Atmospheric aerosol-cloud-climate interactions (e.g. heterogeneous ice nucleation) are fundamental processes in the atmosphere. Despite the importance of these processes in cloud dynamics and precipitation formation, and hence in climate change, little is known about the molecular mechanism and the respective contribution of different structural and chemical surface properties of the atmospheric aerosols and ice nuclei controlling these processes in the atmosphere. For example, observation of atmospheric ice nucleation has bridged the scales from macroscopic to microscopic levels (satellites, balloons, mountain stations, flight campaigns, and laboratory measurements) and has delivered a wide variety of important results in cloud microphysics, particularly concerning the ice nucleation ability of atmospheric aerosol particles. However, fundamental understanding of the cloud dynamics and properties, which play the major role in the climate system, will require the understanding of water-aerosol surface interactions.
To advance our knowledge about atmospheric process, particularly heterogeneous freezing in the atmosphere, this session aims to bring together experimental and theoretical approaches concerned with investigating water- and ice-solid interactions as well as ice nucleation processes on the molecular level. The goal is to fill the gap between cloud microphysics and aerosol-water surface interactions. We aim to gather contributions from laboratory and theoretical investigations that deal with the interaction of water and ice with atmospheric relevant mineral and biological surfaces.
Keyword selection: water-Ice-aerosol interactions, Atmospheric chemistry, Aerosol-cloud interactions, Atmosphere-biosphere interactions, Spectroscopy

Introductory talk: Bridging experiments and molecular simulations to elucidate heterogeneous ice nucleation. Speaker: Sapna Sarupria

Solicited talk: Towards the surface science of ice nucleation on aqueous organic solutions and solid substrates. Speaker: HuanYu Yang


An interview slot will be available for an open PhD position under the title "Atmospheric surface spectroscopy". For more details please contact the Convener.