Department of Atmospheric Sciences

More than 50 UW researchers have been named to Clarivate’s annual list of Highly Cited Researchers. Among them are our very own Joel Thornton and Phil Rasch. Researchers named to this list have shown great influence through multiple highly cited papers throughout the last decade. 

Kyle Armour, associate professor in the School of Oceanography and Department of Atmospheric Sciences, has been selected as a recipient of the 2020 James B. Macelwane Medal from the American Geophysical Union (AGU) for his outstanding scientific contributions. 

A new study of wildfire smoke plumes led by UW Atmospheric Sciences researchers has found that smoke forecasts may incorrectly predict the amount of particles in staler smoke. The results could lead to better air quality forecasts for areas affected by wildfires. 

Sarah Doherty, associate affiliate professor in the department and program manager for the Marine Cloud Brightening Project, was featured in a recent NOVA TV episode titled “Can We Cool The Planet?” 

Congratulations to departmental alum Gretchen Mullendore who was recently selected as the next Director of the Mesoscale & Microscale Meteorology Laboratory (MMM) at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Mullendore is currently a professor and chair of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of North Dakota. 

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) selected new Atmospheric Sciences faculty member, Alex Turner, as the recipient of the 2020 AGU James R. Holton Award. This award recognizes early-career scientists with exceptional scientific research contributions and accomplishments who are no more than three years past receiving a Ph.D degree. 

Professors Greg Hakim and Rob Wood shared their thoughts with the Seattle Times on possible reasons the smoke is still lingering in Washington. 

Every day billions of pulses of light are emitted from satellites to measure Earth’s atmosphere and surface. Data from satellites and other ground-based observation systems are used in every branch of the atmospheric sciences. 

New research published in Geophysical Research Letters by doctoral student Michael Diamond and Professor Robert Wood found that the February lockdown in China caused a drop in some types of air pollution, but not others. 

Three UW Department of Atmospheric Sciences faculty members have been recognized through the American Meteorological Society (AMS) Awards and Honors program. Every year, AMS accepts nominations to honor outstanding individuals and organizations whose work has impacted the weather, water, and climate science community.