321A - Atmospheric Composition
The Atmospheric Composition Group advances Earth system understanding by developing and applying state‑of‑the‑art remote sensing, data assimilation, and chemical‑climate modeling tools to quantify the distribution, sources, and evolution of trace gases from the surface through the troposphere, stratosphere and mesosphere. We integrate satellite, airborne, and ground‑based observations with models, to reveal how anthropogenic emissions, natural processes, photochemistry, and atmospheric dynamics shape atmospheric composition. These observations include stratospheric ozone and other species related to stratospheric chemistry, markers of pollution in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, tropospheric ozone and its precursors, reactive nitrogen species, water vapor and its isotopologues, as well as long-lived gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.
We establish long‑term atmospheric composition records, develop and maintain retrieval algorithms for major Earth‑observing instruments, and rigorously evaluate global chemical models. These capabilities provide fundamental insight into long-term changes, impacts of extreme events, drivers of variability and processes governing radiative forcing, ultimately strengthening society’s ability to understand, predict, and respond to changes in the Earth system.
Core Science Questions
- How is atmospheric composition changing?
- What trends in atmospheric composition influence the Earth system?
- How does atmospheric composition respond to and affect global environmental change?
- What are the effects of global atmospheric composition and Earth system changes on regional air quality?