| NSF Org: |
AGS Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | March 14, 2016 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | February 8, 2017 |
| Award Number: | 1623429 |
| Award Instrument: | Continuing Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Chungu Lu
AGS Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | March 15, 2016 |
| End Date: | February 28, 2019 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $243,869.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $243,869.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2017 = $123,530.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1400 TOWNSEND DR HOUGHTON MI US 49931-1200 (906)487-1885 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
1400 Townsend Drive Houghton MI US 49931-1295 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | Physical & Dynamic Meteorology |
| Primary Program Source: |
01001718DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
Aerosol-cloud interactions are a primary uncertainty in our understanding of earth's weather and climate. This project addresses the question of how cloud microphysical properties respond to and alter aerosol properties.
Intellectual Merit:
The work will be carried out in the Pi Chamber, a laboratory cloud chamber capable of sustaining steady-state cloud conditions for long time periods (hours to days). The Pi Chamber has recently been developed with support from the NSF Major Research Instrumentation program, and this will be the first focused scientific research project utilizing the facility. The ability to study transient cloud responses to sudden changes in aerosol properties was noted during the initial characterization of the chamber, and therefore this work is exploratory in nature.
It is potentially transformative because of the unique ability to isolate aerosol indirect effects by maintaining constant thermodynamic cloud forcing conditions throughout the study.
Broader Impacts:
The project provides a special opportunity for students and visiting middle/high-school teachers to gain experience with a large experimental facility.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Aerosol-cloud interactions are a primary uncertainty in our understanding of earth’s weather and climate. This project addressed the question of how cloud microphysical properties respond to and alter aerosol properties. The reesearch was primarily carried out in the Pi Chamber, a laboratory cloud chamber capable of sustaining steady cloud conditions for long time periods (hours to days). The Pi Chamber was developed with support from the NSF Major Research Instrumentation program, and this was the first focused scientific research project utilizing the facility. The work focused on both steady cloud properties and how they respond to aerosol properties, as well as transient cloud responses to sudden changes in aerosol properties. The research allowed aerosol indirect effects such as the dispersion effect to be isolated, by maintaining constant thermodynamic cloud forcing conditions throughout the study.
Eleven papers relating to this work were published: two on the influence of turbulence on aerosol indirect effects, one on aerosol removal in turbulent clouds, one on stochastic condensation, one on holographic measurements of cloud to drizzle transition, one on turbulent convection, two on droplet clustering quantified with digital holography, two on cloud response to entrainment and mixing, and one on supersaturation fluctuations in turbulent clouds. The project also provided a valuable opportunity for training of students: one student supported by the project completed his Ph.D., and a second student supported by the project is nearing completion of the Ph.D. There were also opportunities for outreach to visiting middle/high-school students and teachers to experience a large experimental facility.
Last Modified: 03/14/2019
Modified by: Raymond A Shaw
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