Sponsored by UW Atmospheric Sciences, Peter V. Hobbs Memorial Endowed Lecture in Experimental Meteorology
Prof. Ulrike Lohmann, Experimental Atmospheric Physics, Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich)
RSVPby Jan. 18.
Aerosol particles can scatter and absorb radiation and with that cause a cooling, that partly offsets the greenhouse gas warming. Aerosol particles also influence the microphysics of clouds by acting as cloud condensation nuclei and INP. The magnitude and geographical distribution or the cooling caused by aerosol particles themselves and by aerosol-cloud interactions is much more uncertain than the greenhouse gas warming because aerosol particles have localized sources and sinks and only have an atmospheric residence time of days to weeks. An additional uncertainty related to clouds is that it is not yet clear how clouds change in a warmer climate. In this lecture, the progress that has been made in climate projections related to clouds and aerosols will be addressed.
About the Speaker
Ulrike Lohmann is Full Professor for Experimental Atmospheric Physics in the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science at ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich) since October 2004.
Her research focuses on the role of aerosol particles and clouds in the climate system. Of specific interest are cloud microphysical processes including the formation of cloud droplets and ice crystals and the influence of aerosol particles on the radiation balance and on the hydrological cycle in the present, past and future climate. She combines laboratory work and field measurements on cloud and aerosol microphysics with the representation of them in different numerical models.
