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Future Directions for Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation Interaction Research in the Arctic from the QuIESCENT 2024 Workshop
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Scientists are working to better understand how tiny particles in the air affect cloud formation in the Arctic, which is crucial for predicting climate change. This research summary from an international workshop highlights that pollution from ships, wildfires, and even microplastics are changing Arctic clouds in ways that could impact weather patterns worldwide. Better understanding these changes will help us prepare for how climate change might affect global weather, sea levels, and extreme weather events that impact human health and safety.
Aerosol-cloud interactions in the Arctic, especially with mixed-phase clouds, remain one of the largest sources of uncertainty in climate projections. The 2024 QuIESCENT workshop, held in Lausanne, Switzerland, gathered researchers from around the world to tackle these challenges and define a collaborative roadmap for future research.This poster explores the workshop’s central themes, emphasizing the urgent need for continuous, long-term observations of cloud condensation nuclei and ice-nucleating particles, as well as the importance of advanced vertical profiling techniques using cutting-edge platforms like uncrewed aerial systems and tethered balloon systems. The poster highlights how emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and next-generation remote sensing tools like the EarthCARE satellite, are revolutionizing our ability to collect and analyze data in this remote and rapidly changing environment.A key focus will be on the evolving sources of Arctic aerosols, including shipping emissions, wildfires, and microplastics, and their complex impacts on cloud formation and climate feedbacks. The poster will also address the critical role of international collaboration and the inclusion of understudied regions.By synthesizing the workshop’s outcomes, this poster aims to highlight how these insights can inform upcoming global initiatives, such as the International Polar Year 2032-33, and foster coordinated efforts to reduce uncertainties in Arctic climate projections. Join us to discuss how the scientific community can collectively advance our understanding of Arctic aerosol-cloud interactions and their global climate impacts.Keywords: Arctic, aerosol-cloud interactions, mixed-phase clouds, field campaigns, remote sensing
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