World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
R. Alan Plumb

R. Alan Plumb

D-Index & Metrics

Environmental Sciences

D-Index
56
Citations
12259
World Ranking
3628
National Ranking
1383

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2000 - Fellow of American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Overview

R. Alan Plumb is affiliated with MIT in the United States and specializes in Earth and Planetary Sciences as well as Environmental Science. Their research focuses particularly on Atmospheric Science, Global and Planetary Change, and Computational Mechanics.

The main topics covered in their work include:

  • Climate variability and models
  • Atmospheric Ozone and Climate
  • Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
  • Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
  • Meteorological Phenomena and Simulations
  • Fluid Dynamics and Turbulent Flows

They have published research in several well-known scientific journals, including:

  • Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres
  • Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
  • Geophysical Research Letters

Key recent papers authored or co-authored by R. Alan Plumb include:

  • "Stratospheric Adiabatic Mixing Rates Derived From the Vertical Gradient of Age of Air" (2021), Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres
  • "Numerical impacts on tracer transport: Diagnosing the influence of dynamical core formulation and resolution on stratospheric transport" (2021), Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
  • "Frequency-Dependent Behavior of Zonal Jet Variability" (2020), Geophysical Research Letters

Frequent collaborators in their research include Aman Gupta, Edwin P. Gerber, Marianna Linz, P. H. Lauritzen, and E. A. Lindgren. Among these, Aman Gupta and Edwin P. Gerber have co-authored multiple publications.

R. Alan Plumb has been recognized by the American Geophysical Union (AGU) as a Fellow since 2000.

Best Publications

  • On the Three-Dimensional Propagation of Stationary Waves

    R. Alan Plumb

  • Age as a diagnostic of stratospheric transport

    Timothy M. Hall;R. Alan Plumb

  • Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate Dynamics: An Introductory Text

    John Marshall;R. Alan Plumb

  • Interrelationships between mixing ratios of long‐lived stratospheric constituents

    R. Alan Plumb;Malcolm K. W. Ko

  • A model of the quasi-biennial oscillation on an equatorial beta-plane

    R. Alan Plumb;Robert C. Bell

  • Stratospheric Transport

    Unknown

  • A “tropical pipe” model of stratospheric transport

    R. Alan Plumb

  • The Zonally Averaged Transport Characteristics of the GFDL General Circulation/Transport Model

    Unknown

  • The Interaction of Two Internal Waves with the Mean Flow: Implications for the Theory of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation

    Unknown

  • Contour Advection with Surgery: A Technique for Investigating Finescale Structure in Tracer Transport

    Darryn W. Waugh;R. Alan Plumb

  • Transport out of the lower stratospheric Arctic vortex by Rossby wave breaking

    D. W. Waugh;R. A. Plumb;R. J. Atkinson;M. R. Schoeberl

  • The Asian Monsoon: Causes, History and Effects

    Peter D. Clift;R. Alan Plumb

  • Antarctic Ocean and Sea Ice Response to Ozone Depletion: A Two-Time-Scale Problem

    David Ferreira;John C. Marshall;Cecilia Bitz;Susan Solomon

  • Baroclinic Instability of the Summer Mesosphere: A Mechanism for the Quasi-Two-Day Wave?

    R. Alan Plumb

  • Evaluation of transport in stratospheric models

    Timothy M. Hall;Darryn W. Waugh;Kristie A. Boering;R. Alan Plumb

  • Three-Dimensional Propagation of Transient Quasi-Geostrophic Eddies and Its Relationship with the Eddy Forcing of the Time—Mean Flow

    R. Alan Plumb

  • The Response of a Zonally Symmetric Atmosphere to Subtropical Thermal Forcing: Threshold Behavior

    R. A. Plumb;Arthur Y. Hou

  • Monsoon Dynamics with Interactive Forcing. Part I: Axisymmetric Studies

    Nikki C. Privé;R. Alan Plumb

  • The Instability of a Forced Standing Wave in a Viscous Stratified Fluid: A Laboratory Analogue of .the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation

    Unknown

  • Mixing of polar vortex air into middle latitudes as revealed by tracer-tracer scatterplots

    Darryn Waugh;R A Plumb;J W Elkins;D W Fahey

  • The Brewer-Dobson Circulation: Dynamics of the Tropical Upwelling

    R. Alan Plumb;Janusz Eluszkiewicz

  • Intrusions into the lower stratospheric Arctic vortex during the winter of 1991–1992

    R. A. Plumb;D. W. Waugh;R. J. Atkinson;P. A. Newman

  • Age of air in a “leaky pipe” model of stratospheric transport

    Jessica L. Neu;R. Alan Plumb

  • On the Subtropical Edge of the Stratospheric Surf Zone

    Lorenzo M. Polvani;D. W. Waugh;R. Alan Plumb

Frequent Co-Authors

Peter D. Clift
Peter D. Clift University College London
Lorenzo M. Polvani
Lorenzo M. Polvani Columbia University
Paul Newman
Paul Newman Goddard Space Flight Center
Malcolm K. W. Ko
Malcolm K. W. Ko Langley Research Center
Edwin P. Gerber
Edwin P. Gerber Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences
Darryn W. Waugh
Darryn W. Waugh Johns Hopkins University
Mark R. Schoeberl
Mark R. Schoeberl Science and Technology Corporation (United States)
Tim Woollings
Tim Woollings University of Oxford
Natalie M. Mahowald
Natalie M. Mahowald Cornell University

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

For students interested in Environmental Sciences, exploring related online degrees can open up diverse career pathways. Many learners consider an accredited affordable online general studies degree as a flexible starting point. These programs provide a broad educational foundation while keeping costs manageable, ideal for those balancing work or other commitments.

If you’re looking for programs with a lighter academic load, some students find pursuing one of the easiest bachelor's degree options helpful. These degrees can help build relevant skills with less intensive coursework, enabling you to transition into environmental careers more smoothly.

For those focused specifically on Earth sciences, obtaining a geology degrees online is a popular choice. These programs teach critical skills in Earth systems, geological processes, and resource management, which are essential for environmental assessment and conservation roles.

Another fast-growing area is Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Many programs offer the best gis degree programs online, which equip students with spatial analysis and mapping skills. GIS expertise is highly valued in environmental monitoring, urban planning, and natural resource management careers.

Best Scientists Citing R. Alan Plumb

Trending Scientists

Recently Published Articles