Ping Yang

Ping Yang and his group are interested in four research areas: (1) the single-scattering properties of particles in the atmosphere and the development of numerical algorithms to compute the optical properties of these particles, (2) the transfer of solar radiation and terrestrial thermal emission in the atmosphere, (3) remote sensing of cloud properties, and (4) various theoretical topics in light scattering and radiative transfer. Because understanding of the radiative budget of the Earth-Atmosphere system must begin with the fundamental scattering and absorption properties of cloud and aerosol particles, we have made a significant effort to simulate the optical properties of various nonspherical aerosol particles and ice crystals within cirrus clouds. Our research group and external collaborators have developed a database of the single-scattering properties of individual ice crystals with various shapes and sizes. Many other research groups have used this database in various studies involving ice clouds.

To implement advanced remote sensing techniques, fast radiative transfer models are often required. A major portion of our group’s current research effort is concentrated on the development of several fast models for the transfer of solar and infrared radiation under cloudy and aerosol-dusty conditions.

Our research group has been studying cloud properties and forcing on the basis of data sets acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES), the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), and the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) instruments. We are especially interested in the microphysical and optical properties of ice clouds. We wish to contribute to improving the current knowledge about the radiative forcing of ice clouds using modeling capabilities and satellite-based cloud retrievals.