PhD Student · Purdue University
Kumar Bajagain
Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Quantifying permafrost degradation and climate feedbacks
using process-based modeling and satellite data.
PhD Student · Purdue University
Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Quantifying permafrost degradation and climate feedbacks
using process-based modeling and satellite data.
I am a PhD student in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at Purdue University, supervised by Prof. Qianlai Zhuang.
I received my B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Physics from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, where my earlier research focused on designing lightweight and low-cost meteorological sensors. My academic background in physics shaped my interest in environmental measurement, climate systems, and computational modeling.
I am currently working on permafrost degradation, thermokarst dynamics, soil thermal modeling, and Earth system modeling. My research focuses on understanding how climate warming affects frozen ground, soil temperature, water balance, carbon cycling, and feedbacks to the climate system.
Beyond research, I am also interested in technology, scientific computing, data processing, web development, and community engagement.
My research focuses on quantifying thermokarst and permafrost degradation and their impacts on water and carbon feedbacks to the climate system. I use process-based modeling approaches, especially LPJ-STM within the LPJ-DGVM framework, to simulate soil temperature, freeze–thaw dynamics, active layer depth, and long-term permafrost change.
A major part of my work involves comparing model outputs with observational datasets and satellite-derived freeze–thaw products. I work with climate datasets such as ERA5 and satellite products from NSIDC to evaluate model performance and better understand freeze–thaw processes across Arctic and high-latitude landscapes.
My research connects soil physics, climate data, remote sensing, and ecosystem modeling to study how permafrost landscapes are responding to a warming climate.
Using LPJ-STM to simulate soil thermal dynamics, freeze–thaw conditions, active layer depth, and permafrost degradation across Alaska and other high-latitude regions.
Quantifying thermokarst and permafrost degradation and studying how these processes affect water balance, carbon cycling, ecosystem change, and climate feedbacks.
Processing long-term ERA5 climate data for model forcing — temperature, cloud cover, wind speed, precipitation, humidity, and other derived climate variables.
Comparing LPJ-STM simulated freeze–thaw states with NSIDC satellite products to evaluate model performance and understand spatial patterns of frozen ground.
Designing lightweight and low-cost meteorological sensors during B.Sc. and M.Sc. studies in Physics at Tribhuvan University, Nepal.
Evaluating model outputs against ground-based soil temperature observations from permafrost monitoring sites in Alaska, including Fairbanks-area and Arctic field sites.
PhD Student — Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
Advisor: Prof. Qianlai Zhuang. Research focus: thermokarst and permafrost degradation, water and carbon feedbacks, Earth system modeling, freeze–thaw dynamics.
M.Sc. in Physics
Central Department of Physics, Kathmandu, Nepal
Thesis: Designed and tested a boundary layer meteorological field sensing module; validated data with ground station measurements. Documented technical specifications, calibration methods, and sensor performance.
B.Sc. in Physics
Patan Multiple Campus, Lalitpur, Nepal
Project: Analyzed seasonal and monthly variations of global solar radiation, temperature, humidity, and rainfall in Pokhara using CMP6 Pyranometer data.
Selected publications, posters, presentations, and research outputs will be added here.
Coming soon.
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My CV includes academic background, research experience, technical skills, teaching experience, projects, and selected research activities.
Graduate Research Student
National Atmospheric Resource and Environmental Research Laboratory (NARERL), Central Department of Physics, Kathmandu, Nepal
Supported research activities by assisting with data collection and analysis in atmospheric studies under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Ram Prasad Regmi.
Boundary Layer Meteorological Sensing Module
Central Department of Physics, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
Designed and tested a lightweight, low-cost boundary layer meteorological field sensing module. Validated sensor data with ground station measurements and documented technical specifications, calibration methods, and sensor performance.
Solar Radiation & Climate Analysis — Pokhara, Nepal
Patan Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Nepal
Analyzed seasonal and monthly variations of global solar radiation, temperature, humidity, and rainfall in Pokhara using CMP6 Pyranometer data.
Student Coordinator — Volunteering
South Asian Meteorological Association
Coordinated educational programs and outreach activities, enhancing awareness and participation among students. Assisted in drafting meeting minutes and managing communications for regional meetings. Recognized with the SAMA Student Champion Award 2023–2024 for outstanding contributions.
Kathmandu, Nepal · Sponsored by NASA, SCOSTEP/PRESTO, COSPAR
Participated in an intensive one-week training on space weather science.
Virtual Short Course · American Meteorological Society
Completed a virtual short course on understanding and monitoring El Niño–Southern Oscillation and its global weather impacts.
Online Workshop · ICTP, Italy
Completed an online workshop on ML techniques optimized for low-power devices, exploring applications and advanced topics.
Kathmandu, Nepal · ICTP, Italy
Attended a specialized program focused on high-performance computing, parallel programming, and parallel architecture.
Online · SAMA & Birla Institute of Technology
Participated in an open classroom series focused on satellite meteorology jointly organized by SAMA and BIT.
Online · SXPC, Nepal
Completed a 5-day online course covering fundamental concepts, principles, and applications of quantum computing.
Honored as the SAMA Student Champion by the South Asian Meteorological Association in recognition of outstanding contributions to SAMA activities and student outreach.
Research notes, technical posts, and academic updates.
Notes on working with ERA5 reanalysis data for model forcing in permafrost simulations.
ERA5 · Python · PermafrostA practical guide to setting up and running LPJ-STM for permafrost research.
LPJ-STM · ModelingMethods and approaches for comparing NSIDC satellite products with LPJ-STM outputs.
NSIDC · ValidationOverview of thermokarst processes and their importance in the Arctic system.
Thermokarst · ArcticPhotos from academic life, Purdue, research, conferences, and community work.
Gallery photos will be added here.
Open to research collaboration, academic discussion, and opportunities in permafrost modeling, climate data analysis, and Earth system modeling.