Visiting Associate Research Scientist

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• 2026-present: Visiting Associate Research Scientist, NOAA/NESDIS/STAR & ESSIC/UMD

• 2024-2026: SST and SSH Scientist  on OSTA2.0, NOAA/NESDIS/STAR & GST inc.

• 2018-2024: Assistant Research Scientist, NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI & ESSIC/UMD

• 2014-2018: Research Associate (Scientist), NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI & ESSIC/UMD

• 2010-2014: Postdoc, Visiting Scientist, NOAA/NESDIS/STAR & CSU/CIRA

• 2008-2010: Research Associate, Space Physics Laboratory, VSSC, ISRO

• 2003-2008: ISRO Research Fellow, Space Physics Laboratory, VSSC, ISRO

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

PhD (Physics)**, from Cochin University of Science and Technology (2009)

Thesis Title: Propagation of Microwaves in the Troposphere with Potential Application to GPS based Navigation and Meteorology with emphasis on Indian region

**Specialization: Microwave Propagation and GPS for water vapor estimation.

The work carried out at SPL, VSSC under ISRO research fellowship.

M.Sc. (Honors school)* Physics (2002)

B.Sc. (Honors school)* Physics (2000)

*M.Sc. and B.Sc. done at The Center of Advanced Studies of Physics, Panjab University,

Chandigarh, India.

RESEARCH INTEREST

• Microwave Satellite based Sea Surface Wind

• Sea Surface Temperature and SST anomaly retrieval

• Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) to enhance quality of Ocean Data

• Radiative Transfer in the Ocean/Land/Atmosphere

• Remote Sensing in Near/Thermal IR and Microwave channels

• Cal/Val/QC of Radiation Measurements

• Microwave propagation for GPS based navigation and meteorology

CURRENT PROJECT

• https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/marineocean-data/blended-global/blended-sea-winds

• Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) to enhance quality of Ocean Data

• https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/avhrr-pathfinder-sst 

PAST PROJECTS

Monitoring of IR Clear-Sky Radiances over Oceans for SST (MICROS) web page

(http://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/sod/sst/micros/ )

All Publications (Peer Reviewed):

Frech, J., Saha, K., Lavin, P. D., Zhang, H.-M., Reagan, J., and Fung, B.: A new gridded offshore wind profile product for US coasts using machine learning and satellite observations, Wind Energy Sci., 10, 1077–1099, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-1077-2025, 2025.

Saha, K., P. Dash, J. Frech, H. Zhang, P. DiGiacomo, and S. D. Miller, 2025: Trends in Satellite-Based Ocean Parameters through Integrated Time Series Decomposition and Spectral Analysis. Part II: NOAA/NCEI Blended Seawinds. J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 42, 281–294, https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-24-0008.1.

Dash, P., K. Saha, P. DiGiacomo, S. D. Miller, H. Zhang, R. Lazzaro, and S. Son, 2025: Trends in Satellite-Based Ocean Parameters through Integrated Time Series Decomposition and Spectral Analysis. Part I: Chlorophyll, Sea Surface Temperature, and Sea Level Anomaly. J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 42, 91–123, https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-24-0007.1.

Wang, Z.; Saha, Korak; Nyadjro, E.S.; Zhang, Y.; Huang, B.; Reagan, J. Oceanic Responses to the Winter Storm Outbreak of February 2021 in the Gulf of Mexico from In Situ and Satellite Observations. Remote Sens. 2023, 15, 2967. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15122967

Saha, Korak and Zhang H-M, Hurricane and Typhoon Storm Wind Resolving NOAA NCEI Blended Sea Surface Wind (NBS) Product. Front. Mar. Sci. 2022, 9:935549. doi:10.3389/fmars.2022.935549 

Korak Saha; Dash, P.; Zhopoao, X.; Zhang, H.-m. Error Estimation of Pathfinder Version 5.3 Level-3C SST Using Extended Triple Collocation Analysis. Remote Sens. 2020, 12, 590.

Zhao, X.; Liu, Y.; Yu, F.; Heidinger, A.K.; Saha, K. Climatology Perspective of Sensitive Regimes and Active Regions of Aerosol Indirect Effect for Cirrus Clouds over the Global Oceans. Remote Sens. 2020, 12, 823.

Moltmann Tim, Turton Jon, Zhang Huai-Min, Nolan Glenn, Gouldman Carl, Griesbauer Laura, Willis Zdenka, Piniella Ángel Muñiz, Barrell Sue, Andersson Erik, Gallage Champika, Charpentier Etienne, Belbeoch Mathieu, Poli Paul, Rea Anthony, Burger Eugene F., Legler David M., Lumpkin Rick, Meinig Christian, O’Brien Kevin, Saha Korak, Sutton Adrienne, Zhang Dongxiao, Zhang Yongsheng, “A Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), Delivered Through Enhanced Collaboration Across Regions, Communities, and New Technologies”, Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 291, 10.3389/fmars.2019.00291, 2019. 

Das S. K., S. S. Das, Korak Saha and coauthors, “Investigation of Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability in the boundary layer using Doppler Lidar and radiosonde data”, Atmospheric Research, 202, page 105-111, 2018.

Tinu Antony, Suresh Raju C., N. Mathew, Korak Saha, and K. Krishna Moorthy, "A detailed study of land surface microwave emissivity over the Indian sub-continent", IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 52(6), 10.1109/TGRS.2013.2274010, 2014.

XingMing Liang, A. Ignatov, and Korak Saha, "Monitoring AVHRR-MODIS-VIIRS radiometric consistency using MICROS online near-real time system", AIP Conf. Proc. 1531, pp. 228-231; doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4804748, 2013.

SC Raju, K Krishna Moorthy, R Ramachandran Pillai, KN Uma and Korak Saha, “Water vapour variability during Indian monsoon over Trivandrum observed using Microwave Radiometer and GPS”, 39th COSPAR Scientific Assembly 39, 1563, 2012.

Korak Saha, A. Ignatov, X. M. Liang, and P. Dash, "Selecting a first-guess sea surface temperature field as input to forward radiative transfer models", J. Geophys. Res., 117, C12001, doi:10.1029/2012JC008384, 2012.

Korak Saha, A. Ignatov, X. M. Liang, and P. Dash, "Selecting first-guess SST as input to ACSPO", OCEAN SENSING AND MONITORING IV, Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 8372, 

Korak Saha, C. Suresh Raju, and K. Parameswaran. “A New Hydrostatic Mapping Function for Tropospheric Delay Estimation”, Journal of Atmosphere and Solar Terrestrial Physics, 72, 125–134, doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2009.10.017, 2010

Korak Saha, Suresh Raju. C, Tinu Antony, and K. Krishna Moorthy, “Land-Surface Microwave Emissivity Map of Indian Region: Megha-Tropiques Perspective”, IEEE Applied Electromagnetics Conference AEMC, (https://doi.org/10.1109/AEMC.2009.5430572), 2009

Suresh Raju, Korak Saha, and K. Parameswaran. “Signature of atmospheric oscillations in GPS-measured tropospheric delay”, Journal of Atmosphere and Solar Terrestrial Physics, 71, 1784–1793, doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2009.06.011, 2009

Parameswaran, K., Korak Saha, and C. Suresh Raju. “Development of a regional tropospheric delay model for GPS-based navigation with emphasis to the Indian Region”, Radio Science, 43, RS4007, doi:10.1029/2007RS003782, 2008

Korak Saha, K. Parameswaran and C. Suresh Raju. “Tropospheric Delay in Microwave Propagation for Tropical Atmosphere Based on Upper Atmospheric Data From the Indian Subcontinent”, Journal of Atmosphere and Solar Terrestrial Physics, 69, 875-905, doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2007.02.003, 2007

Suresh Raju, Korak Saha, Bijoy V. Thampi and K. Parameswaran. “Empirical model for mean temperature for Indian zone and estimation of precipitable water vapor from ground based GPS measurements”, Annales Geophysicae., 25, 1935–1948, doi:10.5194/angeo-25-1935-2007, 2007.

Data Set published

Saha, Korak; Huai-Min, Z. Hurricane and Typhoon Storm Wind Resolving NOAA NCEI Blended Sea Surface Wind (NBS) Product. Frontiers in Marine Sciences – Ocean Observation 2022, 9, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.935549 

Saha, Korak; Zhao, Xuepeng; Zhang, Huai-min; Casey, Kenneth S.; Zhang, Dexin; Baker-Yeboah, Sheekela; Kilpatrick, Katherine A.; Evans, Robert H.; Ryan, Thomas; Relph, John M. (2018). AVHRR Pathfinder version 5.3 level 3 collated (L3C) global 4km sea surface temperature for 1981-Present. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.7289/v52j68xx.

Saha, Korak; Zhao, Xuepeng; Zhang, Huai-min; Casey, Kenneth S.; Zhang, Dexin; Zhang, Yongsheng; Baker-Yeboah, Sheekela; Relph, John M.; Krishnan, Ajay; Ryan, Thomas (2018). The Coral Reef Temperature Anomaly Database (CoRTAD) Version 6 - Global, 4 km Sea Surface Temperature and Related Thermal Stress Metrics for 1982 to 2017. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/ffw7-cs39.

Casey, Kenneth S.; Selig, Elizabeth R.; Zhang, Dexin; Saha, Korak; Krishnan, Ajay; McMichael, Elizabeth (2015). The Coral Reef Temperature Anomaly Database (CoRTAD) Version 5 - Global, 4 km Sea Surface Temperature and Related Thermal Stress Metrics for 1982-2012 (NCEI Accession 0126774). Version 1.1. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.7289/v5cz3545.

Book published

"Propagation of Microwaves in the Troposphere: Potential Application to GPS Based Navigation and Meteorology", Korak Saha, LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing (2011-09-08), ISBN #978-3-8465-0091-0

Awards/Recognition:

• NCEI Employee Awards for CISESS Scientists (2020, 2022)

• NOAA/NCEI Innovates award 2021

• Certificate of recognition for scientific contribution to the Suomi-NPP JPSS mission - 2012

Mentorship:

• Mentoring a UMD undergrad student under the ESSIS Summer Internship Program (2023).

• Hands-on mentoring of a NOAA Lapenta Student Intern (2022).

• Advising for the Offshore Wind Project (for a Master’s Student).

Work in Public Interest:

• Science Desk Article for Web-based News Portal: Why tropical cyclones are rising over Arabian Sea, shrinking marginally in Bay of Bengal

• Mentoring Local Robotics Clubs for Elementary and Middle School Kids