Cloud Physics

Clouds regulate the Earth’s energy budget and are central to the hydrological cycle. They modulate the incoming solar energy and significantly influence the outgoing longwave radiation. The formation and behavior of clouds are governed by a complex web of dynamical, microphysical, chemical, and radiative processes, all of which are interconnected, creating interactions and feedback across various scales. We explore those fascinating and challenging systems from multiple perspectives. We develop and employ numerical models across a wide range of scales, from conceptual to detailed high-resolution models of clouds and cloud fields. We develop new approaches to remotely sensing cloud properties, aiming to better understand the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and clouds, utilizing both satellite data and ground measurements.

Key research areas: microphysical processes, mixing and its interaction with cloud dynamics, rain processes, cloud-radiation interactions, aerosol-cloud interactions, cloud organization, and cloud trends and feedback in the climate system.