Research Interests
- Earth observation application
- Tropical cyclone–ocean interaction
- Scientific leadership and communication
Eric Peinó, Ph.D.
Research Associate (National Research Council /NRC), Physical Oceanography Division
4301 Rickenbacker Causeway
Miami, Florida 33149
“What motivates my work is the challenge of extracting physical understanding from satellite observations to better anticipate high-impact extreme events and reduce societal risk.”
Dr. Eric Peinó is a meteorologist specializing in precipitation remote sensing, with expertise in satellite-based and ground-based observations of high-impact weather. He is an NRC Research Associate (2025) at NOAA’s AOML, working under the supervision of Dr. Gregory Foltz and Dr. Jun Zhang. His research focuses on understanding how upper-ocean conditions modulate precipitation in tropical cyclones, with particular emphasis on integrating Earth observation datasets to improve the characterization of rainfall processes and their societal impacts. A central theme of Dr. Peinó’s work is tropical cyclone–induced precipitation. Using a high-resolution, data-driven framework, his research leverages satellite missions and in situ ocean observations to investigate how upper-ocean thermal structure influences TCP, including its diurnal variability and links to storm intensification. His methodology combines composite analysis, AI-based clustering techniques, and probabilistic modeling to classify tropical cyclones according to oceanic conditions and rainfall intensity. Ultimately, his work aims to support the transition of Earth observation–based research to applications that enhance tropical cyclone monitoring, forecasting, and disaster preparedness, while highlighting the essential role of sustained ocean observing systems in improving Earth system prediction. Dr. Peinó is also a volunteer member of the AGU Precipitation Technical Committee, serving on its Students and Early Career
Scientists (ECSprecip) subcommittee.
2025, Ph.D. Physics, University of Barcelona, Spain
2020, Master in Geophysics and Meteorology, University of Granada, Spain
2018, Bachelor of Meteorology (BAC+5), University of Havana, Cuba
Peinó, E., Petracca, M., Polls, F., Udina, M., & Bech, J. (2025). Intercomparison of H SAF and IMERG heavy rainfall retrievals over a Mediterranean coastal region. Atmospheric Research, 108311. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2025.108311
Peino, E.; Bech, J.; Polls, F.; Udina, M.; Petracca, M.; Adirosi, E.; Gonzalez, S.; Boudevillain, B. Validation of GPM DPR Rainfall and Drop Size Distributions Using Disdrometer Observations in the Western Mediterranean. Remote Sens. 2024, 16, 2594. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16142594
Peino, E.; Bech, J.; Udina, M.; Polls, F. Disentangling Satellite Precipitation Estimate Errors of Heavy Rainfall at the Daily and Sub-Daily Scales in theWestern Mediterranean. Remote Sens. 2024, 16, 457. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16030457