Public webpages for working group Knippertz

About us

We are a group of physical scientists within the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (ICAS) at the University of Leeds who are researching the dynamics of storms in the atmosphere. Our main interests are cyclonic storms over the North Atlantic/Europe, dust storms in the Sahara and rainstorms in northern Africa. These systems influence people’s lives on a daily basis through their role in generating winds and precipitation, or through the reduction in visibility associated with dust storms. Dust also plays an important role in the climate system through its impacts on radiation, clouds and the carbon cycle. A better understanding of the physical processes involved in storm formation and intensification is instrumental to the improvement of computer models and to better forecasts. Assessing how the frequency and intensity of storms will change in the future is a key interest in atmospheric science today.

Our work includes fieldwork, analysis of atmospheric datasets and numerical modelling. We have been involved in major international field campaigns in Africa and Europe such as FENNEC, DIAMET, GERBILS, SAMUM, AMMA, IMPETUS, CSIP and COPS using ground-based, remote-sensing and airborne instruments. We analyse data from such campaigns, from conventional observational networks, from gridded (re-)analyses and from operational forecasting systems. We actively run a suite of numerical models from high-resolution Large Eddy Simulations over regional weather models to global climate models. Our research is strongly linked with other groups within ICAS, with NCAS, the Met Office and other research projects (e.g. PANDOWAE) and individual researchers around the world.

If you are interested in joining our group at any level or require any further information about our research please feel free to contact p.knippertz(at)leeds.ac.uk