Harshvardhan's research group carries out studies related to the role played by clouds and aerosols in the atmospheric radiation budget and how changes in their properties could influence the climate system. A significant portion of current work involves detailed analysis of remotely sensed satellite data, particularly from the MODIS instrument on TERRA and AQUA. The group also has access to chemistry transport and transformation models, which are used to study alternate emission scenarios and also improved parameterizations of aerosol properties, especially black carbon.

Selected Publications

Bennartz, R. and Harshvardhan, 2007. Correction to 'Global assessment of marine boundary layer cloud droplet number concentration from satellite' by R. Bennartz. Journal of Geophysical Research 112, D16302, doi:10.1029/2007JD008841.

Harshvardhan, G. Guo, R.N. Green, Z. Qu, and T.Y. Nakajima., 2004. Remotely sensed microphysical and thermodynamic properties of non-uniform water cloud fields, Journal of Atmospheric Science 61 , 2574-2587

Schwartz, S.E., Harshvardhan, and C. M. Benkovitz, 2002. Influence of anthropogenic aerosol on cloud optical depth and albedo shown by satellite measurements and chemical transport modeling. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 99 , 1784-1789.

Harshvardhan, S.E. Schwartz, C.M. Benkovitz, and G. Guo, 2002: Aerosol influence on cloud microphysics examined by satellite measurements and chemical transport modeling. Journal of Atmospheric Science 59 , 714-725.