We research physical climate processes in the context of anthropogenic perturbations to the earth system as the underlying cause of climate change.

Focal points of our research are clouds and their response to air pollution in form of aerosol particles (aerosol-cloud interactions) and to global warming (cloud feedbacks).

Atmospheric aerosols play an important role in the global climate system through direct modification of the global radiation budget, by scattering and absorption, as well as indirectly, by the modification of cloud properties.

Deep convective clouds among partially organised shallow clouds over Borneo, as observed from the International Space Station. The representation of such complex cloud structures remains rudimentary in current climate models.

Credit: NASA

We combine theory with advanced computer models of the atmosphere, with explicit representation of the governing microphysical cloud and aerosol process, in synergy with observations from satellites, aircrafts and ground based instruments to understand the complex interaction of aerosols and clouds with the aim to quantify the resulting climatic implications. Increasingly, we are also employing machine learning techniques to analyse and emulate complex big climate datasets.

Contact

Head of Climate Processes Group