Polar and Subtropical Low-Level Clouds and Interactions with Aerosol Particles

Prof. Adele Igel
Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources
University of California, Davis
Tuesday October 11, 2022, 2 PM ET

Abstract:

In this seminar I will discuss my group’s work on the interaction of aerosols and low-level clouds in the
Arctic and in the subtropics. Aerosol concentrations are often exceptionally low in the Arctic boundary
layer, in fact, here we some of the lowest aerosol concentrations on Earth. I will discuss some of our
recent work about the implications on clouds of such low aerosol concentrations. On the other end of the
aerosol spectrum, many questions remain regarding the response of Arctic boundary layer clouds to
increasing aerosol concentrations which are expected as shipping lanes open due to increasingly little
sea ice. We have been exploring the physical mechanisms that produce reductions in cloud liquid water
with an increase in aerosol concentration and find that they are strikingly different from mechanisms in
their subtropical cousins. The physical mechanisms will be discussed for clouds in both regions.

Biosketch:

Adele Igel is an Associate Professor of Cloud Physics at UC Davis and is currently serving as Editor for
the Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences. She earned her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at Colorado State
University. She has a range of research interests including microphysics parameterizations, low clouds
and fog, and convection. She’s steadily moved from east to west across the country and has discovered
that she much prefers living in low humidity locations with easy access to mountains!

Webinar:

Event site: https://go.umd.edu/igel
Zoom Webinar: https://go.umd.edu/igelwebinar
Zoom Meeting ID: 936 8725 4921
Zoom password: essic
US Toll: +13017158592
Global call-in numbers: https://umd.zoom.us/u/aMElEpvNu

For IT assistance:
Cazzy Medley: cazzy@umd.edu

Resources:
Seminar schedule & archive: https://go.umd.edu/essicseminar
Seminar Google calendar: https://go.umd.edu/essicseminarcalendar
Seminar recordings on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ESSICUMD