research topics on atmospheric science

Atmospheric Dynamics & Composition

Atmospheric dynamics and composition encompass the physical and chemical processes in the atmosphere related to weather, air quality, and climate.  The interplay between atmospheric dynamics and composition can be seen, for example, in the rapid uplift of pollution from the Earth’s surface in convective storms and subsequent long-range transport by winds aloft and in the alteration of clouds and convection by aerosol particles.  Four JPL science groups are engaged in research related to atmospheric dynamics and composition. Their research covers a wide range of topics and supports spaceborne observations through theoretical studies, data analysis, modeling, and laboratory and field experiments. Our scientists are also engaged in developing new observational techniques to fill gaps in the current system, often building simulation systems that make it possible to explore the scientific and societal value of new measurements.

Current Challenges

• How do small-scale weather processes interact with the large-scale environment?
• What controls the intensity, distribution, and likelihood of convective storms?
• How can we use satellites to improve modeling and prediction of weather events?

Air quality and atmospheric chemistry

• To what extent are anthropogenic emissions and natural processes each driving changes in tropospheric composition and air quality?
• Is the stratospheric ozone layer changing as expected? 
• What role do dynamical processes play in establishing the composition of the atmosphere, and what drives their variability?
• How good are models of chemical reactions and the rate at which they occur? 
• What are the human health impacts of different types of air pollution?
• How well do climate models agree with observations, and how can we use satellite observations to improve climate models?
• What are the radiative impacts and feedbacks associated with observed changes in tropospheric and stratospheric composition, including aerosols and clouds?
• What are the relationships among aerosol, cloud, and precipitation and how do these relationships impact Earth’s radiative budget, climate feedbacks, and the water and energy cycles?

Atmospheric measurement techniques

• How well do we understand the spectral signatures of gases in the atmosphere?
• How good are satellite measurements?  What surface-based, airborne, and balloon-borne field measurements are needed to validate and extend the impact of spaceborne observations?
• What instrumentation will be used in future atmospheric dynamics and composition missions?  How will different instruments be built, tested, and proven?

To meet these challenges, JPL researchers are focused on spaceborne remote sensing, collecting suborbital measurements, conducting laboratory studies, and modeling activities.

Spaceborne Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere

Scientists at JPL use satellite observations to detect and attribute changes in weather and atmospheric composition, to reduce uncertainties in models of the Earth System and their projections of the future evolution of climate, and to develop new analysis techniques and observing strategies that can enable the use of satellite observations in applications such as severe storms and air quality.

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) was launched on the Aura satellite in 2002 and is still working well. It was the first hyperspectral sounder and measures infrared light emitted by the Earth in 2378 channels, with four additional channels measuring visible light. It produces 2.9 million spectra and 324,000 soundings of atmospheric temperature, humidity, and cloud properties globally every day. Spectra (radiances) are assimilated into numerical weather prediction systems worldwide, resulting in significant improvements in weather forecast accuracy. The retrieved geophysical measurements are widely used in atmospheric process studies and climate research. Microwave sounders, the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) and its variants, and the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS), are also important, with JPL being responsible for NASA’s microwave data products and the algorithms used to generate them. New algorithms are being developed, both to improve the retrievals from AIRS and AMSU/ATMS and to merge data from additional sensors, such as the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) now flying on NOAA satellites.

The Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) on the EOS-Aura satellite operated from 2004 through early 2018. TES is a Fourier transform spectrometer designed to make global measurements of tropospheric ozone and its chemical precursors, including carbon monoxide, ammonia, methanol, formic acid, and peroxyacetyl nitrate. Because TES observes the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and has particularly high spectral resolution, it also measures the radiative impact of these constituents and captures the signatures of a broad array of other atmospheric gases that contribute to studies of the water, nitrogen, and carbon cycles.

JPL scientists are producing high-quality records of tropospheric composition from other infrared sounders such as CrIS and AIRS and are combining those measurements with measurements from additional instruments, such as the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), that utilize the near-infrared and ultraviolet portions of the spectrum.  This work is leading to the creation of long-term Earth Science Data Records of tropospheric ozone and other trace gases with vertical resolution superior to that of measurements from any individual instrument.  These records allow us to address key questions regarding the processes that drive changes in tropospheric composition, and the impact of those changes on air quality and climate. Concurrently, efforts are in progress to develop the next generation of instruments and algorithms for remote sensing of the troposphere.

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory missions (OCO-2 and OCO-3) are collecting measurements that continue to provide a clearer, more complete picture of global carbon dioxide and solar induced fluorescence (SIF), providing new opportunities for understanding the processes that regulate atmospheric carbon dioxide, its role in the global carbon cycle and the interaction between carbon and climate. OCO-2, launched in July 2014 in a sun-synchronous orbit, samples in a 16-day repeat cycle with a 1:30PM equator crossing time. OCO-3, flying on the International Space Station since May 2019, samples different times of day and offers a new “snapshot" mode that is, for the first time, capable of mapping localized differences in carbon dioxide from space. In combination with other satellite trace gas measurements, the OCO-3 snapshot area maps also provide opportunities for examination of carbon/air quality synergies.

The Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instruments measure naturally-occurring microwave thermal emission from the limb (edge) of Earth's atmosphere to remotely sense vertical profiles of a large suite of atmospheric trace gases from the upper troposphere through the stratosphere and into the mesosphere, as well as temperature and cloud ice water content.  The first MLS satellite experiment was on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), launched in 1991 to assess the threat that chlorofluorocarbons and other halogenated gases posed to stratospheric ozone. The second, EOS MLS, is on the Aura satellite.  The MLS instruments have provided invaluable information on the depletion and recovery of the ozone layer, the radiative impacts and feedbacks of changes in stratospheric composition, humidity, and circulation, and the transport and spread of pollution in the upper troposphere. Dramatic advances in microwave technology, largely driven by the communications industry, enable significant cost reductions for future microwave instruments. Technology-development efforts are underway to mature potential future MLS-like instruments that can add to the observation record.

The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument onboard the Terra spacecraft collects multi-angle images at visible and near-infrared wavelengths, enabling it to measure the heights of clouds and smoke, dust, and volcanic ash plumes, retrieve height-resolved tropospheric wind vectors, and determine the abundance and types of airborne particles known as aerosols. MISR’s nine cameras, observing the Earth at nine different angles of view, have been collecting global data since 2000. New observational capabilities, including extended spectral range and accurate polarimetric measurements have been developed that provide additional details about the sizes and shapes of these airborne particles, which is important for addressing challenges related to their climatic and environmental impacts. These measurement capabilities are being incorporated into the Multiangle Imager for Aerosols (MAIA) satellite. The MAIA investigation was funded through the NASA Earth Venture program specifically to investigate the human health impacts of aerosol pollution for a set of target cities around the world, and passed its Critical Design Review in June 2019. Launch is planned for mid-2022.

CloudSat provides observations necessary to advance our understanding of the abundance, distribution, structure, and radiative properties of clouds. Since 2006, CloudSat has flown the first satellite-based millimeter-wavelength cloud radar, which is more than 1000 times more sensitive than existing weather radars. Unlike ground-based weather radars that use centimeter wavelengths to detect raindrop-sized particles, CloudSat's radar allows us to detect the much smaller particles of liquid water and ice that constitute the large cloud masses that make our weather.

Suborbital Atmospheric Measurements

Researchers at JPL perform many suborbital remote and in situ measurements of the atmosphere and routinely support field campaigns. These measurements augment satellite remote sensing and provide additional datasets needed to answer the questions described above.

The High Altitude MMIC Sounding Radiometer (HAMSR) is an aircraft microwave sounder that was developed at JPL in 2001 and has participated in a number of field campaigns since then to study hurricanes and tropical meteorology, atmospheric rivers, and winter storms. HAMSR has much higher spatial resolution than satellite sounders and provides a closeup view of both the interior of storms and their environment. It has flown on NASA’s high-altitude ER-2 (piloted) and Global Hawk (unpiloted) aircraft as well as the larger DC-8. HAMSR data are used in research to help us improve our understanding of dynamic storm processes. When it flies on the Global Hawk, the data are immediately transmitted to the ground via satellite and can then be used in near-real-time forecast applications, for example by analysts at the National Hurricane Center.

As precursors to the MAIA satellite instrument, airborne instruments that provide multispectral and multi-angle observations and that also measure the polarization of light scattered by aerosols and clouds have been developed. The principal example is the Airborne Multiangle Spectropolarimetric Imager (AirMSPI), which has been flying aboard NASA’s ER-2 high-altitude research aircraft since 2010 and most recently participated in the FIREX-AQ field campaign in summer 2019. AirMSPI observes in the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared regions of the spectrum. A second generation instrument, AirMSPI-2, extends the spectral range into the shortwave infrared. Work under the Airborne Instrument Technology Transition program is underway to make AirMSPI-2 ready for participation in scientific field campaigns.

Balloon-borne remote sensing measurements of upper atmospheric composition from the Mark IV interferometer and the Submillimeterwave Limb Sounder (SLS) provide a long-term record of stratospheric composition that has served as validation for a host of space-based instruments, including UARS MLS and EOS MLS.  These vertically-resolved measurements are supplemented by more frequent ground-based measurements of the entire atmospheric column from Mark IV as well as the Fourier Transform Ultraviolet Spectrometer (FTUVS) instrument at the JPL Table Mountain Facility (TMF).  Ground-based observations are an accurate method of ascertaining whether the composition of the Earth's atmosphere is changing. Ground-based measurements from Lidar (LIght Detection and Ranging), which is an active remote sensing technique that achieves high vertical resolution using the properties of light scattering by atmospheric molecules and particles, also provide long-term time series of trace gases and temperature and validation datasets for satellite and airborne measurements. The TMF Lidar Group measures high-resolution profiles of stratospheric ozone and aerosols (15-50 km), tropospheric ozone (3-25 km), temperature (15-90 km), and water vapor (3-20 km). The group’s four lidars deployed at TMF and Mauna Loa Observatory, HI (MLO) have been operating for three decades, and contribute to the long-term records of the international Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC). The tropospheric ozone lidar also provides measurements for the new US-based Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet), and the water vapor Raman Lidar contributes to the new World Meteorological Organization climate-monitoring network GRUAN (GCOS Reference Upper Air Network).

As part of the JPL-TMF Lidar Group observation Program, three different types of balloon-borne in situ instruments are launched from TMF. Vaisala RS92 Pressure-Temperature-Humidity (PTU) radiosondes have been systematically launched since 2005 in support of the water vapor Raman lidar calibration, providing hundreds of temperature and humidity profiles in the lower and middle troposphere. Electro-Chemical Cell (ECC) ozonesondes are also regularly launched for the validation of satellite and airborne measurements and for profile comparison with the lidar measurements. Frost-Point hygrometers (CFH and NOAA-FPH) are also launched during campaigns to validate the lidar measurements in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere. JPL also has several instruments that perform in situ measurements of atmospheric CO2, H2O, CO, CH4 using Tunable Diode Laser Spectrometers from balloons and aircraft such as Global Hawk, ER-2, WB-47 and small UAVs.

The California Laboratory for Atmospheric Remote Sensing (CLARS) is an observing facility for the measurement of greenhouse gases and pollutant emissions from sources in the South Coast Air Basin. The current instruments at CLARS includes both point and imaging Fourier transform spectrometers (FTS) built by JPL. These instruments operate autonomously, measuring dry air mixing ratios of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), carbon monoxide (CO), water vapor (H2O, HDO), nitrous oxide (N2O), and aerosols. The CLARS facility also hosts atmospheric monitoring equipment that is part of California Air Resources Board’s permanent air quality network in California.

Laboratory Studies

Laboratory activities involve the use of state-of-the-art experimental techniques to measure kinetic, photochemical and spectroscopic parameters related to elementary atmospheric processes. Rate coefficients, cross sections and quantum yields are measured using methods such as laser photolysis, discharge-flow and steady-state photolysis combined with high-sensitivity detection methods such as molecular beam mass spectrometry, long-path UV-visible-NIR absorption, diode laser wavelength modulation spectroscopy and laser-induced fluorescence.

These measurements fill in the gaps in our understanding of air quality and atmospheric chemistry. Particular attention is given to studying processes that play important roles in polar ozone depletion, long-term trends in stratospheric ozone at mid-latitudes, the oxidizing potential of the troposphere, and the formation of oxidants in urban and regional environments.

Quantitative spectroscopy is another key focus of the laboratory studies program. JPL’s Molecular Spectroscopy Team uses observations of molecular signatures from the microwave through the ultraviolet spectral regions to measure spectroscopic parameters of atmospheric molecules with extremely high precision and accuracy. NASA remote sensing instruments require these parameters for the measurement of atmospheric composition and structure, important for Earth and planetary sciences, astrobiology, and astrophysics investigations.

In this area, computer models of atmospheric processes are developed and used to interpret data from satellite and field measurements, as prognostic tools to help understand long-term changes in climate and composition, and to diagnose elementary processes in atmospheric transport and chemistry.  Modeling supports research related to all of the key challenges in atmospheric dynamics and composition, including the development of new measurement systems.

For tropospheric studies, researchers use three-dimensional chemistry transport models that incorporate information about winds derived from weather models. In combination with detailed emission inventories of trace gases, these models have been used to study long-range pollution transport, to determine the effects of biomass burning on global air quality, and to derive budgets of the production and loss of trace gases and estimate their dependence on natural and anthropogenic sources. These models are also used in satellite validation studies, where they provide a platform for comparing ground-based, aircraft, and satellite measurements. Stratospheric modeling efforts use many of the same tools and techniques to understand the dynamical and chemical processes that lead to stratospheric ozone depletion, and to study the budgets of ozone and other trace gases in the important transition region between the troposphere and stratosphere. JPL scientists are also merging multiple satellite data records and models though techniques, collectively known as data assimilation, that enable global data-informed quantification of emissions and concentrations and their evolution with time. The result is a “chemical reanalysis” that represents our best understanding of the changes in atmospheric composition over time, based on the satellite measurements.

At regional and cloud-resolving scales, a fully coupled aerosol-chemistry-meteorology model (WRF-Chem) has been used to simulate the emission, transport, mixing, and chemical transformation of trace gases and aerosol-cloud interactions. Both direct and indirect effects of aerosols are included in the model and are shown to have significant impacts on clouds and precipitation. The model results are compared closely with satellite observations. New research at JPL focuses on establishing a framework for combining global, regional, and neighborhood-scale models with satellite measurements of trace gases and aerosols to provide satellite-informed estimates of surface air quality at spatial scales (~1-5 km) relevant to human health and ecosystem impacts.

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Summer Atmospheric Water Cycle under the Transition Influence of the Westerly and Summer Monsoon over the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin in the Southern Tibetan Plateau

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Factors Influencing the Spatial Variability of Air Temperature Urban Heat Island Intensity in Chinese Cities

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Assimilating FY-4A AGRI Radiances with a Channel-Sensitive Cloud Detection Scheme for the Analysis and Forecasting of Multiple Typhoons

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Comparison of a Spectral Bin and Two Multi-Moment Bulk Microphysics Schemes for Supercell Simulation: Investigation into Key Processes Responsible for Hydrometeor Distributions and Precipitation

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A Tri-mode of Mock-Walker Cells

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An Initial Perturbation Method for the Multiscale Singular Vector in Global Ensemble Prediction

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Atmospheric Science at Indiana University is a dynamic program with exciting opportunities to undertake field, laboratory, or modeling research. The program integrates research across scales, from boundary layer turbulence to mesoscale phenomena including deep moist convection to global circulation dynamics. Our faculty members actively conduct research in radiative forcing and climate change, tropical cyclone morphology using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, to global climate researching using state-of-the-art climate models, and satellite remote sensing and GPS occultation methods. We are active users of IU’s high-performance parallel computing facilities, which include two new super-computing machines: KARST and Big Red II, which ranks as one of the world’s fastest 70 supercomputers.

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atmospheric chemistry and micrometeorology; physical climatology/climate change and variability; boundary–layer dynamics; atmospheric modelling and nonlinear dynamics; large-scale circulation modelling; tropical cyclones; remote sensing; ensemble data assimilation; numerical weather prediction

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Our diverse, close-knit group is exploring interdisciplinary research directions linked to the paleoclimate research and global climate change studies conducted by other members of the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences faculty. The diverse, close-knit group of researchers enjoys a collective expertise in climate-atmosphere-surface interactions with the solid earth. High performance computing is essentially unlimited at IU, offering Atmospheric faculty and students competitive possibility to focus more on needs and opportunities in frontier understanding of the Earth climate system.

Weather and climate affect all of us. To understand the atmosphere and its effects requires a more diverse group of students, faculty, and researchers than ever before. Here at Indiana University, the diverse future of atmospheric science research is taking shape today. With a growing atmospheric sciences faculty in our department, and established groups in both the Geography department and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University is committed to performing top-notch atmospheric science research and teaching at both undergraduate and the graduate level.

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Home » Blog » Dissertation » Topics » Science » Atmospheric Science » 80 Atmospheric Science Research Topics

80 Atmospheric Science Research Topics

FacebookXEmailWhatsAppRedditPinterestLinkedInIf you are a student seeking compelling research topics in atmospheric science, that’s your stop. Atmospheric Science is a captivating field that unravels the mysteries of our Earth’s complex and dynamic atmosphere. From studying weather patterns and climate change to investigating atmospheric phenomena and their impact on our environment, Atmospheric Science offers research opportunities spanning […]

If you are a student seeking compelling research topics in atmospheric science, that’s your stop. Atmospheric Science is a captivating field that unravels the mysteries of our Earth’s complex and dynamic atmosphere. From studying weather patterns and climate change to investigating atmospheric phenomena and their impact on our environment, Atmospheric Science offers research opportunities spanning scales and dimensions.

This blog post is your gateway to a world of exploration, presenting a range of research topics in Atmospheric Science that cater to students pursuing undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Whether you’re intrigued by atmospheric modelling, air quality analysis, or climate variability, these research topics will serve as guiding beacons as you embark on your academic journey to unravel the secrets of the skies.

A List Of Potential Research Topics In Atmospheric Science:

• Analyzing the link between climate change and the frequency and intensity of extreme weather phenomena such as hurricanes, heatwaves, and heavy rainfall.
• Investigating urban planning and design solutions to mitigate the urban heat island effect and enhance urban climate resilience.
• Examining the sources and trends of air pollutants in densely populated urban areas and proposing practical strategies for air quality improvement.
• Investigating the complex interactions between aerosols, clouds, and radiative forcing to understand better their role in shaping regional and global climates.
• Assessing the capacity of forests, grasslands, and wetlands to sequester carbon dioxide and mitigate climate change impacts.
• Evaluating the progress of the ozone layer’s recovery, the effectiveness of international agreements, and the implications for human health and ecosystems.
• Exploring the applications of satellite and remote sensing technologies to monitor atmospheric parameters, including temperature, humidity, and aerosols.
• Investigating the emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants from agricultural activities and proposing sustainable farming practices.
• Studying the interactions between the ocean and atmosphere that lead to El Niño and La Niña events and their consequences for global weather patterns.
• Analyzing the impacts of climate change on marginalized and vulnerable communities and designing strategies to enhance their adaptive capacity.
• Investigating the sources, distribution, and health effects of tropospheric ozone pollution on human respiratory health and ecosystems.
• Understanding the phenomenon of Arctic amplification and its potential influence on mid-latitude weather patterns.
• Examining the dynamics of monsoon systems in different regions, predicting their behaviour, and assessing their socioeconomic impacts.
• Evaluating the greenhouse gas emissions from aviation activities and exploring technological advancements and policies to reduce their environmental impact.
• Investigating the role of atmospheric rivers in producing heavy rainfall and flooding in specific regions and their link to climate change.
• Using satellite data to monitor and quantify methane emissions from natural and anthropogenic sources and their contribution to climate change.
• Assessing the capacity of oceans to absorb carbon dioxide and the resulting ocean acidification effects on marine ecosystems.
• Developing strategies for communities and infrastructure to withstand and recover from extreme weather events, including hurricanes, droughts, and wildfires.
• Addressing uncertainties in climate models and developing methodologies to validate model projections using observational data.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of national and international policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat global warming.
• Investigating the effects of urbanization, deforestation, and land management practices on local microclimates and urban heat islands.
• Exploring the role of volcanic eruptions in injecting aerosols into the atmosphere and their potential to influence global climate patterns.
• Studying alterations in precipitation patterns, evaporation rates, and river flows due to climate change and their implications for water resources.
• Utilizing machine learning techniques to improve weather forecasting accuracy and enhance climate modelling.
• Examining climate-induced displacement’s socioeconomic and political impacts and exploring policy responses to assist climate refugees.
• Using remote sensing technologies to monitor and quantify emissions of greenhouse gases from various sources, including power plants and urban areas.
• Developing methods to estimate and validate rainfall using satellite data, improving accuracy in regions with limited ground-based observations.
• Investigating the role of clouds in the Earth’s energy balance, feedback mechanisms, and their contributions to climate sensitivity.
• Studying the impact of thawing permafrost on methane emissions, its potential contribution to global warming, and feedback loops.
• Analyzing the challenges and opportunities of integrating renewable energy sources like wind and solar into the grid, considering weather fluctuations.
• Understanding the role of black carbon deposition on snow and ice surfaces, altering albedo and contributing to Arctic warming.
• Investigating the effects of glacier melt on sea-level rise and its implications for coastal communities and ecosystems.
• Using satellite imagery to track deforestation rates and assess the impact of land-use changes on local and global climates.
• Examining the relationship between air quality, human health, and epidemiological patterns, and evaluating policy interventions.
• Studying hydroclimate patterns, drought frequency, and water scarcity in arid and semi-arid regions and exploring adaptive water management strategies.
• Investigating the rapid decline of Arctic sea ice and its role in amplifying warming trends in polar regions.
• Analyzing the emissions from forest fires, their contribution to air quality degradation, and health implications for exposed populations.
• Exploring the atmospheric conditions that lead to tropical cyclones’ formation, intensification, and tracking.
• Utilizing satellite observations to track aerosols’ spatial and temporal distribution and their impacts on air quality and health.
• Investigating effective communication strategies to convey climate science information to the public and foster climate awareness.
• Quantifying carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions in agricultural systems, considering farming practices and land management.
• Studying the distribution and impacts of microbial aerosols in the atmosphere on human health and ecosystem dynamics.
• Assessing the capacity of forests, grasslands, and wetlands to store and release carbon dioxide and influence climate change.
• Developing methods for accurate seasonal climate predictions to optimize agricultural planning and resource allocation.
• Analyzing the effects of climate variability and extreme events on ecosystems, biodiversity, and ecosystem services.
• Exploring the interactions between solar activity and Earth’s magnetic field and their effects on ionospheric and atmospheric processes.
• Examining the impact of sustainable land management practices on soil health, water retention, and agricultural productivity.
• Using dispersion models to simulate the transport and dispersion of air pollutants, aiding in pollution source assessment and policy-making.
• Investigating the exchange of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases between soil and the atmosphere and its implications for climate.
• Analyzing the hydrological consequences of glacier melting, including changes in river flow, sediment transport, and water availability.
• Examining how urban parks and green spaces improve air quality and mitigate the urban heat island effect.
• Evaluating the potential of electric vehicles to reduce air pollutant emissions and their impact on urban air quality.
• Studying the presence and distribution of microplastics in the atmosphere, their sources, transport mechanisms, and potential health risks.
• Investigating secondary organic aerosols’ formation and chemical transformations and their implications for air quality.
• Exploring the interconnectedness of water, energy, and food systems and their vulnerability to climate change impacts.
• Evaluating the effectiveness and environmental impacts of cloud seeding for precipitation enhancement and weather modification.
• Studying the exchange of greenhouse gases and nutrients between wetland ecosystems and the atmosphere.
• Analyzing the health risks and vulnerabilities associated with extreme heat events, particularly in urban areas.
• Assessing strategies to achieve carbon neutrality in agriculture through sustainable practices and carbon offset mechanisms.
• Investigating the composition and health effects of wildfire smoke and strategies to mitigate exposure.
• Examining the role of atmospheric rivers in enhancing snowpack accumulation and implications for water resources.
• Studying the deposition of pollutants on glaciers and their role in accelerating glacier melt.
• Analyzing the link between climate change, shifts in vector habitats, and the spread of vector-borne diseases.
• Exploring the potential of urban agriculture to modify local microclimates and enhance urban resilience.
• Investigating innovative technologies to capture energy from atmospheric sources like humidity and temperature gradients.
• Developing accurate emission inventories and using air quality models to simulate pollutant concentrations.
• Analyzing public perceptions of climate change and attitudes towards adaptive strategies.
• Evaluating the impact of air pollution on ecosystem services such as pollination, carbon sequestration, and water purification.
• Studying bioaerosols’ diversity and health effects, including allergens, pathogens, and their dispersion in the atmosphere.
• Investigating the deposition of nutrients and pollutants from the atmosphere to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
• Exploring the role of microbial aerosols in agricultural ecosystems, their impact on crop health, and potential applications.
• Analyzing atmospheric mercury’s sources, transport, and transformation and its effects on ecosystems and human health.
• Evaluating the capacity of agroforestry systems to sequester carbon and enhance sustainability in agriculture.
• Investigating the influence of local meteorological conditions on siting decisions for wind and solar energy projects.
• Studying the impacts of nitrogen deposition from air pollutants on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
• Utilizing remote sensing techniques to monitor vegetation health, drought stress, and ecosystem resilience.
• Analyzing strategies to mitigate the urban heat island effect, such as green roofs, cool pavements, and urban planning.
• Examining mercury emissions from wildfires, its transport, and its potential contribution to atmospheric pollution.
• Evaluating the economic value of the atmosphere’s ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration and air purification.
• Investigating the impacts of industrial emissions on air quality, human health, and surrounding ecosystems.

In Atmospheric Science, these research topics offer diverse avenues for exploration across degree levels. From climate dynamics to air quality, they spark curiosity and innovation. Embrace these opportunities to contribute to the evolving field and advance our understanding of Earth’s atmosphere.

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Science in Space: April 2024

Everyone on Earth is touched by the effects of climate change, such as hotter temperatures, shifts in rain patterns, and sea level rise. Collecting climate data helps communities better plan for these changes and build more resilience to them.

The International Space Station, one of dozens of NASA missions contributing to this effort, has multiple instruments collecting various types of climate-related data. Because the station’s orbit passes over 90 percent of Earth’s population and circles the planet 16 times each day, these instruments have views of multiple locations at different times of day and night. The data inform climate decisions and help scientists understand and solve the challenges created by climate change.

While crew members have little involvement in the ongoing operation of these instruments, they do play a critical role in unpacking hardware when it arrives at the space station and in assembling and installing the instruments via spacewalks or using the station’s robotic arm.

One investigation on the orbiting lab that contributes to efforts to monitor and address climate change is ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station ( ECOSTRESS ). It provides thermal infrared measurements of Earth’s surface that help answer questions about water stress in plants and how specific regions respond to climate change. Research confirmed the accuracy of ECOSTRESS surface estimates 1 and found that the process of photosynthesis in plants begins to fail at 46.7 degrees C (114 degrees F). 2 Average temperatures have increased 0.5 degrees C per decade in some tropical regions, and temperature extremes are becoming more pronounced. Rainforests are a primary producer of oxygen and, without sufficient mitigation of the effects of climate change, leaf temperatures in these tropical forests soon could approach this failure threshold.

The Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor ( TSIS ) measures total solar irradiance (TSI) and solar spectral irradiance (SSI). TSI is the total solar energy input to Earth and SSI measures the Sun’s energy in individual wavelengths. Energy from the Sun drives atmospheric and oceanic circulations on Earth, and knowing its magnitude and variability is essential to understanding Earth’s climate. Researchers verified the instrument’s performance and showed that it made more accurate measurements than previous instruments. 3,4 TSIS maintains a continuity of nearly 40 years of data on solar irradiance from space-based observations.

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The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation ( GEDI ) observes global forests and topography using light detection and ranging (lidar). These observations could provide insight into important carbon and water cycling processes, biodiversity, and habitat. One study used GEDI data to estimate pan-tropical and temperate biomass densities at the national level for every country observed and the sub-national level for the United States. 5

Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation ( EMIT ) determines the type and distribution of minerals in the dust of Earth’s arid regions using an imaging spectrometer. Mineral dust affects local warming and cooling, air quality, rate of snow melt, and ocean plankton growth. Researchers demonstrated that data from EMIT also can be used to identify and monitor specific sources of methane and carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon dioxide and methane are the primary human-caused drivers of climate change. Increasing emissions in areas with poor reporting requirements create significant uncertainty in the global carbon budget. 6 The high spatial resolution of EMIT data could allow precise monitoring even of sources that are close together.

The station’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 ( OCO-3 ) collects data on global carbon dioxide during sunlit hours, mapping emissions of targeted local hotspots. This type of satellite-based remote sensing helps assess and verify emission reductions included in national and global plans and agreements. Monitoring by OCO-3 and the Italian Space Agency’s PRecursore IperSpettrale della Missione Applicativa (PRISMA) satellite of 30 coal-fired power plants between 2021 and 2022 showed agreement with on-site observations. 7 This result suggests that under the right conditions, satellites can provide reliable estimates of emissions from discreet sources. Combustion for power and other industrial uses account for an estimated 59% of global human-caused carbon dioxide emissions.

The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III-ISS ( SAGE III-ISS ) measures ozone and other gases and tiny particles in the atmosphere, called aerosols, that together act as Earth’s sunscreen. The instrument can distinguish between clouds and aerosols in the atmosphere. A study showed that aerosols dominate Earth’s tropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, a transition region between the two atmospheric levels. Continuous monitoring and identification of these layers of the atmosphere helps quantify their effect on Earth’s climate. 8

An early remote sensing system, ISS SERVIR Environmental Research and Visualization System ( ISERV ), automatically took images of Earth to help scientists assess and monitor disasters and other significant events. Researchers reported that this type of Earth observation is critical for applications such as mapping land use and assessing carbon biomass and ocean health. 9

John Love, ISS Research Planning Integration Scientist Expedition 71

Search this database of scientific experiments to learn more about those mentioned above.

1 Weidberg N, Lopez Chiquillo L, Roman S, Roman M, Vazquez E, et al. Assessing high resolution thermal monitoring of complex intertidal environments from space: The case of ECOSTRESS at Rias Baixas, NW Iberia. Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment. 2023 November; 32101055. DOI: 10.1016/j.rsase.2023.101055.

2 Doughty CE, Keany JM, Wiebe BC, Rey-Sanchez C, Carter KR, et al. Tropical forests are approaching critical temperature thresholds. Nature. 2023 August 23; 621105-111. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06391-z.

3 Richard EC, Harber D, Coddington OM, Drake G, Rutkowski J, et al. SI-traceable spectral irradiance radiometric characterization and absolute calibration of the TSIS-1 Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SIM). Remote Sensing. 2020 January; 12(11): 1818. DOI:  10.3390/rs12111818.

4 Coddington OM, Richard EC, Harber D, Pilewskie P, Chance K, et al. The TSIS-1 hybrid solar reference spectrum. Geophysical Research Letters. 2021 April 26; 48(12): e2020GL091709. DOI:  10.1029/2020GL091709

5 Dubayah R, Armston J, Healey S, Bruening JM, Patterson PL, et al. GEDI launches a new era of biomass inference from space. Environmental Research Letters. 2022 August; 17(9): 095001. DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ac8694.

6 Thorpe A, Green RD, Thompson DR, Brodrick PG, Chapman DK, et al. Attribution of individual methane and carbon dioxide emission sources using EMIT observations from space. Science Advances. 2023 November 17; 9(46): eadh2391. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh2391.

7 Cusworth DH, Thorpe A, Miller CE, Ayasse AK, Jiorle R, et al. Two years of satellite-based carbon dioxide emission quantification at the world’s largest coal-fired power plants. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. 2023 November 24; 23(22): 14577-14591. DOI: 10.5194/acp-23-14577-2023.

8 Bhatta S, Pandit AK, Loughman R, Vernier J. Three-wavelength approach for aerosol-cloud discrimination in the SAGE III/ISS aerosol extinction dataset. Applied Optics. 2023 May; 62(13): 3454-3466. DOI: 10.1364/AO.485466 .

9 Kansakar P, Hossain F. A review of applications of satellite earth observation data for global societal benefit and stewardship of planet earth. Space Policy. 2016 May; 3646-54.

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Research Areas

Atmospheric science.

Atmospheric Science Faculty cover a broad range of research topics that include observations, numerical modeling, and synergy of the two. Faculty and scientists investigate questions related to air quality, aerosol impacts on clouds, cloud and precipitation development, small and large scale dynamics, and boundary-layer processes. Our faculty and students have direct access to World Class facilities such as the Wyoming King Air Research Aircraft , the Wyoming Cloud Radar , the Wyoming Cloud Lidar , and the NCAR/Wyoming SuperComputer  for this research.

Faculty are funded by several state and federal organizations such as the national Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), State of Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, and the Wyoming Water Development Commission. To learn more about our research and which of our scientists are active in these areas follow the links below.

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Marine Cloud Brightening Program

The Marine Cloud Brightening Program is an open collaboration of atmospheric scientists and other experts to study how clouds respond to particles — also called aerosols — in the atmosphere.

This research aims to further our understanding of how interactions between aerosols and clouds impact our climate system, and to investigate the feasibility and potential impacts of reducing climate warming by intentionally increasing the reflection of sunlight from marine clouds. An overarching goal of the research is to provide open, objective scientific information to help improve society’s ability to understand the climate system and to address near-term climate risks.

Why study how particles (aerosols) affect clouds?

Clouds reflect sunlight back to space, which cools temperatures locally and across the planet. Sustained small changes in cloud cover or in the amount of sunlight reflected by clouds have the potential to change climate both locally and globally.

When aerosol particles in the atmosphere from both natural sources (such as biological emissions and sea spray) and human activities (such as from burning fossil fuels, wood and vegetation) mix into low clouds, particularly over the ocean, they can cause the clouds to brighten and thus reflect even more sunlight back into space. This has a cooling effect on the Earth’s climate.

Importantly, this role of aerosols in affecting sunlight reflection is changing. At the same time that humans are continuing to release climate-warming greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, expanding air quality regulations are leading to declines in the concentration of atmospheric aerosol particles. This is beneficial for public health and local ecosystems — at the same time, because most of these particles have a cooling effect on our climate, removing them generally adds to climate warming.

Atmospheric scientists are still not certain just how much of a cooling effect these aerosol particles have on the climate overall. Scientists estimate that aerosols from human emissions are offsetting 0.5℃ of global warming from greenhouse gases, but they could be cooling as little as 0.2 ℃ or as much as 1.0 ℃ ( Forster et al., 2021 ) . The uncertainty in this number leads to uncertainty about how much warming to expect in the coming decades.

If the effect of aerosols on clouds is large, reducing aerosol pollution might significantly accelerate climate warming in the very near term. One recent paper concluded that there has already been an acceleration in global warming due to the decline in atmospheric aerosols since 2010, and projects that between now and 2040 the rate of warming may double due to this effect ( Hansen et al., 2023 ). Recent steep reductions in particulate pollution emissions from ships that coincided with record ocean surface and global temperatures have increased interest in understanding and quantifying these effects.

What is marine cloud brightening?

Scientific studies indicate that aerosols of the right size and concentration could significantly increase the reflectivity of specific types of clouds. This phenomenon is visible in satellite images of clouds brightened by ship emissions (known as “ship tracks”). Observations of ship tracks led scientists to the idea of using particles of salt from sea water, a natural source of cloud-forming aerosol particles, to brighten clouds over parts of the ocean in order to reduce climate warming.

In this approach, sea salt particles from the ocean would be sprayed from ships into areas of low-lying clouds. Once emitted, the particles would remain in the atmosphere for only a few days, within localized areas.

There are specific regions of the ocean with clouds that could be more favorable for brightening in this way, though it is still uncertain how much brightening could be achieved in different regions. If marine cloud brightening (MCB) were ever to be used, which areas are brightened, and by how much, would determine how much climate cooling could be produced, how climate changes would be affected by different implementations of MCB, and how MCB would affect climate impacts and risks.

Changes in clouds over broad regions affect the circulation of the atmosphere, weather and precipitation. Both MCB and pollution aerosols, by changing clouds, therefore will affect regions both near and far from the location of brightening. A critical aspect of understanding MCB and aerosol effects more broadly is improving the ability to project these long-distance effects and risks.

Our research

As humans consider making changes to our aerosol emissions — either reducing them via regulation and technology, or pursuing intentional marine cloud brightening as a climate intervention — we need a stronger scientific understanding of these processes in order to both advance positive effects and limit unintended effects.

The Marine Cloud Brightening Program is a scientific program, led by atmospheric scientists, that aims to simultaneously:

• Better understand the present-day effects of pollution aerosols on clouds
• Investigate whether aerosol particles made from sea salt could be used to intentionally reduce near-term climate warming while greenhouse gas concentrations are brought down to safer levels
• Understand the benefits, risks and efficacy of the intentional use of aerosols to reduce warming through different implementations of marine cloud brightening

The MCB Program includes multiple parallel research efforts in different areas to help achieve this, including:

• Improving the representation of aerosol-cloud interactions and marine cloud brightening in global computer models used to understand how these aerosol effects impact climate
• Studying how the climate is altered by changes in cloud brightness and cloud amount in different regions of the globe
• Using observations of real-world phenomena — such as ship emissions — that are already causing marine cloud brightening to better quantify aerosol-cloud interactions
• Conducting detailed simulations of aerosol-cloud interactions and testing these simulations against observations
• Exploring leading-edge analytical approaches, such as machine learning, to study the potential efficacy and effects of different marine cloud brightening approaches
• Conducting small-scale field studies of the interactions between aerosols and clouds, using the controlled addition of sea salt aerosols to the clouds, in order to test current understanding of the processes driving these interactions
• Developing a new cloud-aerosol research instrument for use in small-scale field studies.  This new research instrument generates controlled volumes and sizes of tiny, sub-micrometer seawater particles in sufficient numbers to increase the local brightness of low clouds in a marine environment

Our approach

In addition to advancing its scientific goals, the MCB Program’s intent is to serve as an exemplary model for open, public-interest research and field studies of clouds and aerosols, and as a resource for scientists, regulators, stakeholders and the public for understanding and engaging with cloud-aerosol and marine cloud brightening research. Appreciating the importance of engagement with international, climate-vulnerable, youth and historically underserved partners, the program supports and fosters diverse and inclusive engagement and input.

The MCB Program’s open science, governance and stakeholder engagement efforts include:

• Open datasets and peer-reviewed publications
• Collaboration and engagement with US federal agencies and US and international scientific assessment processes
• International scientific collaborators
• Scientific and environmental expert review of field studies
• Engagement with Global South and Indigenous Peoples on field science
• Youth partners and forward development of STEM education programs
• Provision of a facility for scientific research, engagement and learning

Read more about our governance, engagement and the CAARE facility here .

The MCB Program is led by atmospheric scientists Robert Wood and Sarah Doherty  at the University of Washington, and is comprised of over 35 interdisciplinary experts from the UW, SRI International (formerly the Palo Alto Research Center) and SilverLining . The Program also collaborates with researchers at a range of other institutions, including the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory , University of Victoria (Canada), the Desert Research Institute , and the University of Exeter (UK).

The University of Washington’s Marine Cloud Brightening Program is funded by SilverLining’s Safe Climate Research Initiative and the generous support of a growing consortium of individual and foundation donors.

Read more about our team, partners and funders here .

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• Generating aerosols for cloud-aerosol research
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• EPhysLab, Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade de Vigo, Ourense, Spain

As a subject of study, the atmospheric sciences encompass all the processes that occur in the atmosphere, together with its links with other systems, mainly the hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, and outer space. As such it is an extensive discipline and the task of describing the main challenges is not an easy one, and entails a fair degree of overlap with some of the other grand challenges in the earth and environmental sciences. As a special overlapping could occur with climate sciences it is worth to remember that atmospheric processes differ from climate ones in the temporal scale, being the latter those occurring over long periods, typically higher than 30 years, but in any case long enough to produce meaningful averages. Atmospheric processes are central to configure the state of the climate but also to many of the forcings and feedbacks that determine the magnitude of climate change and its possible impacts. Additionally, there has been impressive progress of late in the atmospheric sciences in terms of the benefits provided to individuals and organizations. The flow of atmospheric “information” is of considerable importance in decisions related to health, agriculture, energy, power, and the environment. This “Grand Challenges” article focuses on the atmosphere, although the strong interaction with other parts of the earth and its environment, together with the societal implications involved, is a common theme in all the challenges described.

Over the next few years, progress in the atmospheric sciences is essential if understanding of the basic processes and their modeling is to improve; this will require genuine advances in observational, conceptual, and technological approaches. For this reason the following non-exhaustive list of 12 selected challenges includes those related to observations and data assimilation, those covered within the traditional disciplines (atmospheric physics and chemistry, atmospheric dynamics and weather forecasting), those concerned with the interactions between the atmosphere and its boundaries, and those related to the atmospheric component of climate studies.

Challenge 1: Data Assimilation

The challenges in terms of data assimilation for earth observation over the next years relate to technical and general thematic aspects, as well as to the ability to take advantage of new and exciting opportunities in earth observation systems. The benefits of addressing these challenges are likely to include improvements to reanalyses, improvements to weather forecasting, an improved observational system, and an improved foundation on which the elements of climate models can be built. Among the technical challenges, five areas are most significant: (1) the assimilation of coupled data to account for links between different elements of the earth's system; examples include the coupling of the atmosphere and the ocean, of the ocean and the cryosphere, and of the atmosphere and the land; (2) assimilation of ensemble data to account for natural variability and/or to represent errors in the earth system—here, the technical effort will focus on the design of realistic ensembles; (3) performing data assimilation at increased spatial resolutions, representing the earth system at finer scales (mesoscale and finer), including theoretical developments to account for changes in balance conditions; (4) better representation of errors (random and bias) in the observations and models used in data assimilation, including the representation of forecast errors, model errors and online bias correction; (5) extension and consolidation of the joint state estimation and the inverse modeling approach in order to study biogeochemical cycles (e.g., the carbon cycle). The overarching challenge here is the consolidation and integration of the community data assimilation efforts of the meteorological and space agencies, of research and operational activities, and from in situ and satellite observational platforms, including all continental and global collaborations, and the effective application of these efforts toward the development of new missions in earth observation.

Challenge 2: Small Scale Processes in the Atmosphere

Several challenges are apparent in terms of our fundamental understanding of small scale processes and related applications, many of which are in currently being actively debated and studied. First, increased computational power allows the more detailed simulation of fluid mechanics problems, thus, even stably stratified flows are now modeled by direct numerical simulation. At the same time, these advanced computational techniques also require a new generation of parameterization schemes for numerical weather prediction (NWP) and climate modeling. At high resolutions, for example, the complex dynamics that occur in urban areas cannot be neglected and specific NWP schemes to represent these are required. At smaller grid sizes the so-called gray zone of turbulence is approached in NWP, and the impact of this must be understood and quantified. There is some room for improvement in terms of the representation of clouds and of the diurnal cycle of deep convection, and the same also applies to the physical processes that govern the stable boundary layers and the diurnal cycle, and the intermittent nature of turbulence, especially under calm conditions. In addition, higher resolutions also require more advanced techniques to allow the interpretation of the observations made. In boundary-layer meteorology, the closure of the surface energy balance and the heat budget in field observations requires further attention. Finally, the data challenges facing meteorology will also increase, due in particular to the greater availability of both professional and crowd-sourced observations ( Muller et al., 2013 ).

Challenge 3: Air Pollution Chemistry

The key components of a program to address the most important challenges for researchers in air pollution chemistry may be described under the following three headings: (1) Indoor Pollution and health: given the tendency for people to remain largely indoors for work, school, and leisure, it is important to study the impact of indoor pollution on human health as a result of indoor emissions and/or the infiltration of the external ambient air. In recent years the processes that govern indoor air quality have changed markedly as result of modifications to building regulations with the aim of better energy efficiency. There are still considerable unknowns in relation to the sources, compounds and processes that affect indoor air quality and its impact on human wellbeing. (2) Dust and air quality: with continuous improvements in the characteristics of vehicle emissions, the effects of aerosol pollution in urban areas can now increasingly be traced to other sources of emissions, such as the transport of natural dust and the resuspension of road dust, mainly in southern European areas with drier climates in areas affected by the transport of dust from the deserts of North Africa. An understanding of these impacts and the application of mitigation measures (for road dust resuspension) are both areas of future research. (3) Biomass burning: with climate change and concerns about the impact and cost of fossil fuels, biomass combustion is now commonly used for domestic heating in Europe. In many urban areas, principally in winter, domestic biomass has been found to be an important source of air pollution by particulates. Ar present some emphasis is being placed on the evaluation of the impact of biomass burning in terms of urban air quality as well as in terms of the study of the emission characteristics of biomass burning equipment and installations, as well as on the impact of the composition of biomass burned particles on human health.

Challenge 4: Aerosol-Cloud Interactions

There is no doubt that aerosol particles are actively involved in cloud formation via the supply of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and ice nuclei (IN). It has been suggested that changes in aerosol concentrations will alter cloud lifetimes and precipitation efficiency, and hence affect the radiative forcing of the earth system. Great efforts have been devoted to this topic, resulting in rapid developments in terms of knowledge, methodologies, and techniques (e.g., Wang, 2013 ). Despite this progress, it is still difficult to draw any meaningful conclusions about the climatological effects of aerosols at regional and global scales. In contrast, aerosol-cloud interactions at molecular and microphysical scales have become more and more predictable and its modeling more deterministic. There appears to be a significant gap in our knowledge between the small-scale (molecular and microphysical) processes and the large-scale (regional/global) events in this area. We suggest that there remains a need to synthesize multi-scale results to identify clearly the problems involved and to improve the current set of tools and methodologies required to close the gap.

Challenge 5: Weather Prediction

Phenomena described by fluids are complex, however, the appearance of the laws of fluid motion is deceitfully simple, equations governing these laws are non-linear, what implies multiple (and hard to understand) types of feedback effects. The atmosphere and the temporal evolution of its state does not deliver from this problem. In any case one of the flagships of the body of research on atmospheric sciences over the last few decades has been the establishment of reliable forecasting in the 2–7-day range, in view of the enormous potential economic benefits; however, such techniques still suffer from problems derived from the collection and utilization of data, which are mostly collected over the oceans. The use of new data from satellites and ground-based remote sensing could help in this regard, as could the correct maintenance of traditional data sets such as the now some what outdated global rawinsonde network. Improvements in measurements of water vapour and land surface properties are also priorities. The physical challenges continue to be the same as they were when defined more than a decade ago ( National Research Council, 1998 ), namely: a better understanding of the nature of the interaction between atmospheric and land surface processes, the hydrological cycle, the dynamics of deep convection, the role of the tropopause in atmospheric dynamics, a fresh impetus in the development of mesoscale models and an improvement in the parameterizations used in the wave-based models of weather and climate. An example of the importance of these improvements is orographic gravity wave drag, whose parameterization in weather and climate prediction models needs to be updated given the importance of some effects shown to be important in recent research. Among these is the impact of wind shear on both the surface drag and the wave momentum flux (and its dissipation), and the drag produced by trapped lee waves, whose energy propagates, and is dissipated, downstream of their source rather than upwards. The implications of these orographic gravity waves for clear-air-turbulence (CAT), a very serious aviation hazard, have not been satisfactorily quantified. Most CAT forecast methods use empirical predictors not explicitly linked to gravity waves, but it is well known that directional shear (which is ubiquitous in nature) leads to gravity wave breaking, which may be an important source of CAT. The trapping of gravity waves in the lee of mountains or hills leads to the formation of unsteady, turbulent, closed circulations known as rotors, which are also a serious aviation hazard. Our understanding of the conditions necessary for the onset of these flow structures is incomplete, and will no doubt benefit from recent advances in mountain wave theory.

Challenge 6: Remote Sensing for Meteorology and Climate

Ground-based and satellite remote sensing has provided major advances in our understanding of both the weather and the climate systems, as well as the changes in these ( Yang et al., 2013 ), by allowing the quantification of the processes and spatio-temporal states of the atmosphere, land, and oceans. The intensive use of satellite imagery in meteorology, and spatial patterns of sea level rise, provide good examples of this. The duration of the time series concerned are usually too short to allow their use for capturing long term trends of many climate variables, so one major challenge is to extend the durations of these time series. Remote sensing of the regional and global cycles of clouds and precipitation is also necessary for climate monitoring and the verification of model outputs. There are two notable challenges in atmospheric physics; the first is to design innovative studies focusing on cloud microphysics and the relationship with the physics of lightning discharge, together with all aspects related to the observation and measurement of atmospheric electricity, and the second is to develop new passive radiometer and radar studies to help us to understand the structure of clouds and precipitation with special emphasis on tropical warm rain processes, mid-latitude light precipitation, snowfall, cloud liquid and ice water content, precipitable water and water vapour profiles. One hydrometeorological challenge is to extend and improve our observations and modeling of the atmospheric and continental parts of the water cycle in order to allow its closure (e.g., mountain areas, polar regions).

Challenge 7: The Atmospheric Branch of the Hydrological Cycle

Among the many challenges related to the hydrological cycle, those concerned with the atmospheric transport of moisture must receive special mention because of their existence entirely within the realm of the atmospheric sciences. Here we consider the most pressing of the challenges described in the recent review of Gimeno et al. (2012) . The diagnosis of moisture sources has become a major research tool in the analysis of extreme events (e.g., floods, droughts), and can be thought of as a basic tool for regional and global climatic assessments; it is therefore, necessary to check the consistency of the different approaches used to establish source-sink relationships for atmospheric water vapour. Of key importance is the improvement of our understanding of how sources of moisture affect precipitation isotopes; this is important in and of itself but it is also crucial for correctly interpreting the most prominent paleoclimatic archives including ice cores and cave sediments. A further challenge is the better understanding of the role of the transport of moisture as the main factor responsible for meteorological extremes (heavy rainfall via structures such as low level jets and atmospheric rivers, or drought via the prolonged diminished supply of water vapor from moisture source regions). In order to assess whether the moisture source regions have remained stationary in past years, it is necessary to understand the effects of the main modes of climate variability on the variability of the moisture regions, and how the transport of moisture occurs in a changing climate. These unsolved questions constitute a substantial challenge for climate scientists.

Challenge 8: Interaction of Scales in Climate Simulation

The interaction among various spatial and temporal scales results in what we call climate. ( Lorenz 1967 ) was among the first to emphasize the importance of scale interactions in explaining some of the key characteristics of climate observed in various regions. The non-linear character of most of these scale interactions has made them difficult to model, and as a consequence this still constitutes a source of uncertainty in climate simulations. Some empirical methods have been proposed to downscale the output from climate models but these are still somewhat controversial ( Pielke and Wilby, 2011 ), particularly when used to interpret long term climate projections at a regional scale. The use of boundary conditions from an global model in which coupled interactions among all the major subsystems of the climate system (atmosphere, ocean, biosphere, and cryosphere) are predicted has a number of problems as the retention of large-scale climate errors in the global models, its great dependence on the lateral boundary conditions or the lack of two-way interaction between the regional and global models. The role of small scale atmospheric processes, usually in short lived phenomena, turns to be highly relevant particularly in tropical regions, where mesoscale convective systems interact with large scale circulations, and are of crucial importance in the hydrological cycle. For example, tropical cyclones may result in very wet or dry years in some regions depending on their activity and trajectory. This element is rather difficult to simulate in climate models, but its contribution to regional climate is beyond doubt and must be better understood in order to incorporate it into climate modeling systems.

Challenge 9: Extreme Events

In recent years the effects of different meteorological and climate phenomena have gained in importance in the eyes of the media and the population as a whole, partly as a consequence of extreme events such as the heatwaves in Europe (2003), Russia (2010), or USA (2011), or the deadly and extremely costly hurricanes that have hit densely populated areas in recent years, including New Orleans (Katrina, 2005) and the Metropolitan area of New York (Sandy, 2012). Likewise, prolonged periods of drought have caused severe problems for cereal producers, including in southern Australia (2002–2010), or the south-western USA, or via the increased likelihood of forest fires (Amazonia, 2005 and 2010). Some of these extreme events are closely related to the occurrence of vigorous circulation patterns such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), or to blocking and the displacement of storm tracks and the jet stream. By definition, extremes are rare in a time series, there is therefore, a pressing need, linked to the analysis of extreme events, to extend the climatic series as far as possible, and for this reason reconstructions of the past climate based on instrumental, historical and proxy data continue to be indispensable. The recent IPCC report ( IPCC, 2013 ) shows that this growing interest in climatic extreme events must be addressed within the wider context of climate change, given that the expected changes in global, regional and even local climates are most likely to be felt through changes in the magnitude and frequency of extreme events.

Challenge 10: Solar Influence on Climate

It has been estimated that about 8% of recent global climate change can be attributed to solar variability, but this figure must be treated with caution given that a number of aspects of solar forcing and the mechanisms coupling solar variability to the earth's climate system remain poorly understood ( Gray et al., 2010 ). With the increasing complexity and sophistication of atmospheric and climate models, and the need for increased accuracy of the predictions made, it is important to able to include a more complete picture of solar forcing in these models. Sources of solar forcing can be divided into radiatively and particle driven components. The scientific focus for the radiatively driven forcing is currently shifting from the global to the regional responses as driven by variations in solar spectral irradiance (SSI). A number of questions remain about the nature of the variations in SSI, how these should be implemented in models, and how they will change in future solar cycles if the sun moves away from its current grand maximum of solar activity toward a new maunder minimum. The particle driven component is further divided into energetic particle precipitation (EPP) and cosmic ray (CR) effects. The EPP effect initially influences the upper stratosphere and lower thermosphere. While the chemical effects of EPP on the atmosphere are now well understood, there is a pressing need to understand further dynamical effects, as well as the potential mechanisms and magnitudes in terms of the earth's climate. The potential influence of EPP on climate is an emerging research area, and is one that is assuming a greater importance now that climate models are extending to higher altitudes that are more directly influenced by EPP. EPP provides one of the key transport pathways from the lower thermosphere down to the stratosphere and beyond, down to the troposphere via stratosphere-troposphere coupling in the polar regions. The effect of EPP could also become more pronounced in the near future as radiative forcing becomes more influenced by a move to maunder minimum types of solar activity. The CR driven component is currently considered to be the least well understood of the sources of solar forcing, although dedicated ongoing international research efforts are being made to address this question. Resent results have suggested that although CRs may stimulate aerosol nucleation, in global terms these effects are not great, and questions remain on the physical mechanisms linking CRs and aerosol nucleation.

Challenge 11: Urban Weather and Climate

The urban heat island (UHI) is perhaps the best known effect of the presence of cities on the local microclimate; the air temperature in a city at night can be much higher (up to 10°C or more) than in the surrounding area. Urban Climate, an emerging branch of meteorology 20 years ago, is now a mature field of research. It covers a range of topics, from fundamental theoretical studies to more applied research, having as its main goal the application of climatic knowledge to the better design of cities around the world. Micrometeorology has always been a core area of interest in urban studies because of the scales involved. Urban climatology instrumentalists have pioneered the continuous development of instrumentation and process analysis ever since the 1970s. The processes leading to the formation of the UHI (mostly physical in nature due to the 3D shape and the materials that make up the urban fabric), emerged from these early studies. Today, a number of challenges remain in relation to the measurement of this rather complex urban boundary layer. New short-range teledetection instruments are being used to gain a specialist view of the physical processes involved. Such instrumental developments will inevitably continue. Urban climate was only tackled by atmospheric modellers when the atmospheric models reached a sufficiently high resolution (a few km) to be able to represent cities explicitly. The first models representing the exchanges of energy and water between urban surfaces and the atmosphere appeared in the early 2000s (see reviews in Masson, 2006 and Martilli, 2007 ), and are now being used more and more in numerical weather forecasting models. The first international intercomparisons of urban models ( Grimmond et al., 2010 , 2011 ) discussed some obvious means of improvement, for example in the representation of urban vegetation. In addition, approximately 15 years later than atmospheric models, regional climate models now have spatial resolutions compatible with urban scales. This of course presents a new challenge in the proper representation of cities in climate models. Similarly, urban meteorology studies cannot be limited to physics or chemistry, but must take account of the behavior of the inhabitants. Although biometeorological studies already exist, especially in terms of levels of human comfort, the interactions between the meteorological and social worlds, both in terms of human comfort but also in terms of meteorologically dependant energy use, for example, still form one of the main challenges for urban meteorologists.

Challenge 12: Ozone Depletion and Recovery

Although stratospheric ozone concentration minima are still seen in many regions, signs of recovery are beginning to be perceived. In the Antarctic stratosphere the concentration of halocarbons peaked around the year 2000 and then began to diminish. Current projections suggest that complete recovery could occur around the year 2050. This means that one of the major challenges is to ensure the continued monitoring both of ozone and of ozone-depleting gases in order to guarantee the recovery. Improvements in the basic understanding of processes, and simulations thereof, are especially important in the context of a changing climate. Both directions must be simulated, i.e., how a changing climate will affect the ozone layer, and how the recovery of the ozone will affect weather and climate. The so-called climate-chemistry models (CCMs, Lamarque et al., 2013 ) appear to be of key importance in this case.

The foregoing list of challenges for the next few years in atmospheric sciences research relates only to a few of the most urgent unsolved questions and naturally remains incomplete. The challenges described herein must not be considered to be the likely principal research topics in Frontiers in Atmospheric Science; any interesting work linked to the umbrella of atmospheric science should find accommodation in the journal.

Acknowledgments

Supported in part by MINECO (Spain), project TRAMO and FEDER. The team of Associated Editors of Frontiers in Atmospheric Science provides useful comments.

Gimeno, L., Stohl, A., Trigo, R. M., Dominguez, F., Yoshimura, K., Yu, L., et al. (2012). Oceanic and terrestrial sources of continental precipitation. Rev. Geophys . 50:RG4003. doi: 10.1029/2012RG000389

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Grimmond, C. S. B., Blackett, M., Best, M. J., Barlow, J., Baik, J-J., Belcher, S. E., et al. (2010). The international urban energy balance models comparison project: first results from phase 1. J. Appl. Meteorol. Climatol . 49, 1268–1292. doi: 10.1175/2010JAMC2354.1

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Keywords: atmospheric science grand challenges, atmospheric dynamics, atmospheric physics, physics of climate, atmospheric chemistry

Citation: Gimeno L (2013) Grand challenges in atmospheric science. Front. Earth Sci . 1 :1. doi: 10.3389/feart.2013.00001

Received: 10 October 2013; Accepted: 17 October 2013; Published online: 29 October 2013.

Copyright © 2013 Gimeno. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: [email protected]

How do birds flock? Researchers do the math to reveal previously unknown aerodynamic phenomenon

Findings have potential applications for transportation and energy.

In looking up at the sky during these early weeks of spring, you may very well see a flock of birds moving in unison as they migrate north. But how do these creatures fly in such a coordinated and seemingly effortless fashion?

Part of the answer lies in precise, and previously unknown, aerodynamic interactions, reports a team of mathematicians in a newly published study. Its breakthrough broadens our understanding of wildlife, including fish, who move in schools, and could have applications in transportation and energy.

"This area of research is important since animals are known to take advantage of the flows, such as of air or water, left by other members of a group to save on the energy needed to move or to reduce drag or resistance," explains Leif Ristroph, an associate professor at New York University's Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and the senior author of the paper, which appears in the journal Nature Communications . "Our work may also have applications in transportation -- like efficient propulsion through air or water -- and energy, such as more effectively harvesting power from wind, water currents, or waves."

The team's results show that the impact of aerodynamics depends on the size of the flying group -- benefiting small groups and disrupting large ones.

"The aerodynamic interactions in small bird flocks help each member to hold a certain special position relative to their leading neighbor, but larger groups are disrupted by an effect that dislodges members from these positions and may cause collisions," notes Sophie Ramananarivo, an assistant professor at École Polytechnique Paris and one of the paper's authors.

Previously, Ristroph and his colleagues uncovered how birds move in groups -- but these findings were drawn from experiments mimicking the interactions of two birds. The new Nature Communications research expanded the inquiry to account for many flyers.

To replicate the columnar formations of birds, in which they line up one directly behind the other, the researchers created mechanized flappers that act like birds' wings. The wings were 3D-printed from plastic and driven by motors to flap in water, which replicated how air flows around bird wings during flight. This "mock flock" propelled through water and could freely arrange itself within a line or queue, as seen in a video of the experiment.

The flows affected group organization in different ways -- depending on the size of the group.

For small groups of up to about four flyers, the researchers discovered an effect by which each member gets help from the aerodynamic interactions in holding its position relative to its neighbors.

"If a flyer is displaced from its position, the vortices or swirls of flow left by the leading neighbor help to push the follower back into place and hold it there," explains Ristroph, director of NYU's Applied Mathematics Laboratory, where the experiments were conducted. "This means the flyers can assemble into an orderly queue of regular spacing automatically and with no extra effort, since the physics does all the work.

"For larger groups, however, these flow interactions cause later members to be jostled around and thrown out of position, typically causing a breakdown of the flock due to collisions among members. This means that the very long groups seen in some types of birds are not at all easy to form, and the later members likely have to constantly work to hold their positions and avoid crashing into their neighbors."

The authors then deployed mathematical modeling to better understand the underlying forces driving the experimental results.

Here, they concluded that flow-mediated interactions between neighbors are, in effect, spring-like forces that hold each member in place -- just as if the cars of a train were connected by springs.

However, these "springs" act in only one direction -- a lead bird can exert force on its follower, but not vice versa -- and this non-reciprocal interaction means that later members tend to resonate or oscillate wildly.

"The oscillations look like waves that jiggle the members forwards and backwards and which travel down the group and increase in intensity, causing later members to crash together," explains Joel Newbolt, who was an NYU graduate student in physics at the time of research.

The team named these new types of waves "flonons," which is based on the similar concept of phonons that refer to vibrational waves in systems of masses linked by springs and which are used to model the motions of atoms or molecules in crystals or other materials.

"Our findings therefore raise some interesting connections to material physics in which birds in an orderly flock are analogous to atoms in a regular crystal," Newbolt adds.

The study's other authors included the Courant Institute's Nickolas Lewis, Mathilde Bleu, Jiajie Wu, and Christiana Mavroyiakoumou.

The work was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (DMS-1847955, DMS-1646339).

• New Species
• Bird Flu Research
• Environmental Issues
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• Wildlife gardening
• Molecular biology
• May 2003 Tornado Outbreak Sequence
• Overfishing

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Materials provided by New York University . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Related Multimedia :

• YouTube Video: Flocking Birds Experiment

Journal Reference :

• Joel W. Newbolt, Nickolas Lewis, Mathilde Bleu, Jiajie Wu, Christiana Mavroyiakoumou, Sophie Ramananarivo, Leif Ristroph. Flow interactions lead to self-organized flight formations disrupted by self-amplifying waves . Nature Communications , 2024; 15 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47525-9

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5 NSF projects transforming how researchers understand plastic waste

The U.S. National Science Foundation champions research on how plastic impacts the planet. These five projects are changing how researchers think about plastic and what happens after it is tossed away.

Plastic is everywhere. Humans produce so much plastic that we end up throwing away about 400 million tons of plastic-related trash every year. And researchers are learning that this trash doesn't stay where it is deposited. From land to sea, plastic is found virtually everywhere on the planet.

Earth Day 2024 is highlighting the plastics problem with the theme: "Planet vs. Plastic." "Our reliance on harmful plastics is not sustainable," said Alexandra Isern, NSF assistant director for Geosciences. "We are committed to funding research that will address the plastics challenge to create a safer future for generations to come."

Here are five NSF-driven projects that look at the versatile material in both expected and unusual places and examine its impacts on the planet and the creatures who call it home. 

1. In soils

About half of the 400 million tons of plastic that people worldwide discard annually migrates beyond landfills.

Brian Giebel, an assistant research professor at the City University of New York, and Benjamin Bostick, a professor at Columbia University, are studying how these discarded plastics can affect soil health and function . The team is especially interested in plastic's potential to change how soils emit climate-warming gases like carbon dioxide and methane.

How does a piece of plastic eventually end up as a gas? First, it breaks down through chemical and physical processes in soils. When it degrades to less than 5 micrometers in size, slightly bigger than a speck of dust, it can become a tasty lunch for microorganisms, which then release carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere.

The team will use a variety of laboratory techniques, like stable isotope measurements and X-ray microscopy, to track plastic's degradation, microbial uptake and eventual transformation to gas. 

2. In urban streams

From plastic wrappers to plastic bottles, plastics dominate daily life. Once used, however, plastic can often end up as litter within waterways.

Anne Jefferson, a professor at the University of Vermont, and her team are using time-lapse photography and repeat field surveys to understand how discarded plastic  moves through and sometimes stays in streams . "I kept seeing trash everywhere in the urban streams where I was doing research for other projects," Jefferson said. "Since stopping litter from entering streams seemed like a losing battle, I wanted to know more about what happens to the litter once it got into a stream and how it interacted with other elements of the stream channel."

Jefferson's findings will improve litter tracking models that follow plastic from streams to oceans. She wants to learn how much plastic is stored in flood plains or within stream and river channels rather than entering the ocean. Her findings will also help guide litter management, environmental cleanup and ecosystem restoration efforts.

3. On the ocean's surface

Just like humans, plastic is carbon-based. Aron Stubbins, a professor at Northeastern University, is using this fact to better understand whether plastic pollution has fundamentally changed the ocean's surface.

Plastic has been accumulating at the ocean's surface ever since mass production started about 70 years ago. Stubbins and his team are collecting plastic samples from the open ocean and measuring natural organic carbon and plastic-carbon concentrations to determine if the plastic carbon now makes up a significant fraction of the total surface ocean carbon. If that is the case, as the team suspects, then it's very likely that the plastic carbon levels on the ocean surface today are unprecedented.

The team collected samples from the Atlantic Ocean on a research cruise last summer. The anticipated findings will reveal whether ocean scientists need to consider the role of plastic carbon as an active component of the surface ocean carbon cycle. 

4. In the Arctic 

Bits of plastic smaller than 5 millimeters can come from larger plastic pieces that have broken apart, byproducts of plastic manufacturing or microbeads used in health and beauty products.

These microplastics litter the seas, even reaching the remote Arctic Ocean. Alexandra Jahn, an associate professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, is studying how sea ice moves microplastics in polar regions.

Jahn and her collaborators at the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, the University of Washington and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute are investigating why observed concentrations of microplastics in sea ice are many times higher than in the underlying ocean and how this affects where microplastics end up. The team is also investigating whether sea ice is more likely to melt when it contains dark microplastics, which increase sunlight absorption.

To help answer these questions, the team is growing sea ice embedded with microplastics in a laboratory and adding microplastics to numerical models of various complexity. 

5. In the atmosphere 

Manufacturers add certain chemicals to plastic to make it stronger, more flexible and more durable. However, when plastic waste ends up in the ocean, these often toxic additives can leach into the water and accumulate in the sea surface microlayer, where the top of the ocean meets the atmosphere. 

Nate Slade, an assistant professor at the University of California San Diego is studying how these chemicals can stick to droplets as they evaporate into the air , travel long distances across the ocean, pollute air quality, and eventually end up in a person's airways. 

Slade and his team want to know how long plastic additives can last when stuck to those droplets, known as aerosols, and how other chemicals can affect their transport. 

These and related NSF-supported projects will help scientists better understand how plastic impacts the planet and how to use that knowledge to build a resilient planet. 

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Physics doctoral student earns award for space weather research

Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 • Greg Pederson :

A doctoral student in physics at The University of Texas at Arlington received a top award at an international conference for his research about the effects of a solar eclipse on space weather.

Yu Hong earned an Outstanding Student Presentation Awards at the American Geophysics Union (AGU) 2023 Meeting in San Francisco in December. More than 25,000 participated in the competition, with only two percent of students receiving the OSPA distinction.

“I was surprised and excited to win, since this was my first time participating the AGU OSPA competition,” Hong said. “I've seen a lot of outstanding posters in the gallery and I knew it would be very competitive.”

Hong’s project was titled “Inter-Hemispheric Asymmetry (IHA) in the Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere System Due to the December 04, 2021 Solar Eclipse: MHD-GCM Coupled Simulations”. Its focus was on exploring the different responses of the northern and southern hemispheres — known as “inter-hemispheric asymmetry” — during the solar eclipse which occurred in Antarctica on December 4, 2021.

Hong’s co-authors include his faculty supervisor, Yue Deng, UTA professor of physics, as well as collaborators from the University of Michigan, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the University of Newcastle in Australia.

“We aim to better integrate the modeling between the ionosphere and the magnetosphere, bridging two fields that have traditionally operated independently,” Hong said. “Using realistic ionospheric conductance will help us to understand the eclipse effect from Earth’s upper atmosphere to the magnetosphere.”

As stated in the project abstract, solar eclipses provide scientists with unique opportunities to investigate the geospace environment. Geospace is the region of space near Earth and includes the upper atmosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere. The impact on Earth’s ionosphere-thermosphere (IT) system due to rapidly changing solar radiation is well understood, but the effects of eclipses on magnetosphere-ionosphere (MI) coupling dynamics by altering the conductivity has not been fully studied.

Through their research, Hong and his co-authors sought to help quantify the significance of inter-hemispheric asymmetries in the global IT system and their effects on the MI system to provide new insights into the magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere coupling process under extraordinary solar conditions.

During the April 8 total solar eclipse which was visible in the D-FW Metroplex, Hong was on the UTA campus working with students visiting from the University of Michigan. They used numerical models to predict the solar corona, which is the outermost part of the Sun's atmosphere and normally cannot be seen by the naked eye. The corona is visible during the short period of totality during a solar eclipse. The students used modeling tools from UM’s Space Weather Modeling Framework to study the whole Sun-to-Earth system.

The AGU award isn’t the first time Hong’s research has been honored. In 2022 he won first place in the poster competition at the international 2022 CEDAR (Coupling, Energetics and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions) Workshop. That same summer he was chosen for the highly selective Graduate Visitor Program at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Using radar and satellite data as well as the global ionosphere-thermosphere model (GITM) and the NCAR 3D-electrodynamo model, he studied low-latitude electrodynamics and the hemispherically asymmetric storm-time responses in the upper atmosphere. In addition, he was one of the 2020 recipients of the Outstanding Graduate Presentation Award from the Texas Section of the American Physical Society (APS).

The UTA College of Science, a Carnegie R1 research institution, is preparing the next generation of leaders in science through innovative education and hands-on research and offers programs in Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Data Science, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Health Professions, Mathematics, Physics and Psychology. To support educational and research efforts visit the  giving page , or if you're a prospective student interested in beginning your #MaverickScience journey visit our  future students page .

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