10.1175/JTECH-D-14-00118.1.
Limpert, G., A. L. Houston, and N. A. Lock, 2015: The Advanced algorithm for the tracking of objects (AALTO). Meteorological Applications, 22, 694-704.
Lock N. A. and A. L. Houston, 2015: Spatiotemporal Distribution of Thunderstorm Initiation in the US Great Plains from 2005-2007. International Journal of Climatology, 35, 4047-4056, DOI: 10.1002/joc.4261.
Lock N. A. and A. L. Houston, 2014: Empirical Examination of the Factors Regulating Thunderstorm Initiation. Monthly Weather Review, 142, 240-268, doi: 10.1175/MWR-D-13-00082.1.
Houston, A. L., B. Argrow, J. Elston, J. Lahowetz, E. W. Frew, and P. C. Kennedy, 2012: The Collaborative Colorado-Nebraska Unmanned Aircraft System Experiment. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 93, 39-54. doi: 10.1175/2011BAMS3073.1.
Laflin, J. M. and A. L. Houston, 2012: A modeling study of supercell development in the presence of a preexisting airmass boundary. Electronic Journal of Severe Storms Meteorology, 7, 1–29.
Frew, E., J. S. Elston, B. Argrow, A. L. Houston, and, E. Rasmussen, 2012: Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Sampling Severe Local Storms and Related Phenomena. IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine. 19, 85-95.
Houston, A. L., and R. B. Wilhelmson, 2012: The impact of airmass boundaries on the propagation of deep convection: A modeling-based study in a high-CAPE, low-shear environment. Monthly Weather Review. 140, 167-183, doi: 10.1175/MWR-D-10-05033.1.
Houston, A. L., and R. B. Wilhelmson, 2011: The dependence of storm longevity on the pattern of deep convection initiation in a low-shear environment. Monthly Weather Review, 139, 3125–3138, doi: 10.1175/MWR-D-10-05036.1.
Elston, J. S., B. Argrow, E. Frew, A. L. Houston, and, J. Straka, 2011: Evaluation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Severe Storm Sampling using Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulations. Journal of Aerospace Computing, Information, and Communication, 8, 269-294. doi: 10.2514/1.53737.
Elston, J. S., J. Roadman, M. Stachura, B. Argrow, A. L. Houston, and, E. Frew, 2011: The Tempest Unmanned Aircraft System for In Situ Observations of Tornadic Supercells: Design and VORTEX2 Flight Results. Journal of Field Robotics, 28, 461-483. doi: 10.1002/rob.20394.
Houston, A. L., R. L. Thompson, and, R. Edwards, 2008: The optimal bulk wind differential depth and the utility of the upper-tropospheric storm-relative flow for forecasting supercells. Weather and Forecasting, 23, 825-837.
Houston, A. L., and R. B. Wilhelmson, 2007: Observational analysis of the 27 May 1997 central Texas tornadic event. Part I: Pre-storm environment and storm maintenance/propagation. Monthly Weather Review, 135, 701-726.
Houston, A. L., and R. B. Wilhelmson, 2007: Observational analysis of the 27 May 1997 central Texas tornadic event. Part II: Tornadoes. Monthly Weather Review, 135, 727-735.
Houston, A. L., and D. Niyogi, 2007: The sensitivity of convective initiation to the lapse rate of the active cloud-bearing layer. Monthly Weather Review, 135, 3013-3032.
In the Field
2022: TORUS (Targeted Observations by Radars and UAS of Supercells); funded by NSF and NOAA
2021: RAAVEN sensor hood testing; funded by NSF
2021: Oklahoma intercomparison; funded by Air Force
2021: Rotowash experiments; funded by NSF
2019: TORUS (Targeted Observations by Radars and UAS of Supercells); funded by NSF and NOAA
2018: LAPSE-RATE (Lower Atmospheric Profiling Studies at Elevation–A Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Team Experiment); funded by NSF
2018: STORM, funded by NSF
2017: CLOUD-MAP field campaign (Collaboration Leading Operational UAS Development for Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics); funded by NSF
2017: RiVorS (Rivers of Vorticity in Supercells); funded by NOAA and NSF
2017: UNDEO-5 (Fifth University of Nebraska DOW Education and Outreach); funded by NSF
2016: PRECIP (Program for Research on Elevated Convection with Intense Precipitation); funded by NSF
2016: CLOUD-MAP field campaign (Collaboration Leading Operational UAS Development for Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics); funded by NSF
2015: PRECIP (Program for Research on Elevated Convection with Intense Precipitation); funded by NSF
2015: STORM; funded by NSF
2015: EADDDAS (Energy-Aware Dynamic Data-Driven Application System); funded by AFOSR
2015: UNDEO-4 (Fourth University of Nebraska DOW Education and Outreach); funded by NSF
2014: MET-MAP (Multi-sUAS Evaluation of Techniques for Measurement of Atmospheric Properties); funded by NSF
2013: AVIATE
2013: UNDEO-3 (Third University of Nebraska DOW Education and Outreach); funded by NSF
2011: UNDEO-2 (Second University of Nebraska DOW Education and Outreach); funded by NSF
2010: VORTEX2 (Second Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment); funded by NSF
2009: CoCoNUE (Collaborative Colorado-Nebraska UAS Experiment); funded by NSF
2008: UNDEO-1 (First University of Nebraska DOW Education and Outreach); funded by NSF