My current research has a focus on understanding the role of water vapor and clouds on the climate system and how it might be changed by anthropogenic influences. I am the lead scientist of the Aerosols, Clouds, cONvection, Experiment (ACONVEX) which is planned to be the first long term (+10yr) deployment of in-situ and remote sensing instruments in the Amazon rain forest for the observation of clouds-climate-aerosol interactions. It is part of the LBA project, of the GoAmazon Experiment and of the CHUVA project. Measurements on the experimental site already include aerosol optical properties; water vapor, clouds and aerosol vertical profiles; hydrometeors size distribution; among others. My interests also include large-scale water vapor transport and the importance of the Amazon forest for the moisture recycling and subtropical precipitation over South America. I have worked with physical parameterizations in climate models, particularly radiation and convection, and the development of the Brazilian Earth System Model. I got my Phd on experimental astrophysics for studying the propagation of Nitrogen fluorescence light in the atmosphere as a technique to measure ultra high-energy cosmic rays within the Pierre Auger Observatory.
Video about the LBA project
Video about the GoAmazon project