Emanuel, Kerry

Kerry Emanuel
Professor of Atmospheric Science

Phone: 

617-253-2462

Office: 

54-1814

Bio

Research Interests:
Professor Emanuel's research group is investigating possible links between global climate and tropical cyclone activity, focusing on the possible role of tropical cyclones in driving oceanic heat fluxes. Other research activities include research on tropical cyclone genesis, environmental control of tropical cyclone intensity, the role of cumulus convection in regulating atmospheric water vapor and clouds, and the development of new techniques for assimilating nonlinear coherent structures into numerical models.

Selected Publications:
Lin, N., K. Emanuel, M. Oppenheimer and E. Vanmarcke, 2012: Physically based assessment of hurricane surge threat under climate change, Nature Climate Change, 6: 462-7

Emanuel, K., 2008: The Hurricane-Climate Connection, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 89(5), ES10-ES20

Korty, R.L., K.A. Emanuel and J.R. Scott, 2008: Tropical Cyclone-Induced Upper-Ocean Mixing and Climate: Application to Equitable Climates, Journal of Climate, 21(4): 638-654

Emanuel, K., R. Sundararajan, and J. Williams, 2008: Hurricanes and global warming: Results from downscaling IPCC AR4 simulations, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 89(3): 347-367

Emanuel, K., 2007: What We Know About Climate Change, MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 96 p.

Emanuel, K., 2007: Environmental factors affecting tropical cyclone power dissipation, Journal of Climate, 20(22): 5497-5509

Emanuel, K., 2006: Hurricanes: Tempests in a greenhouse, Physics Today, 59: 74-75

Emanuel, K.A., 2005: Divine Wind: The history and science of hurricanes, Oxford University Press, New York, 304 pp.

Boos, W.R., J.R. Scott and K.A. Emanuel, 2004: Transient diapycnal mixing and the meridional overturning circulation, J. of Physical Oceanography, 34: 334-341

Emanuel, K., 2003: Tropical Cyclones, Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 31: 75-104

More Publications

Education + Credentials
B.S., Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, MIT, 1976
Ph.D., Meteorology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1978
Courses taught:
Quasi-balanced Circulations in Oceans and Atmospheres (12.803) [Graduate]
Tropical Meteorology (12.811) [Graduate]
Climate Physics and Chemistry (12.842) [Graduate]
Atmospheric and Oceanic Modeling (12.950) [Graduate]
Past and Present Climate (12.301) [This course is no longer available.]

Recent Publications

Journal Article
Komurcu, M., K.A. Emanuel, M. Huber and R.P. Acosta (2018). Earth and Space Science, 5(11), 801-826 (doi: 10.1029/2018EA000426)
Joint Program Report
Strzepek, K., C. Fant, M. Preston, K. Emanuel and B. Goldberg (2018). Joint Program Report Series Report 326, March, 16 p. [PDF]
Journal Article
Emanuel, K., S. Solomon, D. Folini, S. Davis and C. Cagnazzo (2013). J. Climate, 26(7): 2288–2301
Journal Article
Emanuel, K. (2008). Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 89(5), ES10-ES20
Joint Program Reprint, Journal Article
Korty, R.L., K.A. Emanuel and J.R. Scott (2008). Journal of Climate, 21(4): 638-654

News + Media

Around Campus
School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences | 
Nov 20, 2023
News Release
MIT Office of the Vice President for Research | 
May 08, 2023
In The News
MIT Technology Review | 
Aug 25, 2022
News Release
MIT Lincoln Laboratory | 
Apr 19, 2022
News Release
MIT School of Science | 
Apr 15, 2022
Around Campus
MIT Spectrum  | 
Oct 01, 2021