Quantifying the Impact of Cloud-Surface-Coupling on Aerosol-Cloud Interactions over Land

Small particles in the atmosphere, known as aerosol, play a significant role in cloud and precipitation development. It has been shown that clouds that have a significant connection to the lowest layer of the atmosphere are more affected by aerosol than clouds that are disconnected. The research in this award will determine how well that theory holds over different land surface types, such as urban, forested, and coastal regions. The national importance of this work is related to improving understanding and numerical modeling of clouds and precipitation. Multiple early-career researchers will be trained, fostering the next generation of scientists. The goal of this award is to improve understanding of aerosol-cloud interactions, and more specifically, their relationship to cloud-surface coupling. The research team will use data from ground, airborne, and space sensors, combined with machine learning and numerical simulations, to address the primary scientific question: How does cloud-surface coupling influence aerosol-cloud interactions under varying atmospheric conditions and surface types? This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.