Ross Bannister
My current work interests lie mainly in the area of inverse problems, applied to meteorological science. Data assimilation is a powerful means of solving the inverse problem in meteorology. This is the process of combining diverse observations of the real-world - with models - to help infer useful and quantitative knowledge about the atmosphere. I work with a variety of data assimilation techniques, especially variational methods.
Education and employment
- Studied A-level physics, mathematics and computer science.
- Studied physics at Univ. of Surrey, Guildford.
- Research student in theoretical condensed matter physics at Univ. of Warwick in Coventry. Thesis title "Spectral Properties of the Hubbard Model for Low Dimensional Finite Systems".
- Start at Univ. of Reading as a postdoctoral researcher in Meteorology in the Centre for Global Atmosphere Modelling. Start by comparing climate runs from general circulation models and then go on to investigate modelled water vapour processes in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere.
- Move to the Data Assimilation Research Centre (DARC) to work on anything 'data assimilation'.
- DARC is incorporated into the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO). The main focus of my work at present is the representation of forecast errors.
- Become a 'senior research fellow'.
Interests, hobbies, likes, dislikes, ...
- Interests: computing, applied physics, computational physics, amateur astronomy, cycling/running, DIY/woodworking, environmental issues, animal welfare, daydreaming (aka deep thought!).
- Likes: favourite animal - dog; favourite town - Kenilworth (Warwickshire); favourite music - The Noisettes, KT Turnstall, Keane; favourite TV presenters - Alice Roberts, Jim Al-Khalili; favourite veg - brussel sprouts; favourite TV programme - QI; favourite fruit - Cox's apples.
- Dislikes: people who publish their likes and dislikes, unnecessary use of cars, capital punishment, unethical business, sport on TV, soaps, fireworks, TV talent contests, work travel, Christmas shopping, spicy foods, seafood, and (most of all) suffering with OCD.
Photos
My first dog, Jasper - a collie cross dog.
My second dog, Darcy - a grehound bitch.
One of my favourite pastel pictures painted by my father (I think that the scene is in Hungerford).
