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Department of Meteorology – University of Reading

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Dr. Christopher Westbrook

Associate Professor

Responsibilities:

Lecturer in Meteorology

Research Interests:

  • Cloud Physics (in particular ice microphysics)
  • Remote sensing (using the state-of-the-art radars and lidars at Chilbolton)
  • Electromagnetic scattering by ice crystals and raindrops

Research Projects:

  • Exploiting multi-wavelength Doppler spectra to characterise the microphysics of ice hydrometeors
  • A new signal processing technology to eliminate range sidelobes in meteorological radar data

Postdoctoral & graduate student supervision

  • Andrew Barrett PDRA analysing triple-wavelength radar measurements and ice microphysics
  • Matt Feist PhD student working on turbulence in convective clouds, comparing high resolution simulations to high resolution radar observations
  • Emma Hopkin PhD student working on lidar backscatter profiles and calibration
  • Will Keat PhD student working on mixed-phase clouds, and dual-polarisation radar

Other interests

  • Associate Fellow of Royal Meteorological Society

Centaur Publications

Jump to: 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2019 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006
Number of items: 46.

2024

Miller, C., Nicoll, K., Westbrook, C. and Harrison, G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0693-347X (2024) Evaluating atmospheric electricity changes as an indicator of fog formation. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. ISSN 1477-870X (In Press)

Kleanthous, A., Baran, A. J., Betcke, T., Hewett, D. P. and Westbrook, C. D. (2024) An application of the boundary element method (BEM) to the calculation of the single-scattering properties of very complex ice crystals in the microwave and sub-millimetre regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer, 312. 108793. ISSN 0022-4073 doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2023.108793

2023

Miller, C., Nicoll, K., Westbrook, C. and Harrison, G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0693-347X (2023) The effect of fog on atmospheric electric fields. Journal of Physics: Conference Series. ISSN 1742-6588 (In Press)

2022

Tagliavini, G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2090-8190, Khan, M. H. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1106-9014, McCorquodale, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2996-663X, Westbrook, C. and Holzner, M. (2022) Wake characteristics of complex-shaped snow particles: Comparison of numerical simulations with fixed snowflakes to time-resolved particle tracking velocimetry experiments with free-falling analogs. Physics of Fluids, 34 (5). 055112. ISSN 1089-7666 doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0089759

Courtier, B. M., Battaglia, A., Huggard, P. G., Westbrook, C., Mroz, K., Dhillon, R. S., Walden, C. J., Howells, G., Wang, H., Ellison, B. N., Reeves, R., Robertson, D. A. and Wylde, R. J. (2022) First observations of G-band radar Doppler spectra. Geophysical Research Letters, 49 (4). ISSN 0094-8276 doi: https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL096475

2021

Tagliavini, G., McCorquodale, M., Westbrook, C. and Holzner, M. (2021) Numerical analysis of the wake of complex-shaped snow particles at moderate Reynolds number. Physics of Fluids, 33 (10). 105103. ISSN 1070-6631 doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0064902

Tagliavini, G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2090-8190, McCorquodale, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2996-663X, Westbrook, C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2889-8815, Corso, P. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7875-1080, Krol, Q. and Holzner, M. (2021) Drag coefficient prediction of complex-shaped snow particles falling in air beyond the Stokes regime. International Journal of Multiphase Flow, 140. 103652. ISSN 03019322 doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2021.103652

O'Shea, S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0489-1723, Crosier, J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3086-4729, Dorsey, J., Gallagher, L., Schledewitz, W., Bower, K. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9802-3264, Schlenczek, O. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7247-465X, Borrmann, S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4774-9380, Cotton, R., Westbrook, C. and Ulanowski, Z. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4761-6980 (2021) Characterising optical array particle imaging probes: implications for small-ice-crystal observations. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 14 (3). pp. 1917-1939. ISSN 1867-8548 doi: https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-1917-2021

McCusker, K., Westbrook, C. D. and Tyynelä, J. (2021) An accurate and computationally cheap microwave scattering method for ice aggregates: the Independent Monomer Approximation. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 147 (735). pp. 1202-1224. ISSN 1477-870X doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3967

McCorquodale, M. W. and Westbrook, C. D. (2021) TRAIL part 2: a comprehensive assessment of ice particle fall speed parametrisations. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 147 (734). pp. 605-626. ISSN 1477-870X doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3936

McCorquodale, M. W. and Westbrook, C. D. (2021) TRAIL: a novel approach for studying the aerodynamics of ice particles. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 147 (734). pp. 589-604. ISSN 1477-870X doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3935

Kedzuf, N. J., Chiu, C., Chandrasekar, V., Biswas, S., Joshil, S. S., Lu, Y., Van Leeuwen, P. J., Westbrook, C., Blanchard, Y. and O'Shea, S. (2021) Retrieving microphysical properties of concurrent pristine ice and snow using polarimetric radar observations. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 14 (10). pp. 6885-6904. ISSN 1867-8548 doi: https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6885-2021

2019

Mason, S. L., Hogan, R. J., Westbrook, C. D., Kneifel, S., Moisseev, D. and von Terzi, L. (2019) The importance of particle size distribution and internal structure for triple-frequency radar retrievals of the morphology of snow. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 12 (9). pp. 4993-5018. ISSN 1867-8548 doi: https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4993-2019

Hopkin, E., Illingworth, A. J., Charlton-Perez, C., Westbrook, C. D. and Ballard, S. (2019) A robust automated technique for operational calibration of ceilometers using the integrated backscatter from totally attenuating liquid clouds. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 12 (7). pp. 4131-4147. ISSN 1867-8548 doi: https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4131-2019

McCusker, K., Westbrook, C. D. and Moiola, A. (2019) Analysis of the internal electric fields of pristine ice crystals and aggregate snowflakes, and their effect on scattering. Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer, 230. pp. 155-171. ISSN 0022-4073 doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2019.04.019

Barrett, A. I., Westbrook, C. D., Nicol, J. C. and Stein, T. H. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9215-5397 (2019) Rapid ice aggregation process revealed through triple-wavelength Doppler spectra radar analysis. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions, 19. pp. 5753-5769. ISSN 1680-7375 doi: https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-5753-2019

Feist, M. M., Westbrook, C. D., Clark, P. A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1001-9226, Stein, T. H. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9215-5397, Lean, H. W. and Stirling, A. J. (2019) Statistics of convective cloud turbulence from a comprehensive turbulence retrieval method for radar observations. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 145 (719). pp. 727-744. ISSN 1477-870X doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3462

2017

Keat, W. J. and Westbrook, C. D. (2017) Revealing layers of pristine oriented crystals embedded within deep ice clouds using differential reflectivity and the co-polar correlation coefficient. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 122 (21). pp. 11737-11759. ISSN 2169-8996 doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JD026754

Westbrook, C. D. and Sephton, E. K. (2017) Using 3D-printed analogues to investigate the fall speeds and orientations of complex ice particles. Geophysical Research Letters, 44 (15). pp. 7994-8001. ISSN 0094-8276 doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/2017gl074130

Field, P.R., Lawson, R.P., Brown, P.R.A., Lloyd, G., Westbrook, C., Moisseev, D., Miltenverger, A., Nenes, A., Blyth, A., Choularton, T., Connolly, P., Buehl, J., Crosier, J., Cui, Z., Dearden, C., DeMott, P., Flossman, A., Heymsfield, A., Huang, Y., Kalesse, H., Kanji, Z.A., Korolev, A., Kirchgaessner, A., Lasher-Trapp, S., Leisner, T., McFarquhar, G., Phillips, V., Stith, J. and Sullivan, S. (2017) Secondary ice production: current state of the science and recommendations for the future. Meteorological Monographs, 58. 7.1-7.20. ISSN 0065-9401 doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/AMSMONOGRAPHS-D-16-0014.1

2016

Keat, W. J., Westbrook, C. D. and Illingworth, A. J. (2016) High-precision measurements of the co-polar correlation coefficient: non-Gaussian errors and retrieval of the dispersion parameter µ in rainfall. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 55 (7). pp. 1615-1632. ISSN 1558-8432 doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-15-0272.1

2015

Stein, T. H. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9215-5397, Westbrook, C. D. and Nicol, J. (2015) Fractal geometry of aggregate snowflakes revealed by triple wavelength radar measurements. Geophysical Research Letters, 42 (1). pp. 176-183. ISSN 0094-8276 doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/2014GL062170

2014

Westbrook, C. D. (2014) Rayleigh scattering by hexagonal ice crystals and the interpretation of dual-polarisation radar measurements. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 140 (683). pp. 2090-2096. ISSN 1477-870X doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.2262

Hogan, R. J. and Westbrook, C. D. (2014) Equation for the microwave backscatter cross section of aggregate snowflakes using the self-similar Rayleigh–Gans approximation. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 71 (9). pp. 3292-3301. ISSN 1520-0469 doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-13-0347.1

Crosier, J., Choularton, T. W., Westbrook, C. D., Blyth, A. M., Bower, K. N., Connolly, P. J., Dearden, C., Gallagher, M. W., Cui, Z. and Nicol, J. C. (2014) Microphysical properties of cold frontal rainbands. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 140 (681). pp. 1257-1268. ISSN 1477-870X doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.2206

Battaglia, A., Westbrook, C. D., Kniefel, S., Kollias, P., Humpage, N., Löhnert, U., Tyynelä, J. and Petty, G. W. (2014) G band atmospheric radars: new frontiers in cloud physics. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 7. pp. 1527-1546. ISSN 1867-8548 doi: https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-1527-2014

2013

Westbrook, C. D. and Illingworth, A. J. (2013) The formation of ice in a long-lived supercooled layer cloud. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 139 (677). pp. 2209-2221. ISSN 1477-870X doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.2096

Westbrook, C. and Clark, M. (2013) Observations of a tornadic supercell over Oxfordshire using a pair of Doppler radars. Weather, 68 (5). pp. 128-134. ISSN 0043-1656 doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/wea.1997

Westbrook, C. D. and Nicol, J. C. (2013) A time-series method to identify and correct range sidelobes in meteorological radar data. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 30 (10). pp. 2417-2424. ISSN 1520-0426 doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-13-00063.1

2012

Hogan, R., Tian, L., Brown, P. R.A., Westbrook, C., Heymsfield, A. J. and Eastment, J. D. (2012) Radar scattering from ice aggregates using the horizontally aligned oblate spheroid approximation. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 51 (3). pp. 655-671. ISSN 1558-8432 doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-11-074.1

Crawford, I., Bower, K.N., Choularton, T.W., Dearden, C., Crosier, J., Westbrook, C., Capes, G., Coes, H., Connolly, P.J., Dorsey, J.R., Gallagher, M.W., Williams, P., Trembath, J., Cui, Z. and Blyth, A. (2012) Ice formation and development in aged, wintertime cumulus over the UK: observations and modelling. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 12 (11). pp. 4963-4985. ISSN 1680-7324 doi: https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-12-4963-2012

2011

Westbrook, C. D. and Heymsfield, A. J. (2011) Ice crystals growing from vapor in supercooled clouds between −2.5° and −22°C: testing current parameterization methods using laboratory data. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 68 (10). pp. 2416-2429. ISSN 1520-0469 doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-11-017.1

Westbrook, C. D. and Illingworth, A. J. (2011) Evidence that ice forms primarily in supercooled liquid clouds at temperatures > -27C. Geophysical Research Letters, 38. L14808. ISSN 0094-8276 doi: https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GL048021

Westbrook, C. (2011) Origin of the Parry arc. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 137 B. pp. 538-543. ISSN 1477-870X doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.761

Crosier, J., Bower, K. N., Choularton, T. W., Westbrook, C. D., Connolly, P. J., Cui, Z. Q., Crawford, I. P., Capes, G. L., Coe, H., Dorsey, J. R., Williams, P. I., Illingworth, A. J., Gallagher, M. W. and Blyth, A. M. (2011) Observations of ice multiplication in a weakly convective cell embedded in supercooled mid-level stratus. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 11 (1). pp. 257-273. ISSN 1680-7316 doi: https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-11-257-2011

2010

O'Connor, E. J., Illingworth, A. J., Brooks, I. M., Westbrook, C. D., Hogan, R. J., Davies, F. and Brooks, B. J. (2010) A method for estimating the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate from a vertically pointing Doppler lidar, and independent evaluation from balloon-borne in situ measurements. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 27 (10). pp. 1652-1664. ISSN 1520-0426 doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/2010JTECHA1455.1

Heymsfield, A.J. and Westbrook, C. (2010) Advancements in the estimation of ice particle fall speeds using laboratory and field measurements. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 67 (8). pp. 2469-2482. ISSN 1520-0469 doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/2010JAS3379.1

Westbrook, C. D., Hogan, R. J., O'Connor, E. J. and Illingworth, A. J. (2010) Estimating drizzle drop size and precipitation rate using two-colour lidar measurements. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 3 (3). pp. 671-681. ISSN 1867-8548 doi: https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-3-671-2010

Westbrook, C. D., Illingworth, A. J., O'Connor, E. J. and Hogan, R. J. (2010) Doppler lidar measurements of oriented planar ice crystals falling from supercooled and glaciated layer clouds. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 136 (646). pp. 260-276. ISSN 1477-870X doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.528

Westbrook, C. and Davies, O. (2010) Observations of a glaciating hole-punch cloud. Weather, 65 (7). p. 176. ISSN 0043-1656 doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/wea.504

2009

Westbrook, C. D. and Illingworth, A. J. (2009) Testing the influence of small crystals on ice size spectra using Doppler lidar observations. Geophysical Research Letters, 36 . L12810 . ISSN 0094-8276 doi: https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL038186

2008

Westbrook, C. D., Ball, R. C. and Field, P. R. (2008) Corrigendum: radar scattering by aggregate snowflakes. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 134 (631). pp. 547-548. ISSN 1477-870X doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.233

Westbrook, C. D., Hogan, R. J. and Illingworth, A. J. (2008) The capacitance of pristine ice crystals and aggregate snowflakes. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 65 (1). pp. 206-219. ISSN 1520-0469 doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/2007JAS2315.1

Westbrook, C. D. (2008) The fall speeds of sub-100 mu m ice crystals. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 134 (364). pp. 1243-1281. ISSN 1477-870X doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.290

2007

Westbrook, C. D., Hogan, R. J., Illingworth, A. J. and O'Connor, E. J. (2007) Theory and observations of ice particle evolution in cirrus using Doppler radar: evidence for aggregation. Geophysical Research Letters, 34. L02824. ISSN 0094-8276 doi: https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL027863

2006

Westbrook, C. D., Ball, R. C. and Field, P. R. (2006) Radar scattering by aggregate snowflakes. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 132 (616). pp. 897-914. ISSN 1477-870X doi: https://doi.org/10.1256/qj.05.82

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Last update: 9th November 2023

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