Diana Rose

AS Atmospheric Sciences

The 2012 Division Outstanding Young Scientist Award is awarded to Diana Rose for outstanding contributions to the elucidation of the influence of atmospheric aerosol particles on the formation of clouds.

The studies of Diana Rose are focused on the measurement and modeling of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), i.e., atmospheric aerosol particles that enable the formation of cloud droplets. Her research addresses a key topic of current atmospheric science – the influence of natural and anthropogenic aerosols on the formation of clouds and precipitation, the hydrological cycle, and radiative forcing of climate. This topic is of fundamental importance for our understanding of the Earth system and global environmental change. Moreover, quantitative information about aerosol-cloud interactions is crucial for the improvement of numerical weather prediction models, in particular with regard to the spatial and temporal distribution of precipitation and heavy weather events. Rose has developed robust methods for the measurement and prediction of CCN concentrations as a function of atmospheric aerosol size distribution, chemical composition and water vapour supersaturation. She performed field measurements in a wide range of environments from polluted Chinese megacities to pristine tropical rainforests, and she gathered a unique CCN data set of unprecedented comprehensiveness and precision. The scientific work and achievements of Rose led to a strong reduction of uncertainties in the modeling and assessment of aerosol effects on clouds.