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Nancy K Nichols

Professor of Applied Mathematics
Data Assimilation

Research interests

My work is on data assimilation – theory and practice. I am particularly interested in topics on atmospheric and oceanic assimilation, including coupled systems. I also work on the treatment of large, observation datasets and their uncertainties with the aim of improving forecasts.

Recent publications

A Method for Generating Coherent Spatially Explicit Maps of Seasonal Paleoclimates From Site-Based Reconstructions. 2020

A new multivariable benchmark for Last Glacial Maximum climate simulations. 2020

Efficient hyper-parameter determination for regularised linear BRDF parameter retrieval. 2020

Improving the condition number of estimated covariance matrices. 2020

The impact of using reconditioned correlated observation-error covariance matrices in the Met Office 1D-Var system. 2020

The role of cross-domain error correlations in strongly coupled 4D-Var atmosphere–ocean data assimilation. 2020

A pragmatic strategy for implementing spatially correlated observation errors in an operational system: An application to Doppler radial winds. 2019

Improvements in forecasting intense rainfall: Results from the FRANC (Forecasting Rainfall exploiting new data Assimilation techniques and Novel observations of Convection) project. 2019

Observation error statistics for doppler radar radial wind superobservations assimilated into the DWD COSMO-KENDA system. 2019

Observation operators for assimilation of satellite observations in fluvial inundation forecasting. 2019

Observation impact, domain length and parameter estimation in data assimilation for flood forecasting. 2018

On the representation error in data assimilation. 2018

Technical note: Assessment of observation quality for data assimilation in flood models. 2018

The conditioning of least-squares problems in variational data assimilation. 2018

Treating Sample Covariances for Use in Strongly Coupled Atmosphere-Ocean Data Assimilation. 2018

Constraining DALECv2 using multiple data streams and ecological constraints: Analysis and application. 2017

Data assimilation for moving mesh methods with an application to ice sheet modelling. 2017

Decadal climate prediction with a refined anomaly initialisation approach. 2017

Diagnosing atmospheric motion vector observation errors for an operational high-resolution data assimilation system. 2017

Estimating forecast error covariances for strongly coupled atmosphere-ocean 4D-var data assimilation. 2017

On diagnosing observation-error statistics with local ensemble data assimilation. 2017

Understanding the effect of disturbance from selective felling on the carbon dynamics of a managed woodland by combining observations with model predictions. 2017

A moving-point approach to model shallow ice sheets: A study case with radially symmetrical ice sheets. 2016

Application of data assimilation to ocean and climate prediction. 2016

Diagnosing horizontal and inter-channel observation error correlations for SEVIRI observations using observation-minus-background and observation-minus-analysis statistics. 2016

Diagnosing observation error correlations for doppler radar radial winds in the met office UKV model using observation-minus-background and observation-minus-analysis statistics. 2016

Investigating the role of prior and observation error correlations in improving a model forecast of forest carbon balance using Four-dimensional Variational data assimilation. 2016

Theoretical insight into diagnosing observation error correlations using observation-minus-background and observation-minus-analysis statistics. 2016

Regularization of descriptor systems. 2015

The error of representation: Basic understanding. 2015

Estimating correlated observation error statistics using an ensemble transform Kalman filter. 2014

Estimating interchannel observation-error correlations for IASI radiance data in the Met Office system. 2014

Representativity error for temperature and humidity using the Met Office high-resolution model. 2014

Data assimilation for state and parameter estimation: Application to morphodynamic modelling. 2013

Data assimilation with correlated observation errors: Experiments with a 1-D shallow water model. 2013

Resolution of sharp fronts in the presence of model error in variational data assimilation. 2013

Breakdown of hydrostatic balance at convective scales in the forecast errors in the Met Office Unified Model. 2012

Integration of a 3D variational data assimilation scheme with a coastal area morphodynamic model of Morecambe Bay. 2012

A hybrid data assimilation scheme for model parameter estimation: Application to morphodynamic modelling. 2011

Conditioning and preconditioning of the variational data assimilation problem. 2011

Conditioning of incremental variational data assimilation, with application to the Met Office system. 2011

Correlations of control variables in variational data assimilation. 2011

Ensemble data assimilation in the presence of cloud. 2011

Four-dimensional variational data assimilation for high resolution nested models. 2011

Regularization techniques for ill-posed inverse problems in data assimilation. 2011

State estimation using model order reduction for unstable systems. 2011

Mathematical concepts of data assimilation. 2010

Data assimilation for morphodynamic prediction and predictability. 2009

Variational data assimilation for parameter estimation: Application to a simple morphodynamic model. 2009

Approximate Gauss-Newton methods for optimal state estimation using reduced-order models. 2008

Correlated observation errors in data assimilation. 2008

Modeling the diurnal variability of sea surface temperatures. 2008

Modelling of forecast errors in geophysical fluid flows. 2008

The assimilation of satellite-derived sea surface temperatures into a diurnal cycle model. 2008

Unbiased ensemble square root filters. 2008

Using model reduction methods within incremental four-dimensional variational data assimilation. 2008

Approximate Gauss-newton methods for nonlinear least squares problems. 2007

Weak constraints in four-dimensional variational data assimilation. 2007

A singular vector perspective of 4DVAR: The spatial structure and evolution of baroclinic weather systems. 2006

Inner-loop stopping criteria for incremental four-dimensional variational data assimilation. 2006

Use of potential vorticity for incremental data assimilation. 2006

A simple analysis of thermodynamic properties for classical plasmas: I. Theory. 2005

A singular vector perspective of 4D-Var: Filtering and interpolation. 2005

An investigation of incremental 4D-Var using non-tangent linear models. 2005

Approximate iterative methods for variational data assimilation. 2005

Preconditioners for inhomogeneous anisotropic problems in spherical geometry. 2005

Structure and evolution of singular vectors in the Eady model. 2005

Variational data assimilation for Hamiltonian problems. 2005

Very large inverse problems in atmosphere and ocean modelling. 2005

Assessment of wind-stress errors using bias corrected ocean data assimilation. 2004

Assimilation of data into an ocean model with systematic errors near the equator. 2004

Upwind solution of singular differential equations arising from steady channel flows. 2004

A comparison of two methods for developing the linearization of a shallow-water model. 2003

Discussion on ‘robust pole assignment in descriptor linear systems via state feedback’ by G.-R. Duan, N.K. Nichols and G.-P. Liu. 2002

Estimation of systematic error in an equatorial ocean model using data assimilation. 2002

Robust eigenstructure assignment in quadratic matrix polynomials: Nonsingular case. 2002

Robust pole assignment in descriptor linear systems via state feedback. 2002

Robust pole assignment in descriptor linear systems via state feedback. 2001

Adjoint methods in data assimilation for estimating model error. 2000

Feedback design for regularizing descriptor systems. 1999

Minimum norm regularization of descriptor systems by mixed output feedback. 1999

Bifurcation analysis of eigenstructure assignment control in a simple nonlinear aircraft model. 1998

Modal coupling in linear control systems using robust eigenstructure assignment. 1998

Analytic benchmark solutions for open-channel flows. 1997

Closed loop design for a simple nonlinear aircraft model using eigenstructure assignment. 1997

Direct computation of stochastic flow in reservoirs with uncertain parameters. 1997

Comparison between classical techniques and eigenstructure assignment in the design of a longitudinal instrument landing system. 1994

Regularization of Descriptor Systems by Output Feedback. 1994

The state estimation of flow demands in gas networks from sparse pressure telemetry. 1994

On the stability radius of a generalized state-space system. 1993

Optimal growth strategies when mortality and production rates are size-dependent. 1993

Duality, observability, and controllability for linear time-varying descriptor systems. 1991

Numerical computation of an analytic singular value decomposition of a matrix valued function. 1991

Regularization of descriptor systems. 1991

Robust pole assignment in systems subject to structured perturbations. 1990

On the numerical integration of a class of singular perturbation problems. 1989

Robust pole assignment in singular control systems. 1989

OPTIMAL STRATEGIES FOR PHASE CONTROL OF WAVE ENERGY DEVICES.. 1987

Robustness in Partial Pole Placement. 1987

A conjugate gradient method for the solution of equality constrained least squares problems. 1986

ALGORITHMS FOR ROBUST POLE ASSIGNMENT IN SINGULAR SYSTEMS.. 1986

Eigenstructure Assignment in Descriptor Systems. 1986

LATCHING CONTROL OF A POINT ABSORBER.. 1986

NUMERICAL METHODS FOR STIFF TWO-POINT BOUNDARY VALUE PROBLEMS.. 1986

ON COMPUTATIONAL ALGORITHMS FOR POLE ASSIGNMENT.. 1986

Phase control for the oscillating water column.. 1986

ROBUST CONTROL SYSTEM DESIGN FOR GENERALIZED STATE-SPACE SYSTEMS.. 1986

Are patterns of growth adaptive?. 1985

PHASE CONTROL FOR THE OSCILLATING WATER COLUMN.. 1985

Phase control for the oscillating water column.. 1985

Robust pole assignment in linear state feedback. 1985

Some necessary and sufficient conditions for eigenstructure assignment. 1985

Optimal control problems in tidal power. 1984

Robust pole assignment and optimal stability margins. 1984

Smoothed histogram modification for image processing. 1984

MATRIX FACTORISATION AND SOME APPLICATIONS IN LINEAR SYSTEMS THEORY.. 1983

Numerical solution of an elastic boundary layer problem using a multiple shooting technique. 1982

Optimal resource depletion: Free end time problems. 1982

Time-optimal decoupling control problems. 1982

Generalized consistent ordering and the optimum successive over-relaxation factor. 1969

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