Dr Richard Pope

Profile

I am an atmospheric scientist in the Atmospheric Chemistry Modelling Group in the School of Earth and Environment (SEE) at the University of Leeds. My research focusses on using Earth observation (EO) data and atmospheric chemistry modelling to investigate global and regional scale air pollution and the interactions between the biosphere and atmosphere (e.g. impacts of wildfire pollutant emissions on air quality).

I currently hold a prestigious NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellowship called “Air-pollution innovation in regional-forecasts utilising operational satellite applications and technologies (AIRSAT)”, which aims to integrate EO data into the UK Met Office air quality forecasts. Below is an example of satelltie retrieved tropospehric column nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) from the TropOMI instrument, which I will be using in AIRSAT to evaluate the Met Office forecast model.

TropOMI tropospheric column NO₂ (x10^-5 moles/m²) average over the UK between May 2018 and September 2021.

I have also been the holder of a European Space Agency - Climate Change Initiative (ESA CCI) fellowship, to investigate air quality and tropospheric chemistry using satellite observations and modelling. My ESA CCI fellowship (Tropospheric Ozone and Climate Interactions in the Satellite Era – TOCISE) investigated the disagreement between satellite observed tropospheric ozone (O₃) trends using new novel satellite products and atmospheric chemistry modelling. 

I am also funded through the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) to work on the TerraFIRMA project, which exploits satellite data of atmospheric composition to evaluate the simulation skill of Met Office’s UK Earth System model (UKESM). UKESM is made up of multiple process models (e.g. atmospheric and ocean models) which interact to represent the Earth system as a whole. This allows scientists to better understand interactions and feedbacks between these systems and how this has/can influence the Earth's past and future climate. 

Prior to joining NCEO, I was previously involved in the EU funded Desert Storms project (2014-2016) investigating errors in dust forecasting over Africa using the Met Office Unified Model).

I joined SEE in 2011 and undertook my PhD in atmospheric chemistry modelling (thesis available here) with Prof Martyn Chipperfield (graduated in 2015). I did my undergraduate degree (MSci) in Meteorology and Oceanography at the University of East Anglia.

My academic CV can be found here.

Research interests

In addition to UKESM, I also use the TOMCAT chemistry transport model (CTM) to investigate large scale changes in atmospheric composition. This includes investigation of circulation patterns like the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) influencing European air quality (paper link) and changes in biomass burning over South America impacting on tropospheric composition (paper link). Several TOMCAT animations are below:

• TOMCAT surface ozone (ppbv) for 2006
• TOMCAT surface NO₂ (ppbv) for 2006

I previously ran the SEE-Chem seminars, which were joint monthly meetings between SEE and the School of Chemistry covering a range of topics where common research interests and collaborations exist between the departments. A list of past seminars and slides can be found here. 

Recent studies include:

• Examining the influence of tropospheric ozone on the radiation budget (paper link).
• Investigating long-term trends in lower tropospheric ozone (paper link).
• Monitoring the unprecedented Australian wildfire pollutant plumes in late 2019 – early 2020 (paper link).
• Deriving top-down nitrogen oxide (NO_x) emissions using satellite observations to evaluate and verify official bottom-up inventories (funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – paper link).
• Investigation of the June 2018 Saddleworth Moor fires on northern England air quality (paper1 link, paper2 link).

Saddleworth Moor wildfire plume over North-West England on 27^th June 2018 with the TropOMI total column carbon monoxide (CO, x10^-5 moles/m²) data overplotted.

• Air-pollution innovation in regional-forecasts utilising operational satellite applications and technologies (AIRSAT)
• Novel satellite and modelling studies to assess wildfire emission impacts on air quality and climate

Qualifications

• PhD, Atmospheric Chemistry Modelling and Earth Observation, University of Leeds
• MSci, Meteorology and Oceanography, University of East Anglia

Student education

I give lectures on two undergraduate courses 1) SOEE3190 Earth Observations from Space and 2) SOEE3431 Atmospheric Pollution: Causes, Impact and Regulation. This covers the remote sensing of clouds and atmospheric chemistry from space and the application of these observations for monitoring air quality. I also provide training for the SENSE CDT on monitoring air pollution from space.

At present, I formally supervise three PhD students in SEE and at the University of Edinburgh:

Maria Paula Velásquez García – Novel use of satellite data and modelling to investigate South American wildfire emission impacts on air quality and climate.

Aishah Shittu – Impact of poor air quality in childhood health in Bradford using an array of sensors and models and incorporating the methods used in Nigeria.

Emma Sands (School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh) – Land use impacts on air quality and climate: a combined satellite and modelling study. 

Former PhD students I have supervised in the SEE include:

Ailish Graham – Simulation and Evaluation of UK regional rural air quality in the UK.

Rebecca Kelly – Improved understanding of Arctic atmospheric composition and climate through exploitation of satellite observations.

Matilda Pimlott – Investigating long-term changes in European air quality in the satellite era.

I also supervised several UG and MRes students in the Atmospheric Chemistry Group and supervised six previously funded undergraduate summer placements:

• Richard Johnson - Investigation of meteorological processes influencing UK air quality - Summer 2016
• Ryan Leeming - Gaussian stack plume modelling of emissions from Drax Power - Summer 2017
• Ellen Stirling - Leeds Air Quality: Local versus Regional Pollution Sources - Summer 2018
• Rebecca Kelly – Derivation of UK top-down NO_x emissions from space using measurements of NO₂ – Summer 2019         
• Kate Wade – Identifying UK industrial NO₂ pollution sources from space – Summer 2020   
• Emily Kelly – Quantifying the impact of the 2015/2016 El Niño event on regional wild-fire-induced ozone air pollution using Earth observation and modelling Summer 2021.

Research groups and institutes

• Atmospheric Chemistry and Aerosols
• Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science

Current postgraduate researchers

• Maria Paula Velásquez García
• Matilda Pimlott