As a cloud physicist, I study the small-scale interactions in polar clouds which drive their development, evolution, and lifetime. Cloud modelling constitutes a large component of my research: I use several numerical models to conduct detailed studies of the physical processes within Arctic, and Antarctic, clouds on various spatial and temporal scales.
The interaction between aerosol particles and clouds is a key uncertainty in global climate models, and trying to better understand these interactions consumes a significant portion of my time! I use high-resolution models to try to learn more about the variability and sensitivity of aerosol-cloud interactions to different particle sources. In particular, I am interested in the role of these interactions in the unique polar environment and want to understand how particles in the polar atmosphere interact with clouds as cloud condensation nuclei or ice nucleating particles, forming cloud droplets and ice crystals respectively. Polar aerosol sources range from local to distant – via long-range transport pathways – thus adding further complexity into understanding aerosol-cloud interactions: if we don’t know what aerosol are there, then we can’t truly understand how important they are in influencing the clouds in the region.
Or, to summarise:
2018:
Young, G., Connolly, P. J., Dearden, C., and Choularton, T. W.: Relating large-scale subsidence to convection development in Arctic mixed-phase marine stratocumulus, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 18, 1475-1494, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-1475-2018, 2018.
Price, H. C. [and 22 co-authors, including Young, G.]: Atmospheric ice-nucleating particles in the dusty tropical Atlantic. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 123, doi:10.1002/2017JD027560, 2018.
2017:
Young, G., Connolly, P. J., Jones, H. M., and Choularton, T. W.: Microphysical sensitivity of coupled springtime Arctic stratocumulus to modelled primary ice over the ice pack, marginal ice, and ocean. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 17, 4209-4227, doi:10.5194/acp-17-4209-2017, 2017.
2016:
Young, G., Jones, H. M., Choularton, T. W., Crosier, J., Bower, K. N., Gallagher, M. W., Davies, R. S., Renfrew, I. A., Elvidge, A. D., Darbyshire, E., Marenco, F., Brown, P. R. A., Ricketts, H. M. A., Connolly, P. J., Lloyd, G., Williams, P. I., Allan, J. D., Taylor, J. W., Liu, D., and Flynn, M. J.: Observed microphysical changes in Arctic mixed-phase clouds when transitioning from sea ice to open ocean. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 16 13945–13967, doi:10.5194/acp-16-13945-2016, 2016.
Taylor, J. W., Choularton, T. W., Blyth, A. M., Flynn, M. J., Williams, P. I., Young, G., et al.: Aerosol measurements during COPE: composition, size and sources of CCN and IN at the interface between marine and terrestrial influences. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 16, 11687-11709, doi:10.5194/acp-16-11687-2016, 2016.
Leon, D. C. [and 44 co-authors, including Young, G.]: The Convective Precipitation Experiment (COPE):
Investigating the Origins of Heavy Precipitation in the Southwestern United Kingdom. Bulletin of the
American Meteorological Society, 97, 1003–1020, doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-14-00157.1, 2016
Young, G., Jones, H. M., Darbyshire, E., Baustian, K. J., McQuaid, J. B., Bower, K. N., Connolly, P. J., Gallagher, M.W., and Choularton, T.W.: Size-segregated compositional analysis of aerosol particles collected in the European Arctic during the ACCACIA campaign. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 16, 4063-4079, doi:10.5194/acp-16-4063-2016, 2016.
This project conducted flights within clouds taking detailed measurements of the physical properties of the cloud – size spectrums and phase (whether the particles are ice or liquid) – as well as taking ground based measurements of the aerosols which will act as nuclei for the cloud particles.
