Agenda

Speaker: Claudio Mazzoleni, Michigan Technological University, USA

Abstract:
Atmospheric particles – also known as “aerosols” – have very diverse physical and chemical properties. These properties determine the particles’ lifecycle and climatic and air quality impacts. Particle size, chemical composition, and interactions with water vapor and clouds all play key roles. Additionally, using an electron microscope, we see that these particles have very different shapes, and several components often mix with different geometrical structures, also affecting how the particles transform in the atmosphere, and how they interact with solar radiation and clouds. All these properties and interactions determine the aerosol warming or cooling potentials. Here, I will focus on a specific category of atmospheric particles, namely, light-absorbing aerosols. These particles, in addition to scatter the solar radiation, also absorb it. I will also discuss some measurement techniques and the associated challenges. I will conclude my talk by providing a brief overview of our atmospheric sciences program and some of the current research fields at Michigan Technological University.

Bio Sketch:
Claudio Mazzoleni is a Professor in the Physics Department and the Atmospheric Sciences Program at Michigan Technological University. He earned a Laurea in Physics in 1995 at the University of Trento, Italy, and a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences in 2003 at the Desert Research Institute of Reno, NV. He was a post-doc at the Los Alamos National Laboratory from 2005 to 2008. He is currently on sabbatical leave in Europe. His research focuses on the study of atmospheric particles with an emphasis on their optical and morphological properties.