Paul Glantz

About me

Global warming is primarily a problem of too much carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere, which acts as a blanket, trapping heat and thus warming the planet. However, anthropogenic emissions of aerosol particles impact the Earth’s radiation balance and climate as well. In my research, aerosol optical properties as well as cloud optical and microphysical properties derived from satellite observations are investigated. In remote marine areas it is possible, based on satellite observations, to investigate how sea spray aerosol affects aerosol and cloud optical properties in the atmosphere. Time series of aerosol optical thickness (AOT) over Europe are another field of research. Actually, a negative trend in AOT, found over the northern Europe for the last decade, causes a direct aerosol cooling. Satellite observations are also used in air quality studies.