About Me
I am Dr. Nakul Karle, an atmospheric research scientist specializing in planetary boundary layer dynamics, turbulence, air quality, and pollution transport. I currently work as an Assistant Research Scientist and Adjunct Lecturer at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where I conduct research on boundary layer dynamics and teach courses that inspire the next generation of environmental scientists.
Born and raised in Mumbai, India, I earned my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Physics from the University of Mumbai, followed by a Master’s in Computational Sciences and a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences and Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso.
​
My academic and professional journey bridges observational and computational approaches to atmospheric research, with a focus on understanding processes that influence air quality and boundary layer dynamics. I take pride in fostering educational environments that are inclusive, collaborative, and innovative, and mentoring students in atmospheric sciences.
Research
My research focuses on understanding atmospheric dynamics within the planetary boundary layer (PBL), with a particular emphasis on turbulence, air quality, and the transport of pollutants. I employ a combination of high-resolution observational data and advanced remote sensing techniques using instruments such as Raman lidar, Doppler lidar, and ceilometers.
​​
​​Key research areas include:
​​
-
Planetary Boundary Layer Dynamics: Characterizing turbulence within convective mixed layers through analysis of higher-order statistical moments, variance, skewness, kurtosis, and advanced autocovariance techniques.
​
-
Air Quality and Pollution Transportation: Investigating air quality dynamics, particularly ozone and PM2.5 speciation, using ground-based EPA measurements and remote sensing to assess pollution trends and develop mitigation strategies.
​
-
Wildfire Smoke Impact: Studying the transport and interaction of wildfire smoke plumes with urban air quality, specifically analyzing Canadian wildfire impacts on the Baltimore-Washington corridor.
​
-
Interdisciplinary Collaborations: Leading and participating in large-scale collaborative research initiatives such as JCRDP, involving joint efforts with NOAA and NCASM, and integrating observational, modeling, and social science research.
​My research is driven by a commitment to bridging scientific knowledge with practical applications, informing policies and strategies to address critical environmental health challenges.
Contact
Email: nakul.karle@howard.edu
​
Office Phone: +1(240)241-8000
Address: Howard University Beltsville Campus
7501 Muirkirk Rd Unit C, Beltsville, MD 20705