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#118 Davis Hall
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| Photographing a severe storm along the NE-SD border on 10 June 2007. | Research illustrating the relative frequency of fatal tornado events. | ||
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Assistant Professor, Meteorology Program, Department of Geography, Northern Illinois University Forensic Meteorologist, Storm Forensics.com |
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I am an atmospheric scientist and physical geographer with interests in natural hazards and
societal interactions, severe storms, synoptic and mesoscale meteorology, applied meteorology/climatology, hydroclimatic
variability, and the application of geographic
information systems in meteorology.
In the past, my research focused on the examination of mesoscale weather phenomena, namely organized thunderstorm complexes known as mesoscale convective systems. I have investigated the climatology and hazards of widespread and long-lived windstorms known as derechos, the rainfall patterns of convective complexes in the U.S., the climatology and hazards associated with tornado path orientations, the importance of increasing population and suburban sprawl on tornado vulnerability, and the geographies of tornado, convective and nonconvective wind, flood, and lightning fatalities in the U.S. Currently, I am examining: 1) the casualty distributions associated with a number of weather-related hazards, 2) the storm morphology of hazardous convective events, and 3) urban influences on convection in the Southeast U.S. |
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Courses I teach or have taught at NIU: (next time I'll teach course) |
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GEOG 105 - Introduction to the Atmosphere MET 300 - Meteorology (fall '10) GEOG 306 - Severe and Hazardous Weather (summer and fall '10) MET 320 - Synoptic Meteorology GEOG 406/506 - Natural Hazards and Environmental Risk (fall '11) MET 444/544 - Mesoscale Meteorology (spring '11) GEOG 498/600 - Seminar in Meteorology/Climatology ESAS 1800 – Introduction to Thunderstorm Lab (COD's Experiential Course on Storm Chasing; May-June '10) |
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| Journal Publications: | |||
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Schoen, J., and W. S. Ashley: A climatology of fatal convective wind events by storm type. Weather and Forecasting [submitted]. Black, A. W., and W. S. Ashley, 2010: Nontornadic convective wind fatalities in the United States. Natural Hazards, DOI: 10.1007/s11069-009-9472-2 [in press]. Gensini, V. A., and W. S. Ashley, 2010: An examination of rip current fatalities in the United States. Natural Hazards, DOI: 10.1007/s11069-009-9458-0 [in press]. Bentley, M. L., W. S. Ashley, and J. A. Stallins,
2010: Climatological
radar delineation of urban convection for Atlanta, Georgia.
International Journal of Climatology, DOI: 10.1002/joc.2021 [in
press]. Ashley, W. S., and C. W. Gilson, 2009: A reassessment of U.S. lightning mortality. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 90, 1501–1518. Hall, S. G., and W. S. Ashley, 2008: The effects of urban sprawl on the vulnerability to a significant tornado impact in northeastern Illinois. Natural Hazards Review, 9, 209-219. Ashley, W. S., A. J. Krmenec, and R. Schwantes, 2008: Vulnerability due to nocturnal tornadoes. Weather and Forecasting, 23, 795-807. Ashley, S.T., and W. S. Ashley, 2008: Flood fatalities in the United States. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 47, 805-818. Ashley, S. T., and W. S. Ashley, 2008: The storm morphology of deadly flooding events in the United States. International Journal of Climatology, 28, 493-503. Ashley, W. S., and A. W. Black, 2008: Fatalities associated with nonconvective high-wind events in the United States. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 47, 717-725. Ashley, W. S., 2007: Spatial and temporal analysis of tornado fatalities in the United States: 1880-2005. Weather and Forecasting, 22, 1214-1228. Ashley, W. S, T. L. Mote, and M. L. Bentley, 2007: An extensive episode of derecho-producing convective systems in the United States during May-June 1998: A multi-scale analysis and review. Meteorological Applications, 14, 227-244. Suckling, P. W., and W. S. Ashley, 2006: Spatial and temporal characteristics of tornado path direction. The Professional Geographer, 58, 20-38. Ashley, W. S., T. L. Mote, and M. L. Bentley, 2005: On the episodic nature of derecho-producing convective systems in the United States. International Journal of Climatology, 25, 1915-1932. Ashley, W. S., and T. L. Mote, 2005: Derecho hazards in the United States. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 86, 1577-1592. Ashley, W. S., T. L. Mote, P. G. Dixon, S. L. Trotter, J. D. Durkee, E. J. Powell, and A. J. Grundstein, 2003: Distribution of mesoscale convective complex rainfall in the United States. Monthly Weather Review, 131, 3003-3017. |
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| Funded Grants: | |||
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National Science Foundation, Geography & Regional Science Program and Physical & Dynamic Meteorology Program, Climatological and Event-based Radar Delineation of UHI Convection for Urban Corridors within the Southeastern U.S., co-PI with M. L. Bentley (NIU) and J. A. Stallins (FSU), 2007-2010. NIU Undergraduate Research and Apprenticeship Program. Storm and Lightning Activity in Georgia, 1997-2006. Fall 2009-Spring 2010, co-PI with M. L. Bentley. NIU Undergraduate Research and Apprenticeship Program. Contribution of Severe Weather 'Outbreak' Events to the Overall U.S. Hazard Climatology. Fall 2008-Spring 2009. NIU Research and Artistry Grant. Lightning Fatalities in the United States: An Assessment of Risks and Vulnerabilities. Summer 2008. NIU Undergraduate Research and Apprenticeship Program. The Development of an Annotated Bibliography of the Climatology of Severe Weather. Fall 2007-Spring 2008, co-PI with M. L. Bentley. NIU Undergraduate Research and Apprenticeship Program. Spatial Analysis of Weather-related Fatalities in the U.S. Fall 2007-Spring 2008, co-PI with M. L. Bentley. NIU Undergraduate Research and Apprenticeship Program. Spatial and Temporal Analysis of U.S. Tornado Casualties. Fall 2006-Spring 2007. NIU Research and Artistry Grant. Windstorm-induced Casualties in the United States: 1960-2005. Summer 2006. NIU Undergraduate Research and Apprenticeship Program. Windstorm-induced Casualties in the United States: 1960-2005. Spring 2006. |
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| Graduate Students: | |||
| Advisor/Major Professor:
Soren Hall, M.S., 2006 (Regulatory Specialist, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers); Alan Black, M.S., 2008 (Service Climatologist, Midwestern
Regional Climate Center); Monica Zappa, M.S., 2009 (Ph.D. student and
Research Assistant, University of Oklahoma; co-advisor w/
Dr. Blue); Chris Gilson,
M.S., 2009; Joe Schoen, M.S., 2009 (Geneva High School, IL); Jeremy
Spencer, M.S., 2009 (Ph.D. student and Teaching Assistant, Kent State
University); Marius Paulikas, M.S., 2009; Victor Gensini, M.S. student; Committee Member: Lauren Lee, M.S., 2006 (GIS Analyst, Carroll County, IL); Dustin Oltman, M.S., 2007 (Risk Analyst, Aon Benfield); Ryan Coomer, M.S. student; Chutima Subpoon, M.S. student; Tom Walsh, M.S. student |
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| Education: | |||
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Ph.D. in Geography, 2005, University of Georgia, Athens, GA M.S. in Geosciences (Meteorology/Climatology Specialization), 2000, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE B.S. in Geography, 1997, University of Georgia, Athens, GA A.S., 1995, Young Harris College, Young Harris, GA |
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My Blog - NIU Met Blog - Links - Mobile - Archived Data Resources - DeKalb Weather Data |
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What is a chubasco? A violent squall with thunder and lightning, encountered during the rainy season along the west coast of Central America. |
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Page last updated January 15, 2010. |
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