The working group Radiation and Remote Sensing of Atmospheres lead by Prof. Dr. Kerstin Schepanski researches the atmospheric life cycle of natural aerosols, especially mineral dust. Mineral dust are small mineral soil particles that are entrained into the atmosphere by the wind. Suspended in the air, dust aerosol particles interact with radiation ultimately modulating the Earth radiation balance and impacting on atmospheric dynamics.

The research group is working on different research questions concerning the emission processes of natural aerosols and mineral dust in particular into the atmosphere in different source regions such as the hot and cold deserts or agricultural lands, interactions of dust aerosol particles with radiation, impact on human health, and the variability of the deposition fluxes. In the working group we combine numerical models, satellite remote sensing and measurement instruments.