Aerosols and their interactions with clouds remain one of the largest sources of uncertainty in our understanding of the climate system with ramifications on the accuracy of climate models and their ability to predict the development of global warming in the future.
Atmospheric particles influence the Earth’s energy balance both directly, by scattering and absorbing radiation, and indirectly, by altering the formation, properties, lifetime and precipitation behaviour of clouds. These processes, known as aerosol-radiation and aerosol-cloud interactions, are highly complex and remain insufficiently represented in climate models, limiting our ability to accurately quantify their contribution to climate forcing. Improving this understanding requires detailed information on aerosol composition, particle size distribution and their vertical structure. Even more complicated is to understand how these properties influence the formation of clouds, and their evolution across different states of the atmoshpere.
To address these challenges, the aerosol-cloud alliance brings together AIRSENSE, CERTAINTY and CleanCloud in a coordinated European effort that combines Earth observation, advanced modelling and atmospheric science expertise. The alliance capitalises on a new generation of observation capabilities, including EarthCARE’s unique ability to provide global vertical profiles of aerosols and clouds, as well as Sentinel-5P/TROPOMI observations that enable improved characterization of aerosol properties and types. By integrating satellite observations with airborne campaigns, ground-based measurements, machine learning and Earth system models, the collaboration seeks to better quantify aerosol-cloud-radiation processes and reduce uncertainties in climate projections.
This coordinated approach maximises European investments in climate science and Earth observation by creating strong synergies across projects and disciplines:
- For AIRSENSE, collaboration ensures that innovative satellite-derived aerosol and cloud products are rapidly exploited by modelling communities, increasing the scientific value of observations from missions such as Sentinel-5P, EarthCARE and PRISMA.
- For CERTAINTY, access to advanced observational datasets supports the development of improved representations of aerosol-cloud-radiation processes in weather and climate models, strengthening Europe’s ability to predict climate trends and extremes.
- For CleanCloud, integration with observational and modelling partners enables a better understanding of how aerosol-cloud interactions will evolve as anthropogenic emissions decline, ensuring climate intelligence remains robust in a post-fossil future.
A dedicated website of the Alliance can also be found under: https://certainty-aci.eu/ec-esa-aerosol-cloud-cluster/