The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded sixty-six research teams with ERC Synergy Grants to tackle some of the most challenging scientific questions across a broad range of fields. These grants foster collaboration between outstanding researchers, enabling them to combine their expertise, knowledge and resources to push the boundaries of scientific discovery. Among the recipients is Pier Siebesma, Professor of Atmosphere, Weather and Climate at TU Delft and researcher in the PDPC project Frontrunner 1: Climate change and vectorborne virus outbreaks.

Together with prof.dr. Eberhard Bodenschatz (Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation), prof.dr. Bernhard Mehlig (University of Gothenburg) and dr. Fabian Hoffmann (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen), prof.dr. Pier Siebesma is going to investigate the processes governing the formation of earth’s most dominant cloud type, the stratocumulus, with a particular focus on the effect of turbulence. To this end, the team will perform high-resolution measurements of real-life stratocumulus formation and use this data to develop and verify a new model that incorporates turbulent processes of cloud microphysics. The model, called the Microphysics Informed Large-Eddy-Simulation (MiLES) model, will be embedded in weather and climate models and will reduce uncertainties in climate projections and weather predictions. Ultimately, the knowledge obtained through this research will contribute to our understanding of how clouds influence climate change and vice versa.

Congratulations to professor Siebesma and the team for this prestigious grant! Read more about the ERC Synergy grants here.