Aerosol Antics: Unleashing Weather's Mischievous Puppeteers with Modeling, Radiation, and Remote Sensing
Much like midichlorians are the microscopic gatekeepers to the Force in the Star Wars galaxy, aerosols are the tiny but influential particles that shape our atmospheric realm, controlling everything from cloud formation to climate. The intricate dance between atmospheric aerosols and weather dynamics has long been a captivating and challenging subject in atmospheric science. At the Atmospheric Characterization and Observing Systems (ACOS) research group, we delve into the fascinating realm of atmospheric aerosols, which act as enigmatic puppeteers, exerting subtle yet influential control over Earth's weather and climate systems. Leveraging advanced modeling techniques, we uncover the intricate interplay between aerosol properties, radiative effects, and remote sensing data.
Our investigation seeks to unravel the complex web of aerosol interactions with meteorological phenomena, including cloud formation, precipitation, and atmospheric circulation. Furthermore, we investigate the impact of aerosols on data assimilation systems, exploring how the inclusion of aerosol-related observations can enhance the accuracy of weather forecasting and climate modeling for various applications. We also examine the influence of aerosols on satellite retrievals, shedding light on their effects on key satellite-based weather monitoring and research tools. Examples of such applications include the connection between aerosols and African Easterly Waves (AEWs), the role of aerosols in shaping Midwestern severe weather events, extreme Saharan Dust events and even aviation turbulence.
