WILLIAM C. CONANT

Research Interests

Aerosol-cloud-climate interactions
Radiative transfer in the atmosphere
Global climate change
Ocean heat budget/ocean-atmosphere interactions
Cloud-aerosol-biosphere interactions

Courses Taught

ATMO 451/551 Introduction to Physical Meteorology

Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Oceanography, 2000
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA.
Advisor: V. Ramanathan

Master of Science, Oceanography, 1996
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA.

Bachelor of Science, Physics, 1992
University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA.

Editorship

European Geophysical Union's Journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Editor

Memberships

American Geophysical Union
American Meteorological Society
European Geophysical Union

Field Programs

Marine Stratus Experiment (MASE) 2005
Planning, Modeling and Data Analysis for Twin Otter Team, Monterey, CA (July 1-July 17, 2005)
International Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation (ICARTT) 2004
Planning, Modeling and Data Analysis for Twin Otter Team, Cleveland, OH (Jul 31-Aug 21, 2004)
The Coastal Stratocumulus Imposed Perturbation Experiment (CSTRIPE) 2003
Coordinating Scientist, Monterey, CA (July 7-July 27, 2003)
The Cirrus Regional Study of Tropical Anvils and Cirrus Layers - Florida Area Cirrus Experiment (CRYSTAL-FACE) 2002
Twin Otter team, Boca Chica NAS (June 23-July 31, 2002)
Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX) Intensive Field Phase 1999
Kaashidhoo Climate Observatory (Feb 1-Mar 31, 1999)
Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX) First Field Phase 1998
Kaashidhoo Climate Observatory (Jan 16-Feb 12, 1998)
Cruise 133 of Sagar Kanya from Pt. Louis, Mauritius to Goa, India (Mar 10-Apr 5, 1998)
Central Equatorial Pacific Experiment (CEPEX) 1993
R/V J. Vickers cruise from Honiara, Solomon Is. to Christmans Is., Kiribati. (Feb 27 - Mar22, 1993)
Operations HQ in Nandi, Fiji (Mar 22-Apr 8, 1993)

Publications

Arnott, W.P., J.W. Walker, I. Moosmuller, R.A. Elleman, H.H. Jonsson, G. Buzorius, W.C. Conant, R.C. Flagan, J.H. Seinfeld: 2006, Photoacoustic insight for aerosol light absorption aloft from meteorological aircraft and comparison with particle soot absorption photometer measurements: DOE Southern Great Plains climate research facility and the coastal stratocumulus imposed perturbation experiments, J. Geophys. Res., 111, D05S02.

Meskhidze, N., A. Nenes, W.C. Conant, J.H. Seinfeld: 2005, Evaluation of a new cloud droplet formation parameterization with in situ data from CRYSTAL-FACE and CSTRIPE: 2005, J. Geophys. Res., 110, D16202.

Chen, J., W.C. Conant, T.A. Rissman, R.C. Flagan, J.H. Seinfeld, Three-dimensional model of an airborne counterflow virtual impactor: 2005, Aerosol. Sci. Technol., 39, 485-491.

Phillips, V.T.J., S.C. Sherwood, A. Andronache, A. Bansemer, W. C. Conant, P.J. DeMott, R.C. Flagan, A. Heymsfield, H. Jonsson, M. Poellot, T. Rissman, J.H. Seinfeld, T. Vanreken, V. Varutbangkul, and J.C. Wilson, Anvil glaciation in a deep cumulus updraft over Florida simulated with an Explicit Microphysics Model. I: The impact of various nucleation processes., Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 131, 2019-2046.

W. C. Conant, T.M. VanReken, T.A. Rissman, V. Varutbangkul, H.H. Jonsson, A. Nenes, J.L. Jimenez, A.E. Delia, R. Bahreini, G.C. Roberts, R.C. Flagan, and J.H. Seinfeld: 2004, Aerosol-cloud drop concentration closure in warm cumulus, J. Geophys. Res., 109, D13204.

J.H. Seinfeld, G.R. Carmichael, R. Arimoto, W. C. Conant, F.J. Brechtel, T.S. Bates, T.A. Cahill, A.D. Clarke, S.J. Doherty, P.J. Flatau, B.J. Huebert, J. Kim, K.M. Markowicz, P.K. Quinn, L.M. Russell, P.B. Russell, A. Shimizu, Y. Shinozuka, C.H. Song, Y. Tang, I. Uno, A.M. Vogelmann, R.J. Weber, J.-H. Woo, and X.Y. Zhang: 2004, ACE-Asia: Regional Climatic and Atmospheric Chemical Effects of Asian Dust and Pollution, Bull. Am. Met. Soc., 85, 367-380.

W. C. Conant, J.H. Seinfeld, J. Wang, G.R. Carmichael, Y. Tang, P.J. Flatau, K.M. Markowicz, and P.K. Quinn, 2003: A model for the radiative forcing during ACE-Asia derived from CIRPAS Twin Otter and R/V Ronald H. Brown data and comparison with observations, J. Geophys. Res., 108, art. no. 8661.

W. C. Conant, A. Nenes, and J.H. Seinfeld, 2002: Black carbon radiative heating effects on cloud microphysics and implications for the aerosol indirect effect: 1. Extended Köhler theory, J. Geophys. Res., 107, art. no. 4604.

Nenes, A., W. C. Conant, and J.H. Seinfeld, 2002: Black carbon radiative heating effects on cloud microphysics and implications for the aerosol indirect effect: 2. Cloud microphysics, J. Geophys. Res., 107, art. no. 4605.

V. Ramanathan, P.J. Crutzen, J. Lelieveld, A.P. Mitra, . . . ,W. C. Conant, et al.,  2001: The Indian Ocean Experiment: An Integrated Analysis of the Climate Forcing and Effects of the Great Indo-Asian Haze, Journal of Geophysical Research, 106, 28369-28370.

I. Podgorny, W. Conant,  V. Ramanathan, and S. K. Satheesh, 2000: Aerosol Modulation of Atmospheric and Surface Solar Heating over the Tropical Indian Ocean. Tellus, 52B, 947-958.

W. C. Conant, 2000: An Observational Approach for Determining Aerosol Surface Radiative Forcing: Results from the First Field Phase of INDOEX. Journal of Geophysical Research, 105, 15347-15360.

W. C. Conant, A.M. Vogelmann, and V. Ramanathan, 1998: The Unexplained Solar Absorption and Atmospheric Water Vapor: A Direct Test Using Clear-Sky Data. Tellus, 50B, 526-534.

A.M. Vogelmann, V. Ramanathan, W. C. Conant, and W.E. Hunter, 1998: Observational Constraints on Non-Lorentzian Continuum Effects in the Near-Infrared Solar Spectrum Using ARM ARESE Data. J. Quant. Spectrosc. Rad. Trans., 60, 231-246.

W. C. Conant, V. Ramanathan, F.P.J. Valero, and J. Meywerk, 1997: An Examination of the Clear-Sky Absorption over the Central Equatorial Pacific: Observations Versus Models. Journal of Climate, 10, 1874-1884.

D. Lubin, D. Cutchin, W. Conant, H. Grassl, U. Schmid, and W. Biselli, 1995: Spectral Longwave Emission in the Tropics: FTIR Measurement at the Sea Surface and Comparison with Fast Radiation Codes. Journal of Climate, 8, 286-295.

V. Ramanathan, B. Subasilar, G.J. Zhang, W. Conant, R.D. Cess, J.T. Kiehl, H. Grassl, and L. Shi, 1995: Warm Pool Heat Budget and Shortwave Cloud Forcing: A Missing Physics? Science, 267, 499-503.

W.D. Collins, W. C. Conant, and V. Ramanathan, 1994: Earth Radiation Budget, Clouds and Climate Sensitivity. The Chemistry of the Atmosphere: Its Impact on Global Change, J. G. Calvert, Ed., Blackwell Scientific Publications, 207-215.

W. C. Conant, 2000: Interactions between Aerosol, Water Vapor, and Solar Radiation. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California, San Diego, 198 pp. [Available from Center for Clouds, Chemistry and Climate, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0239.]

W. C. Conant, 1996: An Examination of the Solar Absorption Under Clear Skies for the Central Equatorial Pacific: Observations Versus Models. M.S. Thesis, University of California, San Diego, 50 pp. [Available from Center for Clouds, Chemistry and Climate, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0239.]
 

Conant W.C. (invited) and J.H. Seinfeld, Untangling aerosol-cloud interactions, Aerosol Workshop on Climate Prediction Uncertainties, July, 2006.

Conant W.C., P. Arnott, A. Bucholtz, G. Buzorius, P. Chuang, H. Jonsson, S. Murphy, T. Rissman, J. Small, A. Sooroshian, V. Varutbangkul, R.C. Flagan, and J.H. Seinfeld, Aerosol-Cloud Interactions Evaluated with Aircraft Measurements during the Marine Stratus Experment (MASE), Fall AGU, 2005.

Conant W. C. (invited) and J.H. Seinfeld, Insights on Direct and Indirect Aerosol Forcings from Recent Field Experiments, AGCI conference on Aerosols and the Hydrological Cycle, Summer, 2004.

Conant W.C., J.H. Seinfeld, R.C. Flagan, R. Bahreini, T.A. Rissman, V. Varutbangkul, M.-L. Lu, H.H. Jonsson, G. Buzorius, P.A. Durkee, K. Nielsen, A. Bucholtz, A. Termuende, M.A. Tschudi, B.A. Albrecht, P. Kollias, B. Cairns, P.Y. Chuang, J. Small, W.P. Arnott, J.W. Walker, and G.L. Kok, The Coastal Stratocumulus Imposed Perturbation Experiment (CSTRIPE) - Discerning aerosol indirect effects in stratocumulus clouds using imposed aerosol forcing, Fall AGU, 2003.

Bahreini R., V. Varutbangkul, W. C. Conant, R.C. Flagan, J.H. Seinfeld, G. Buzorius, H.H. Jonsson, Aerosol size distribution, composition, and hygroscopicity measurements during CSTRIPE using an aerosol mass spectrometer and a dual differential mobility analyzer, Fall AGU, 2003.

W. C. Conant, T. VanReken, T. Rissman, V. Varutbangkul, J. Lu, A. Nenes, J. Jimenez, A. Delia, R. Bahreini, G. Roberts, H. Jonsson, R. Flagan, and J.H. Seinfeld, Aerosol-Cloud microphysical closure in warm tropical cumulus during CRYSTAL-FACE, Fall AGU, 2002.

Nenes, A., W. C. Conant, and J.H. Seinfeld, Black carbon radiative heating effects on cloud microphysics: Implications for the indirect effect, presented at the AAAR annual meeting, Fall, 2002.

Nenes, A., W. C. Conant, and J.H. Seinfeld, Black carbon radiative heating effects on cloud microphysics and the implications for the aerosol indirect effect: a study using cloud parcel theory, Eos, 82, F49, 2001.

W. C. Conant, A. Nenes, and J.H. Seinfeld (Presenter), What is required to improve understanding and quantification of aerosol indirect effects?, NACIP National Aerosol-Cloud Interactions Program, December 2001.

W. C. Conant (Invited), Discerning the Roles of Water Vapor and Aerosol in the Clear-Sky Radiation Budget, Chapman Conference on Atmospheric Absorption of Solar Radiation, August, 2001.

W. C. Conant and V. Ramanathan, 2000: Observations of Surface Aerosol Forcing During the Asian Winter Monsoon.  Proceedings of the AGU 2000 Spring meeting, Eos, 81, S122. (Awarded best student paper)

W. C. Conant, 1999: Direct observations of surface aerosol radiative forcing during INDOEX.  Proceedings of the AGU 1999 Fall meeting, Eos, 80, F186.

W. C. Conant, A.M. Vogelmann and V. Ramanathan, 1998: Atmospheric H₂O, Aerosol and the Unexplained Solar Absorption: A Test with Data from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Enhanced Shortwave Experiment. Proceedings of the 7th ARM Science Team Mtng., 97-100.

A.M. Vogelmann, V. Ramanathan and W. C. Conant, 1998: Comparison of Water Vapor Data at the Southern Great Plains Site and its Implications for Water Vapor Continuum Absorption in the Near-Infrared During the ARM Enhanced Shortwave Experiment. Proceedings of the 7th ARM Science Team Mtng., 203-206.

W. C. Conant, A.M. Vogelmann and V. Ramanathan, 1997: Atmosphjeric Water Vapor, Aerosols and Absorbed Solar Radiation: Model-Observations Comparisons Using Clear-Sky Data. Poster Presentation at the 1997 Fall AGU Mtng.

J. del Corral, E. Boer, W. Collins, W. Conant, D. Lubin, G. McFarquhar, V. Ramanathan, S. Sherwood, H. Grassl, A. Heymsfield and J. Spinhirne, 1995: Observations from the Central Equatorial Pacific Experiment and Their Significance to Siting and Modeling Objectives of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program. Proceedings of the 4th ARM Science Team Mtng., 115-118.

W.D. Collins, W. C. Conant, A.K. Inamdar, and V. Ramanathan, 1992: Final Quarterly Science Team Report for Earth Radiation Budget Experiment Contract No. NAS1-18385. Prepared for 31st ERBE Science Team Mtng. 38 pp.