Post Doc Experience : Project Scientist, National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF),MoES, Govt. of India, Noida-62, U.P, India.

Ph. D. : 2014, Physics, "Land surface processes on Indian Summer Monsoon Variability", Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, A.P, India.

M.Tech : 2009, Atmospheric Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala, India.

M.Sc. : 2006, Physics, Calicut University, Kerala, India.

B.Sc. : 2004, Physics, Calicut University, Kerala, India.

• 2024 - Present Scientist D, Atmospheric Science Group, National Centre for Earth Science Studies.
• 2023 - 2024 Visiting Scientist, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, USA.
• 2020 - 2024 Scientist C, Atmospheric Science Group, National Centre for Earth Science Studies.
• 2016 - 2020 Scientist B, Atmospheric Science Group, National Centre for Earth Science Studies.
• 2013 - 2016 Project Scientist C, National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), MoES, Govt. of India, Noida-62, U.P, India.
• 2009 - 2013 Research fellow, National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL), ISRO, Dept. of Space, Govt. of India, Gadanki, A.P, India.

• Atmospheric Physics, Weather and Climate, Land-atmosphere coupling, Lightning and Convective storms.

1. SIRE SERB International Research Experience (SIRE) fellowship (2023).
2. NSF American Meteorological Society's annual meeting travel grant (2024).
3. WMO WCRP research travel grant (2013).
4. Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Climate Centre (South Korea) travel grant (2012).
5. Received ISRO Junior Research Fellowship (NARL) [2009-2011].
6. Received ISRO Senior Research Fellowship(NARL) [2011-2013].
7. PhD Guideship: Kerala University (Physics) & CUSAT (Atmospheric Sciences).

• Title:Dynamics of thunderstorms and lightning.(Ongoing)

• SERB SIRE visiting program-2023, February 2024.

1. Associate: Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) (Since 2012).
2. Member: European Geosciences Union (2020).
3. Member: American Meteorological Society (2022).
4. Member: American Geophysical Union (2023).
5. Member: Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (2019).
6. Member: AsiaFlux (Since 2015).
7. Member: Indian Meteorological Society (2017).
8. Member: Indian Science Congress Association (2017).
9. Member: Indian Society of Remote Sensing (2017).

1. Participated in a one-month Sagar Kanya Ship Research Cruise (SK362) in 2019 for atmospheric studies.
2. Attended airborne research campaign with UK Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements(FAAM) aircraft, 6-10 July 2016, Lucknow, India.
3. Involved in the MST RADAR operations and research campaigns in the National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL), Dept. of Space, India (2009-2013).
4. Involved in the NWP weather forecasting and validationcampaigns to support ISRO rocket launchesas part of the WCRG group activities in the National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL), Dept. of Space, India (2009-2013).

1. TAAC High Performance Computing (HPC) workshop on parallel computing, February 2024.
2. NOAA workshop on leveraging AI for Environmental Sciences, September 2023.
3. Texas Advanced Computing Center (TAAC) AI/ML training, November 2023.
4. NASA GPM Mentorship Program, March 2024.
5. ICCP short course on dual-polarization radar and cloud microphysical processes on August 07, 2021.
6. Training on Fog Monitor installation and maintenance by DMT, 13-14, November 2020, Munnar.
7. International Workshop on Cloud Dynamics, Micro physics and Small-Scale Simulation, 13-17 August 2018, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, India.
8. Special lecture series on cloud convection and parameterization by Prof. Chrstian Jacob, Monash University, Australia, 11-14 December 2017 at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.
9. SPIE Asia-Pacific Remote sensing pre-symposium tutorials. 2 - 3 April 2016, New Delhi.
10. APEC Climate Centre Training program 2012, 19-30 November 2012, APCC, Busan, South Korea.
11. WMO 6th International Verification Methods Workshop, 17-19 March, 2014, MoES, New Delhi.
12. ICTS (TIFR) International program on Dynamical modeling, 18-23 Feb. 2013, NARL, Department of Space, ISRO, Gadanki, AP.
13. Special course on Satellite Observations and Products for Agro Meteorological Applications, 01- 05 Dec. 2014, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), ISRO, Dehradun, India.
14. Training course on Dynamic data assimilation: methods and algorithms, 23 July-3 August, 2012, NCMRWF, Govt. of India, Noida, India.

1. NRSC-organized National Brainstorming Meeting on Bharath Flux 24 June 2024, Hyderabad.
2. University of Texas and City Partnership One Day workshop 05 September 2023, USA.
3. Urban National Workshop at Texas A&M University, USA, October 2023.
4. University of Texas (UT)-Portugal workshop November 2023.
5. Jackson School of Geosciences (JSG) Annual Symposium (UT) February 2023.
6. Planet Texas 2050 Symposium Austin, USA, 27, February 2024.
7. India International Science Festival 2020.
8. NARL BrainStorm Meeting 18-19 December 2018, Tirupati, India.
9. American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting 2024, Baltimore, USA.
10. American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting 2023, San Francisco, USA.
11. Asia Oceania Geosciences Society Meeting 2019, Singapore.
12. WMO-WCRP International workshop, 13-16 May 2013, Meteo France, Toulouse, France.

1. Judge for awards: AGU Annual Meeting 2023 for PhD student poster awards.
2. Judge for research awards: Annual Symposium organized by Jackson School of Geosciences University of Texas 2024, USA.

1. Member: Scientific/technical committees for instrument (Eddy Covariance) at National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (2022), ISRO, Gadanki, AP.
2. Member: Technical Evaluation Committee 50 m met tower (2023), National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (2023), ISRO, Gadanki, AP.
3. Member: Scientific/technical committees for instrument (Ceilometer) at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), 2021, Tirupati.

1. JGR, GRL, Climate Dynamics, Science of the Total Environment, Atmospheric Research, Natural Hazards, Earth and Space Science, JESS, Solar and Terrestrial Physics, Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Pure and Applied Geophysics, Journal of Atmospheric Sciences (AMS), Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Advances in Space Research, etc.

1. Unnikrishnan, C.K., Malavika, G.R., Shukla, A.K. et al. (2024).Analysis of tropical cloud-to-ground and intra-cloud lightning activity in southern India. J Earth Syst Sci 133, 237.
2. EA Resmi, B Preethi, RS Ajayamohan, Pallav Ray, C.K. Unnikrishnan, S Nita, RK Sumesh, J Dharmadas (2023) Analysis of localized features during wet and dry rainfall episodes over southern tip of India, International Journal of Climatology, 1-18.
3. Jash D, Resmi EA, C.K. Unnikrishnan., Sumesh RK, Kumar S, Sukumar N. (2022) Analysis of Pre-Monsoon Convective Systems over a Tropical Coastal Region Using C-Band Polarimetric Radar, Satellite and Numerical Simulation. Atmosphere. 2022; 13(9):1349.
4. Sumit K, RK Sumesh, EA Resmi, Dharmadas Jash, C.K. Unnikrishnan, Anusha Andrews, Nita Sukumar (2022) Raindrop size distribution of stratiform precipitation over Southwest India-The Gateway of Indian Summer Monsoon, Atmospheric Research, 272, 1-16.
5. C.K. Unnikrishnan, S Pawar, V Gopalakrishnan (2021) Satellite-observed lightning hotspots in India and lightning variability over tropical South India, Advances in Space Research, 1-16.
6. RK Sumesh, EA Resmi, C.K. Unnikrishnan, Dharmadas Jash, and KK Ramachandran (2021) Signatures of Shallow and Deep Clouds Inferred from Precipitation Microphysics Over Windward Side of Western Ghats, JGR Atmosphere, 1-31.
7. Seela, Balaji K., Jayalakshmi Janapati, C.K. Unnikrishnan, Pay-Liam Lin, Jui Le Loh, Wei-Yu Chang, Utpal Kumar, K. K. Reddy, Dong-In Lee, and Mannem Venkatrami Reddy (2021), Raindrop Size Distributions of North Indian Ocean Tropical Cyclones Observed at the Coastal and Inland Stations in South India. Remote Sensing 13, no. 16: 3178.
8. Jayalakshmi, J., B. K. Seela, P.L. Lin, P.K. Wang, C.H. Tseng, K. K. Reddy, H. Hashiguchi, L. Feng, S. K. Das, and C.K. Unnikrishnan (2020) Raindrop size distribution characteristics of Indian and Pacific Ocean tropical cyclones observed at India and Taiwan sites. Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan, Vol.98, pp: 1-21.
9. R.K.Sumesh, E.A.Resmi, C.K. Unnikrishnan, DharmadasJash, T.S.Sreekanth, M.C. ResmiMol, K.Rajeevan, S.Nita, K.K.Ramachandran, (2019) Microphysical aspects of tropical rainfall during Bright Band events at mid and high-altitude regions over Southern Western Ghats, India , Atmospheric Research, Volume 227, ,178-197.
10. D. Jash, EA Resmi, C.K. Unnikrishnan, RK Sumesh, et al., (2019) Variation in rain drop size distribution and rain integral parameters during southwest monsoon over a tropical station: An inter-comparison of disdrometer and Micro Rain Radar, Atmospheric Research, Vol.217, 24-36.
11. Anoop T.R., C.K. Unnikrishnan, Karumuri Ashok, K.K. Ramachandran and T.N. Prakash (2019) South Asian subtropical low-level jet: influence on the regional hydrology and aerosol optical depth, Current Science, September Vol.117, 1-8.
12. C. K. Unnikrishnan and M. Rajeevan(2018) Atmospheric water budget over the South Asian summer monsoon region, Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics, 1-16 .
13. K Rajeevan, R. K. Sumesh, Resmi E A, C.K. Unnikrishnan (2018) An observational study on the variation of black carbon aerosol and source identification over a tropical station in south India, Atmospheric Pollution Research, 1-15.
14. Sumesh R. K, Rajeevan E.A, Resmi, C. K. Unnikrishnan (2017) Particulate Matter Concentrations in the Southern Tip of India: Temporal Variation, Meteorological Influences, and Source Identification, Earth Systems and Environment, 1-13.
15. C.K. Unnikrishnan, BiswadipGharai, Saji Mohandas, Ashu Mamgain, E.N. Rajagopal, G. R. Iyengar and P. V. N Rao (2016) Recent changes on land use/land cover over Indian region and its impact on the weather prediction using Unified model, Atmospheric Science Letters, Vol 17, 4., pp 294-300.
16. C.K. Unnikrishnan, Abhishek Lodh , Devesh Maurya, Swapan Mallick, John P. George, EN Rajagopal and Saji Mohandas (2016) Comparison of two high resolution gridded soil moisture products over India, Journal of Earth System Sciences, Vol.125, 5, pp 935-944.
17. C.K. Unnikrishnan, Ashu M, , E.N Rajagopal (2016) Recent land-use land-cover changes and their impact on the evolution and structure of thunderstorms in New Delhi, Proc. SPIE (Remote Sensing and Modeling of the Atmosphere, Oceans, and Interactions VI),Vol. 9882, doi:10.1117/12.2223602, pp 1-6.
18. C.K. Unnikrishnan, M Rajeevan and S Vijaya Bhaskara Rao (2016) Impact of high resolution land surface initialization in Indian monsoon simulation using a regional climate model, Journal of Earth System Science, Vol.125, 4, pp 677-689.
19. C.K. Unnikrishnan, M Rajeevan and SVB Rao (2015) A study on the role of land-atmosphere coupling on the south Asian monsoon climate variability using a regional climate model, Theoretical and Applied Climatology , 1-16, doi: 10.1007/s00704-015-1680-y.
20. C.K. Unnikrishnan, M Rajeevan, S Vijaya Bhaskara Rao and Manoj Kumar, (2013) Development of a High Resolution Land Surface Data set for the South Asian monsoon region, Current Science, Vol 105, 9, pp 1235-1246.
21. M. Rajeevan, P. Rohini, K. Niranjan Kumar, J. Srinivasan and C.K. Unnikrishnan (2013) A study of vertical cloud structure of the Indian summer monsoon using CloudSat data, Climate Dynamics, Volume 40, Issue 3-4, pp 637-650.
22. M Rajeevan, C.K. Unnikrishnan and Preeti Bhaskar (2012) Evaluation of the ENSEMBLES multimodel seasonal forecasts of Indian summer monsoon variability, Climate Dynamics, Volume 38 1112, 2257-2274.
23. M. Rajeevan, C.K. Unnikrishnan, Jyoti Bhate, K. Niranjan Kumar and P. P. Sreekala (2012) Northeast Monsoon over India: Variability and Prediction, Meteorological Applications, 19, 226- 236, doi: 10.1002/met.1322.
24. Jyoti Bhate, C.K. Unnikrishnan and M. Rajeevan (2012) Regional Climate simulation of the 2009 Indian summer monsoon, Indian Journal of Radio and Space Physics (ISSN: 0367-8393), Vol. 41, Aug 2012, 488-500.

• Northeast Monsoon of South Asia: Meteorological Monograph, Authors: Rajeevan, M., Mohapatra, M., Unnikrishnan, C. K., Geetha, B., et al., 2022. India Meteorological Department, New Delhi, Issue No. MoES/IMD/Synoptic Met/02(2022)/27,1-224.
• Unnikrishnan C.K. and E. N. Rajagopal, NCMRWF Internal Technical Report, 2016: Documentation of the Land Surface Scheme in NCMRWF Unified Model, NMRF/TR/11/2016, pp 1-45.
• M Rajeevan, Amit Kesarkar, Jyoti Bhate, Unnikrishnan C.K., and M.Venkatratnam, 2010: Skill of short-range forecasts for vertical profile of winds over the SHAR region: A brief report, National Atmospheric Research Laboratory, Dept. of Space, Gadanki, Research Report No NARL/WCRG/1/2010.
• M. Rajeevan, Amit Kesarkar, Jyoti Bhate, Unnikrishnan C.K., Madhu Latha, and Sreeram Mahesh, 2009: Development of a Real Time Short-range Weather Forecasting System and its Verification during the 2009 Southwest Monsoon Season, WCRG report, National Atmospheric Research Laboratory, Dept. of Space, and Research Report No. NARL/WCRG/2/2009.

1. Unnikrishnan CK :"Emerging trends and changes on convective weather systems" at National Seminar on 18 February 2025 at Calicut University, Kerala (Invited Talk).
2. Abhinav Kumar Shukla and Unnikrishnan CK : 'Spatial and temporal dynamics of cloud-to-ground and intra-cloud lightning in southern India at 37th Kerala Science Congress, 2025 (Received Best Paper Award).
3. Malavika G R*, Unnikrishnan CK : "Tropical Cloud to Ground and Intra-Cloud Lightning Activity in a lightning hotspot" National Conference on Women in Geosciences: Opportunities, Challenges and Accomplishments, National Conference Geosciences 2024.
4. Unnikrishnan C.K., Malavika G R, Mobin Raj VC, V Gopalakrishnan, Sunil Pawar, Anusha Andrews: A Study on Deep Neural Networks model for lightning forecasting in the Tropical South Asian Region, AGU Annual Meeting 2023, Los Angeles, California, USA..
5. Unnikrishnan C.K., M Rajeevan, Changes in North East Monsoon over South Asia, 104th AMS Annual Meeting - 37th Conference on Climate Variability and Change, January 2024, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
6. Unnikrishnan CK : Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM) KSCSTE training on "Lightning and Thunderstorms in Kerala " 27 January 2023. (Invited Talk).
7. Unnikrishnan CK : National symposium on WMO day 23 March 2023 about lightning hotspots in India.
8. Unnikrishnan CK : "A study on lightning activity in south India using satellite and ground observations at International Symposium on Tropical Meteorology (INTROMET2021) conference during 23-26 November 2021.
9. Unnikrishnan CK : A study on cloud cover in reanalysis datasets in tropical south India, European Geosciences Union (EGU) Annual Meeting 2020 .
10. Unnikrishnan CK : On observational aspects of a tropical extreme rainfall event, Asia Oceania Geosciences Society Meeting 2019, Singapore.
11. Unnikrishnan CK : Cloud cover and Cloud base height in the south west coast and Western Ghats. International Symposium on Tropical Meteorology- 2017, ISRO, Ahmadabad, India .
12. Unnikrishnan CK: "The relationship between Sea Surface Temperature and Surface Latent-Sensible heat flux in Central India, OSICON-2017 .
13. Unnikrishnan CK: Climate change and Ozone protection" in VHSS Vithura Kerala on 23 September 2017. (Invited Talk).