Colloquium: Dr. Ian Chang | University of North Carolina at Charlotte
In-Person PHYS 401
Location
Physics : 401
Date & Time
October 8, 2025, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Description
TITLE: "Radiative Impacts of Diurnal Aerosol-Cloud-Radiation-Climate Interactions”
ABSTRACT: Aerosols, clouds, and their interactions with radiation remain highly uncertain, hindering both the reconstruction of past climate and prediction of future climate change. The magnitude of cooling effects from aerosols and clouds that offset greenhouse gas warming is still elusive. One way they impact Earth’s energy balance is by scattering and absorbing solar radiation via the direct aerosol radiative effect (DARE), which varies widely among climate models. The frequent coexistence of African biomass burning aerosols and clouds during Austral winters in the southeast Atlantic provides a natural laboratory for studying aerosol-cloud-radiation interactions. However, the role of cloud diurnal cycles in DARE uncertainties remains largely unclear. This presentation will discuss data fusion techniques involving satellite remote sensing, reanalysis data, aircraft measurements, and radiative transfer modeling to quantify the magnitude of observationally based DARE. This talk will also highlight the importance of integrating high-temporal observations from geostationary satellites to reduce uncertainties in aerosol radiative effects.
ABSTRACT: Aerosols, clouds, and their interactions with radiation remain highly uncertain, hindering both the reconstruction of past climate and prediction of future climate change. The magnitude of cooling effects from aerosols and clouds that offset greenhouse gas warming is still elusive. One way they impact Earth’s energy balance is by scattering and absorbing solar radiation via the direct aerosol radiative effect (DARE), which varies widely among climate models. The frequent coexistence of African biomass burning aerosols and clouds during Austral winters in the southeast Atlantic provides a natural laboratory for studying aerosol-cloud-radiation interactions. However, the role of cloud diurnal cycles in DARE uncertainties remains largely unclear. This presentation will discuss data fusion techniques involving satellite remote sensing, reanalysis data, aircraft measurements, and radiative transfer modeling to quantify the magnitude of observationally based DARE. This talk will also highlight the importance of integrating high-temporal observations from geostationary satellites to reduce uncertainties in aerosol radiative effects.
