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Energy and Environment Directorate

Karthik Balaguru

Karthik Balaguru

(206) 528-3364

Research Interests

  • Role of upper-ocean dynamics in climate variability
  • Air-sea interaction
  • Tropical Cyclones and climate

Education and Credentials

  • Bachelor and Master of Technology (Ocean Engineering): Indian Institute of Technology - Madras (2006)
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Oceanography): Texas A&M University (2011)

PNNL Publications

2024

  • Balaguru K., S. Wang, L. Leung, S.M. Hagos, B.E. Harrop, C. Chang, and S. Lubis, et al. 2024. "Influence of Eastern Pacific hurricanes on the Southwest US wildfire environment." Geophysical Research Letters 51, no. 4:Art. No. e2023GL106774. PNNL-SA-191085. doi:10.1029/2023GL106774
  • Narayanan A., K. Balaguru, W. Xu, and L. Leung. 2024. "A new method for predicting hurricane rapid intensification based on co-occurring environmental parameters." Natural Hazards 120, no. 1:881-899. PNNL-SA-180864. doi:10.1007/s11069-023-06100-z
  • Xu W., K. Balaguru, D.R. Judi, J.R. Rice, L. Leung, and S.J. DiLeonardo. 2024. "A North Atlantic synthetic tropical cyclone track, intensity, and rainfall dataset." Scientific Data 11. PNNL-SA-185881. doi:10.1038/s41597-024-02952-7

2023

  • Baby John E., K. Balaguru, L. Leung, G.R. Foltz, R.D. Hetland, and S.M. Hagos. 2023. "Intensification of Hurricane Sally (2020) over the Mississippi River plume." Weather and Forecasting 38, no. 8:1391-1404. PNNL-SA-179399. doi:10.1175/WAF-D-22-0191.1
  • Chang C., S. Lubis, K. Balaguru, L. Leung, S.M. Hagos, and P.J. Klotzbach. 2023. "An Extratropical Pathway for the Madden-Julian Oscillation's Influence on North Atlantic Tropical Cyclones." Journal of Climate 36, no. 24:8539 - 8559. PNNL-SA-184405. doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-23-0251.1
  • Dac Da N., G.R. Foltz, K. Balaguru, and E.H. Fernald. 2023. "Stronger tropical cyclone-induced ocean cooling in near-coastal regions compared to the open ocean." Journal of Climate 36, no. 18:6447-6463. PNNL-SA-179986. doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-22-0842.1
  • Hagos S.M., J. Jung, P. Ma, S. Lubis, K. Balaguru, C. Chang, and L. Leung. 2023. "East African Monsoon as a Drawbridge for the Circumnavigation of Madden-Julian Oscillation Events." Geophysical Research Letters 50, no. 12:Art. No. e2023GL102906. PNNL-SA-185746. doi:10.1029/2023GL102906
  • Lubis S., S.M. Hagos, C. Chang, K. Balaguru, and L. Leung. 2023. "Cross-Equatorial Surges Boost MJO's Southward Detour over the Maritime Continent." Geophysical Research Letters 50, no. 15:e2023GL104770. PNNL-SA-185613. doi:10.1029/2023GL104770

2022

  • Balaguru K., G.R. Foltz, L. Leung, and S.M. Hagos. 2022. "Impact of rainfall on tropical cyclone-induced sea surface cooling." Geophysical Research Letters 49, no. 10:Art. No. e2022GL098187. PNNL-SA-172881. doi:10.1029/2022GL098187
  • Balaguru K., G.R. Foltz, L. Leung, W. Xu, D. Kim, H. Lopez, and R. West. 2022. "Increasing hurricane intensification rate near the US Atlantic coast." Geophysical Research Letters 49, no. 20:Art. No. e2022GL099793. PNNL-SA-164456. doi:10.1029/2022GL099793
  • Feng Y., J. Huang, Y. Du, K. Balaguru, W. Ma, Q. Feng, and X. Wan, et al. 2022. "Drivers of phytoplankton variability in and near the Pearl River Estuary, South China Sea during Typhoon Hato (2017): A numerical study." Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 127, no. 10:Art. No. e2022JG006924. PNNL-SA-178153. doi:10.1029/2022JG006924
  • Hagos S.M., L. Leung, C. Zhang, and K. Balaguru. 2022. "An Observationally Trained Markov Model for MJO Propagation." Geophysical Research Letters 49, no. 2:Art. No. e2021GL095663. PNNL-SA-165371. doi:10.1029/2021GL095663

2021

  • Balaguru K., L. Leung, S.M. Hagos, and S. Krishnakumar. 2021. "An oceanic pathway for Madden-Julian Oscillation influence on Maritime Continent Tropical Cyclones." npj Climate and Atmospheric Science 4, no. 1:Art. No. 52. PNNL-SA-161677. doi:10.1038/s41612-021-00208-4
  • Balaguru K., L. Van Roekel, L. Leung, and M. Veneziani. 2021. "Subtropical Eastern North Pacific SST bias in earth system models." Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 126, no. 8:e2021JC017359. PNNL-SA-160304. doi:10.1029/2021JC017359
  • Dac Da N., G.R. Foltz, and K. Balaguru. 2021. "Observed Global Increases in Tropical Cyclone-Induced Ocean Cooling and Primary Production." Geophysical Research Letters 48, no. 9:e2021GL092574. PNNL-SA-157500. doi:10.1029/2021GL092574
  • Xu W., K. Balaguru, A. August, N. Lalo, N.O. Hodas, M. DeMaria, and D.R. Judi. 2021. "Deep Learning Experiments for Tropical Cyclone Intensity Forecasts." Weather and Forecasting 36, no. 4:1453-1470. PNNL-SA-153486. doi:10.1175/WAF-D-20-0104.1

2020

  • Balaguru K., C. Patricola, S.M. Hagos, L. Leung, and L. Dong. 2020. "Enhanced predictability of Eastern North Pacific Tropical cyclone activity using the ENSO Longitude Index." Geophysical Research Letters 47, no. 16:Article No. e2020GL088849. PNNL-SA-153159. doi:10.1029/2020GL088849
  • Balaguru K., G.R. Foltz, L. Leung, J. Kaplan, W. Xu, N. Reul, and B. Chapron. 2020. "Pronounced Impact of Salinity on Rapidly Intensifying Tropical Cyclones." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 101, no. 9:E1497-E1511. PNNL-SA-141071. doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0303.1
  • Balaguru K., L. Leung, L. Van Roekel, J. Golaz, P. Ullrich, P.M. Caldwell, and S.M. Hagos, et al. 2020. "Characterizing Tropical Cyclones in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model version 1." Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems 12, no. 8:Article No. e2019MS002024. PNNL-SA-150203. doi:10.1029/2019MS002024
  • Hagos S.M., C. Zhang, L. Leung, O.A. Garuba, C.D. Burleyson, and K. Balaguru. 2020. "Impacts of insolation and soil moisture on the seasonality of interactions between the Madden-Julian Oscillation and Maritime Continent." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 125, no. 13:Article No. e2020JD032382. PNNL-SA-150515. doi:10.1029/2020JD032382

2019

  • Caldwell P.M., A. Mametjanov, Q. Tang, L. Van Roekel, J. Golaz, W. Lin, and D. Bader, et al. 2019. "The DOE E3SM Coupled Model Version 1: Description and Results at High Resolution." Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems 11, no. 12:4095- 4146. PNNL-SA-147364. doi:10.1029/2019MS001870
  • Fan K., X. Wang, G.R. Foltz, and K. Balaguru. 2019. "Meridional oscillation in genesis location of tropical cyclones in the postmonsoon Bay of Bengal." Climate Dynamics 53, no. 3-4:2103-2118. PNNL-SA-144628. doi:10.1007/s00382-019-04794-1
  • Hagos S.M., C. Zhang, L. Leung, C.D. Burleyson, and K. Balaguru. 2019. "A zonal migration of monsoon moisture flux convergence and the strength of Madden-Julian Oscillation Events." Geophysical Research Letters 46, no. 14:8554-8562. PNNL-SA-143132. doi:10.1029/2019GL083468
  • Hagos S.M., L. Leung, M. Ashfaq, and K. Balaguru. 2019. "South Asian Monsoon Precipitation in CMIP5: A link between Inter-model spread and the representations of Tropical Convection." Climate Dynamics 52, no. 1-2:1049-1061. PNNL-SA-122642. doi:10.1007/s00382-018-4177-4
  • Khangaonkar T.P., A. Nugraha, W. Xu, and K. Balaguru. 2019. "Salish Sea Response to Global Climate Change, Sea Level Rise, and Future Nutrient Loads." Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 124, no. 6:3876-3904. PNNL-SA-143747. doi:10.1029/2018JC014670

2018

  • Balaguru K., G. Foltz, L. Leung, S.M. Hagos, and D.R. Judi. 2018. "On the use of ocean dynamic temperature for hurricane intensity forecasting." Weather and Forecasting 33, no. 2:411-418. PNNL-SA-129386. doi:10.1175/WAF-D-17-0143.1
  • Balaguru K., G.R. Foltz, and L. Leung. 2018. "Increasing magnitude of hurricane rapid intensification in the central and eastern tropical Atlantic." Geophysical Research Letters 45, no. 9:4238-4247. PNNL-SA-133854. doi:10.1029/2018GL077597
  • Balaguru K., S. Doney, L. Bianucci, P.J. Rasch, L. Leung, J. Yoon, and I.D. Lima. 2018. "Linking deep convection and phytoplankton blooms in the northern Labrador Sea in a changing climate." PLoS One 13, no. 1:Article No. e0191509. PNNL-SA-131791. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0191509
  • Foltz G., K. Balaguru, and S.M. Hagos. 2018. "Interbasin Differences in the Relationship Between SST and Tropical Cyclone Intensification." Monthly Weather Review 146, no. 3:853-870. PNNL-SA-126415. doi:10.1175/MWR-D-17-0155.1
  • Kelly P.J., L. Leung, K. Balaguru, W. Xu, B. Mapes, and B.J. Soden. 2018. "Shape of Atlantic tropical cyclone tracks and the Indian monsoon." Geophysical Research Letters 45, no. 19:10746-10755. PNNL-SA-137428. doi:10.1029/2018GL080098

2016

  • Balaguru K., D.R. Judi, and L. Leung. 2016. "Future hurricane storm surge risk for the U.S. gulf and Florida coasts based on projections of thermodynamic potential intensity." Climatic Change 138, no. 1:99-110. PNNL-SA-114029. doi:10.1007/s10584-016-1728-8
  • Balaguru K., G.R. Foltz, L. Leung, and K. Emanuel. 2016. "Global warming-induced upper-ocean freshening and the intensification of super typhoons." Nature Communications 7. PNNL-SA-116242. doi:10.1038/ncomms13670
  • Balaguru K., L. Leung, J. Lu, and G.R. Foltz. 2016. "A meridional dipole in pre-monsoon Bay of Bengal tropical cyclone activity induced by ENSO." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 121, no. 12:6954-6968. PNNL-SA-113075. doi:10.1002/2016JD024936
  • Feng Z., L. Leung, S.M. Hagos, R.A. Houze, C.D. Burleyson, and K. Balaguru. 2016. "More frequent intense and long-lived storms dominate the springtime trend in central U.S. rainfall." Nature Communications 7. PNNL-SA-122022. doi:10.1038/ncomms13429
  • Foltz G.R., and K. Balaguru. 2016. "Prolonged El Niņo conditions in 2014-15 and the rapid intensification of Hurricane Patricia in the eastern Pacific." Geophysical Research Letters 43, no. 19:10,347-10,355. PNNL-SA-119082. doi:10.1002/2016GL070274

2015

  • Balaguru K., G.R. Foltz, L. Leung, E. D'Asaro, K.A. Emanuel, H. Liu, and S.E. Zedler. 2015. "Dynamic Potential Intensity: An improved representation of the ocean's impact on tropical cyclones." Geophysical Research Letters 42, no. 16:6739-6746. PNNL-SA-112691. doi:10.1002/2015GL064822
  • Foltz G.R., K. Balaguru, and L. Leung. 2015. "A Reassessment of the Integrated Impact of Tropical Cyclones on Surface Chlorophyll in the Western Subtropical North Atlantic." Geophysical Research Letters 42, no. 4:1158-1164. PNNL-SA-105538. doi:10.1002/2015GL063222

2014

  • Balaguru K., S. Taraphdar, L. Leung, and G.R. Foltz. 2014. "Increase in the Intensity of Postmonsoon Bay of Bengal Tropical Cyclones." Geophysical Research Letters 41, no. 10:3594-3601. PNNL-SA-101048. doi:10.1002/2014GL060197
  • Balaguru K., S. Taraphdar, L. Leung, G.R. Foltz, and J.A. Knaff. 2014. "Cyclone-cyclone Interactions through the Ocean Pathway." Geophysical Research Letters 41, no. 19:6855-6862. PNNL-SA-96628. doi:10.1002/2014GL061489

2012

  • Balaguru K., P. Chang, R. Saravanan, and C.J. Jang. 2012. "The Barrier Layer of the Atlantic Warmpool: Formation Mechanism and Influence on the Mean Climate." Tellus Series A. Dynamic Meteorology and Oceanography 64. PNNL-SA-82119. doi:10.3402/tellusa.v64i0.18162

Energy and Environment

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