My research in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences is in characterizing atmospheric aerosols and studying their interaction with clouds. It is well known that aerosols can play an important role in regional and global climate, both directly by scattering and absorbing solar radiation, and indirectly by changing cloud microphysical properties. One of the two research projects I am currently involved is the characterization of the spatiotemporal variation in concentrations of atmospheric metals and metalloids in Southern Arizona, with an emphasis on the role of soil dust in carrying harmful toxins in the region. My other work is an effort to quantify the effect of aerosols on cloud microphysical and chemical properties using aircraft measurements from the Eastern Pacific Emitted Aerosol Cloud Experiment (E-PEACE).
