AOSC Seminar by Donifan Barahona, 04/09/2026
AOSC Seminar
Donifan Barahona
NASA GSFC GMAO
Title
Tackling the multiscale nature of cloud formation using AI
Abstract
One of the fundamental features of the atmosphere is its multiscale nature. Climate evolves through the large-scale movement of air masses over thousands of kilometers, but it is also shaped by turbulent motions occurring over just a few centimeters. Cloud formation is a clear example of this coupling across scales: it depends on large-scale circulation patterns as well as small-scale turbulence, boundary layer dynamics, and aerosol emissions. Because clouds are not directly resolved in atmospheric models, they remain a major source of uncertainty in climate projections and weather forecast. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers new opportunities to better represent these small-scale (subgrid) processes.
In this seminar, I present a framework that combines high-resolution simulations, climate reanalysis products, and long-term observations to develop physically constrained AI models of cloud formation and evolution. We focus on vertical wind velocity and droplet number concentration, key variables controlling cloud development and radiative effects. Incorporating observational constraints into subgrid generative AI models substantially improves their accuracy. When applied to climate reanalyses, these models reveal significant increases in vertical wind variability, with trends reaching up to 1% per year in some regions. These results support the formulation of a cloud microphysical feedback, in which a progressively more turbulent atmosphere enhances cloud formation, with important implications for future climate projections.
Bio
https://share.google/
Dr. Barahona is a senior research scientist at the NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, where he co-develops the NASA GEOS model. He is responsible for the modeling and assessment of aerosol-cloud interactions in forecasting systems. Dr. Barahona has coauthored 52 peer-reviewed publications and actively participates in national and international scientific meetings. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Atmospheric Sciences from the Georgia Institute of Technology and an M.S. from Kansas State University. Originally from Colombia, Dr. Barahona moved to the U.S. in 2003 to further his studies. He joined NASA in 2013.
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AOSC Seminar
Pre-seminar refreshment: N/A
Seminar: 3:30-4:30pm, Room: ATL 2400(only when in-person)
Meet-the-Speaker: 4:30-5:00pm, Room: ATL 3400(only when in-person) [For AOSC Students only]
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