Radiative forcing and Climate change 

 Under this theme, in this round of admissions I am actively looking for motivated candidates to pursue research in - 

Radiative forcing is a conceptual tool used to infer the climate response resulting from changes in various agents such as greenhouse gases (GHGs), aerosols, solar insolation, volcanic eruptions, and land-cover change. Although forcings of equal magnitude can produce different strengths of climate response, recent studies (Modak et al., 2016, 2018; Richardson et al., 2019) suggest that the forcing-to-response ratio varies by only 10–20% depending on the specific agent.

Moreover, beyond affecting the mean climate response, each forcing can induce a distinct spatial structure. For instance, the warming patterns associated with CO2 differ from those due to black carbon aerosols (Modak & Bala, 2019). This differentiation is crucial for understanding regional climate impacts, such as the variability in the Pacific warming pattern and the Indian summer monsoon (Gadgil et al., 2007; Sikka, 1980).

A better understanding of these individual climate responses is essential for developing strategies toward sustainable development.


Relevant papers:

  • Krishnamohan K S, A Modak and G Bala (2021): Effects of local and remote black carbon aerosols on summer monsoon precipitation over India. Environmental Research Communications, https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ac18d1
  • Modak A, and G. Bala (2019): Efficacy of Black carbon aerosols: the role of shortwave cloud feedback, Environmental Research Letters, https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ab21e7
  • Modak A, G. Bala, K. Caldeira and L Cao, (2018):  Does the shortwave absorption by methane influences its effectiveness? Climate Dynamics, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-018-4102-x (First modeling study to confirm)
  • Modak A, G. Bala, L. Cao, and K. Caldeira, (2016): Why must a solar forcing be larger than a CO2 forcing to cause the same global mean surface temperature change? Environmental Research Letters, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/4/044013  (2016 monthly highlights of ERL)
  • Devaraju N, G. Bala and A. Modak, (2015): Effects of large scale deforestation on precipitation in the monsoon regions: Remote versus local effects, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, https://www.pnas.org/content/112/11/3257