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Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry

 

What I do

My research involves the use of state-of-the-art numerical models, run on supercomputers, to study the processes controlling the present state of the atmosphere and its evolution. A NERC Unit, the Atmospheric Chemistry Modelling Support Unit, is incorporated into the group.

Current research activities include:

Stratospheric Modelling

The chemistry, dynamics and radiative transfer of the stratosphere are being studied using a number of numerical models. Three particular problems being tackled are (i) the rapid depletion of ozone found recently in the polar spring, the so-called 'ozone hole', (ii) the more gradual decline in northern hemisphere ozone levels (which we have recently ascribed partly to long-term changes in atmospheric flow, and (iii) the effect on stratospheric ozone of increasing concentrations of CO2, CH4, N2O and the chlorofluorocarbons.

Tropospheric Modelling

We have developed a range of models for studying the chemistry of the lower atmosphere, from complex 3D models to models based on air parcel trajectories. A major research theme is the changing oxidizing capacity of the troposphere (the ability of the troposphere to cleanse itself of pollution). An important part of our work includes involvement in field campaigns.

Chemistry/climate interactions

These interactions have become a major research topic in recent years. We have included a detailed chemistry package into the Met Office's climate model, to study composition change since the industrial revolution and into the future. We have calculated the change in surface ozone at the end of this century, under certain assumptions about changing industrial emissions. The change is very climate-dependent, but shows massive increases (which are expected to lead to major health problems) over some of the continents.

Atmospheric composition measurements

We have developed lightweight gas chromatography instruments to measure halocarbons. These have been deployed from balloons and high-flying research aircraft.

Many of the problems addressed are of an interdisciplinary nature. Members of the group, which numbers about 20 postdoctoral researchers and students, come from a wide range of backgrounds in mathematics and physical science. Within Cambridge we collaborate closely with scientists at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics.

Publications

Integrated ozone depletion as a metric for ozone recovery.
JA Pyle, J Keeble, NL Abraham, MP Chipperfield, PT Griffiths
– Nature
(2022)
608,
719
Using Machine Learning to Make Computationally Inexpensive Projections of 21st Century Stratospheric Column Ozone Changes in the Tropics
J Keeble, YYS Yiu, AT Archibald, F O’Connor, A Sellar, J Walton, JA Pyle
– Frontiers in Earth Science
(2021)
8,
592667
Facility level measurement of offshore oil and gas installations from a medium-sized airborne platform: Method development for quantification and source identification of methane emissions
JL France, P Bateson, P Dominutti, G Allen, S Andrews, S Bauguitte, M Coleman, T Lachlan-Cope, RE Fisher, L Huang, AE Jones, J Lee, D Lowry, J Pitt, R Purvis, J Pyle, J Shaw, N Warwick, A Weiss, S Wilde, J Witherstone, S Young
– Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
(2021)
14,
71
Methane Emissions in a Chemistry‐Climate Model: Feedbacks and Climate Response
I Heimann, PT Griffiths, NJ Warwick, NL Abraham, AT Archibald, JA Pyle
– Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
(2020)
12,
e2019ms002019
Global Air Quality, past present and future: an introduction.
D Fowler, JA Pyle, MA Sutton, ML Williams
– Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences
(2020)
378,
20190323
Modelling the potential impacts of the recent, unexpected increase in CFC-11 emissions on total column ozone recovery
J Keeble, N Luke Abraham, AT Archibald, MP Chipperfield, S Dhomse, PT Griffiths, JA Pyle
– Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
(2020)
20,
7153
On the changing role of the stratosphere on the tropospheric ozone budget: 1979-2010
PT Griffiths, J Keeble, YM Shin, NL Abraham, AT Archibald, JA Pyle
– Geophysical Research Letters
(2020)
47,
e2019gl086901
The influence of zonally asymmetric stratospheric ozone changes on the arctic polar vortex shift
J Zhang, W Tian, F Xie, JA Pyle, J Keeble, T Wang
– Journal of Climate
(2020)
33,
4641
Atmospheric composition changes in CMIP6 experiments over the North Atlantic region
P Griffiths, J Keeble, F O'Connor, A Archibald, J Pyle
(2020)
IDirac: A field-portable instrument for long-term autonomous measurements of isoprene and selected VOCs
CG Bolas, V Ferracci, AD Robinson, MI Mead, MSM Nadzir, JA Pyle, RL Jones, NRP Harris
– Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
(2020)
13,
821
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Research Groups

Research Interest Groups

Telephone number

01223 336473