Mazzoleni Research
October 2, 2008
 Dr. Claudio Mazzoleni is interested in the effects that aerosols have on earth's climate and air quality. Aerosols are small particles suspended in the atmosphere. They are of anthropogenic origin, arising from human activities. They are also of natural origin, taking the form of dust, sea salt, soot and organic particles emitted in combustion processes, secondary aerosols formed in the atmosphere, and so on. The goal of the research is to contribute to the fundamental understanding of aerosols and to develop tools and knowledge for advancing the performance of future climate models. The desired outcome is to provide decision and policy makers with the best scientific understanding that will allow them to implement regulations aimed at reducing human impact on climate. This will minimize our vulnerability to global changes and lead to improvements in air quality.
 The effects of aerosols on the climate system—through direct, semidirect, and indirect effects and through deposition on snow and ice—are still poorly quantified. These effects are among the largest and most challenging uncertainties in climate science. This uncertainty dramatically reduces our ability to correctly describe the radiative balance of our planet, which is necessary for predicting accurate and credible models for future global changes. The difficulty in correctly representing aerosols in climate models is related to the extreme complexity of the aerosol properties and their interactions with the environment.
 Dr. Mazzoleni currently focuses his research efforts on studying aerosol optical properties and interactions with solar radiation, clouds and snow. The research involves the analysis of data collected during in-situ measurements performed at different locations of the globe. Various sites, from polluted urban areas to remote regions, are studied onboard aircraft or on the ground. In the last three years, Dr. Mazzoleni has participated in many field campaigns, from Mexico City to Alaska, deploying novel instrumentation, such as aerosol photoacoustic spectrometers and nephelometers, to characterize aerosol optical properties. During some of the campaigns, particles were also collected on filters for further laboratory analysis. The particle shape is currently being analyzed using electron microscopy in order to elucidate possible relations between particle morphology and optical properties.
Related Links
Claudio Mazzoleni Faculty Page
LANL Aerosols Website
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