This Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Polar Programs will support research to enhance understanding of cloud impacts on the surface energy budget of the Antarctic Peninsula. With total funding of $248,364, the award period is from February 1, 2022 through July 31, 2024.
The University of California San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, as awardee, will use surface-based and satellite measurements to characterize clouds and humidity in the region. Researchers will quantify clouds, water vapor, and radiation and their effects on the surface energy balance at three Antarctic stations. This work will test hypotheses about the roles of clouds in regional surface warming and melt, as well as their radiative influences before and during atmospheric river events. Broader impacts include undergraduate research projects and public outreach. The research supports the NSF Polar Programs' goal of expanding knowledge of polar regions through basic scientific research best conducted in situ.