Primary Biological Aerosol Particles (PBAPs): modeling at Southeast and Southern Brazil Cloud Physics processes using WRF

• Grant number: 20/14556-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date until: November 01, 2021
• End date until: December 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Meteorology
• Principal Investigator: Fábio Luiz Teixeira Gonçalves
• Grantee: Marcos Vinícius Bueno de Morais
• Host Institution: Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 16/06160-8 - Sampling and modeling Primary Biological Aerosol Particles (PBAPS) at South-Southern Brazil: associated to improvements of climate models, AP.PFPMCG.TEM

Abstract

A vacancy for postdoctoral scholar exists for research into the role of primary biological aerosol particles in clouds. These are to be simulated with numerical models. The objective is to develop and/or adapt microphysics schemes that can use as their inputs information about the aerosol conditions of size, chemistry and loading. Airborne concentrations and size distributions of bacterial and fungal particles will be specified for some cases of tropical hailstorms to be simulated, based on ongoing measurements under our wider joint project funded by FAPESP. Two cloud models (WRF and BRAMS) will simulate these cases with validation against available satellite and ground-based hail information from our network of hail-pads across Southern Brazil. Both models will run in parallel where BRAMS is the other post-doc position focus already allocated WRF/BRAMS simulations will test hypotheses and assess potential changes in the frequency and intensity patterns of hailstorms under future climate scenarios as part of the objectives. This will advance understanding about how microorganisms participate in the formation of ice crystals in the atmosphere of the region of study. (AU)