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My research interests focus on understanding atmospheric chemistry within the context of the earth's climate system. The composition of the earth's atmosphere determines its radiative budget. At the same time the abundance of aerosols and greenhouse gases is controlled by atmospheric chemistry and physics. Through an integration of atmospheric chemical models and atmospheric measurements I seek to understand atmospheric chemistry over the historical record and in a future climate. Projections of future climate change are coupled with changes in atmospheric composition whose impacts extend to air quality. An understanding how the chemistry and composition of the atmosphere may change over the 21st Century is essentioal in preparing adaptive responses or establishing mitigation strategies. These changes not only drive climate change but also directly threaten human health, agricultural productivity, and natural ecosystems. I am actively involved in earth system modeling in collaboration with the National Center for Atmospheric Research's Community Climate system Model (http://www.ccsm.ucar.edu/). This model is a state-of-the-art model used for future assessments of climate change. I currently am a chair of the Amospheric Chemistry Working group whose purpose is to include aerosols and chemistry within the context of an earth system model. |
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Peter Hess CoE Profile Site
Courses Taught
BEE 4900: Biofuels: The Economic and Environmental Interactions
BEE 4800: Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry

