A University of Iowa engineering professor is leveraging instruments on the International Space Station (ISS) to gain insights into the complex interactions between aerosols and climate, enabling scientists to better predict and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Led by principal investigator Jun Wang, the Lichtenberger Family Chair in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, the project recently funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) focuses on improving and enriching aerosol data products from an instrument called the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III (SAGE III).

"Our research aims to develop a novel algorithm to retrieve aerosol information in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere or UTLS (about 10 km or 6 miles above the earth’s surface) from the moonlight intensity measured by SAGE III,” said Wang, who is also professor and department executive officer of chemical and biochemical engineering and assistant director of the Iowa Technology Institute (ITI).

“Such data of aerosol distribution at night would be among the first of its kind and help scientists to understand how aerosols ejected by large volcanoes and fires may affect temperature and climate at both regional and global scale."

In addition to his own research project, Wang has also been selected by NASA as the lead for the science team of SAGE III, consisting of a dozen principal investigators around the country. 

Advancing Aerosol Research 

The novel algorithm will allow the research team, including Xi Chen, an assistant research scientist at the ITI who contributed significantly to the project, to develop new algorithms and methods to characterize aerosol types, particle size distributions (PSD), and absorption properties in the UTLS. The UTLS region – the transition between the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere and the layer above it – is key to understanding climate dynamics because it involves complex interactions between chemical, physical, and dynamic processes.

Importance of Stratospheric Aerosols

Stratospheric aerosols are tiny particles suspended in the stratosphere that can influence the Earth's energy budget by scattering and absorbing solar radiation. Events like volcanic eruptions and fires can inject substantial amounts of these particles into the atmosphere, affecting global temperatures and weather patterns. For instance, the 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption released particles that led to surface cooling by enhancing stratospheric aerosol extinction.

Project Impact

The three-year, $518,726 project has the potential to advance our understanding of stratospheric aerosols and their impact on climate. This research will also contribute to global efforts in climate modeling and environmental monitoring, providing valuable information for policymakers and the public.

Moreover, the project aligns with NASA's goals of linking current measurements with earlier missions and assessing long-term changes in atmospheric composition. The enhanced data products will improve the rigor and uncertainty characterization of SAGE III's aerosol measurements, making them more useful for a wide range of scientific applications.