Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science

New research out today in Nature Communications helps explain recent surges in global warming. The study, led by Knut von Salzen, Professor Sarah Doherty, and Professor Robert Wood, shows that reducing air pollution has inadvertently diminished the brightness of marine clouds, which are key regulators of global temperature. 

Atmospheric and Climate Science alum and University of Wisconsin–Madison Associate Professor Ángel F. Adames Corraliza has been awarded a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, also known as the “genius grant. Adames Corraliza got his Ph.D. 

Christopher Kenseth, a NSF AGS Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science, was selected as the recipient of the 2025 James R. Holton Award by the American Geophysical Union (AGU). 

Durran group was featured in the recent EOS Research Spotlight, showcasing their creation of DLESyM (Deep Learning Earth System Model), an AI-powered climate model capable of generating a 1000-year climate simulation in just 12 hours on a single processor—far faster than traditional Earth-system models. 

Former graduate student Aodhan Sweeney and Prof. Qiang Fu’s research paper, “Recent Warming of the Southern Hemisphere Subtropical Lower Stratosphere and Antarctic Ozone Healing,” is featured on EOS Editor’s Highlight. Less than 2% of all AGU papers are selected to be featured this way! 

As Dr. Joel Thornton takes on the role of interim dean for the College of the Environment, Dr. Becky Alexander will serve as the Department’s interim/acting chair. Welcome aboard, Dr. Alexander! 

Professor Cecilia Bitz was interviewed for a recent New York Times article about global warming. In the article, Professor Bitz said that “modeling the Earth is complex, and that there are an innumerable amount of small factors that could be taken into account. 

A new study led by Professor Ed Blanchard-Wrigglesworth, Professor Dargan Frierson, and Patricia DeRepentigny of Université Catholique de Louvain has shown that the increasing boreal fires will slow down global warming. 

A new study by Postdoc David Bonan, Prof. Kyle Armour, and co-authors finds that although the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation will weaken under global warming, it is likely to do so to a much lesser extent than current projections suggest. 

Dawgcast members were interviewed and featured in a recent article by The Daily UW. Members shared their experiences and behind the scenes of this unique course, read more about it here.