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Climate Modeling Lab
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The lab aims to improve the accuracy of climate change projections by studying clouds, precipitation, and aerosols.
AboutAbout the lab
Unraveling the climate impact of clouds with models and satellites
The Climate Modeling Lab studies how clouds, precipitation, and airborne fine particles (aerosols) affect the climate, using numerical models and satellite data.
Clouds play an important role in understanding climate change, and the lab works to improve the accuracy of climate change projections by improving how well models reproduce them.
The lab also investigates how clouds are involved in the interactions among the atmosphere, ocean, and sea ice in the Arctic, the region of the Earth most affected by warming.
The lab is the Climate Modeling Division of the Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University, and accepts graduate students through the Earth Environmental Science and Engineering major of the Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences.
Key terms
- Aerosol
- Fine particles suspended in the atmosphere. By acting as condensation nuclei for clouds, they change the properties of clouds and precipitation.
- Satellite simulator
- Software that reproduces satellite observations on a virtual Earth. It is used to compare numerical models and satellite observations consistently.
- Prognostic precipitation scheme
- A computational method for precipitation that explicitly represents the time evolution of rainfall and snowfall. Conventional diagnostic schemes treat precipitation as falling to the surface instantly.
NewsLab news
A paper first-authored by a Project Assistant Professor was published in Geoscience Letters
A master's student received the Matsuno Award from the Meteorological Society of Japan
A review paper first-authored by Associate Professor Michibata was published in Current Pollution Reports
A paper first-authored by a master's student was published in Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research
Associate Professor Michibata joined the Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, and the Climate Modeling Division was launched
ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to improve how well numerical climate models reproduce aerosol, cloud, and precipitation processes, which the models handle poorly, so that climate change projections can simulate the global water cycle and energy budget with higher accuracy. It uses both numerical models and satellite data to study how clouds and precipitation relate to the climate.
*Illustrative imageAdvancing climate modeling of clouds and precipitation
Many climate models treat precipitation diagnostically and cannot represent precipitation that depends on the growth history of clouds. The lab is developing CHIMERRA, a prognostic precipitation scheme that explicitly represents the time evolution of rainfall and snowfall.
*Illustrative imageUnderstanding precipitation mechanisms with satellite data
The lab uses data from satellites that observe the whole globe to study the fine structure of clouds and precipitation. It estimates the upward and downward motion of particles with the Doppler cloud radar on the EarthCARE satellite, and also identifies particle types by combining cloud radar and lidar, using the results to evaluate the performance of numerical models.
*Illustrative imageA tool for comparing satellites and climate models
Satellite observations differ in detection sensitivity from sensor to sensor, so the lab uses satellite simulators to compare them consistently with numerical models. The lab contributes internationally as a member of the development and steering committee for a satellite simulator.
*Illustrative imageInteractions among the atmosphere, ocean, and snow and ice
The lab investigates climate feedbacks spanning the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, and anthroposphere, using the latest climate models with reduced uncertainty. It also conducts multi-model analyses that use the results of multiple climate models.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Climate Modeling Lab consist of faculty members, Project Assistant Professors, and master's students.As of 2026
- Associate ProfessorTakuro Michibata
- Project Assistant ProfessorYing Cai
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “GEOS-FP Precipitation and Clouds (SVS5149)” NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio - NASA/GSFC/Joseph V. Ardizzone / Public domain (cropped)
- Advancing climate modeling of clouds and precipitation: “Rain Clouds over Liverpool” Stuart / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Understanding precipitation mechanisms with satellite data: “Heavy Rain for Southern Florida (CIRA )” GOES imagery: CSU/CIRA & NOAA / Public domain (cropped)
- A tool for comparing satellites and climate models: “Africa and Europe from a Million Miles Away” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Interactions among the atmosphere, ocean, and snow and ice: “IceBlockNearJoekullsarlon” Andreas Tille / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (気候
変動科学分野): “Thick Aerosol Haze over India and Bangladesh (MODIS )” MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC / Public domain (cropped) - Related lab (海洋モデリング分野): “Ocean circulation conveyor belt” Thomas Splettstoesser / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (大気環境科学分野): “Upperatmosphereresearchsatellite” NASA/MSFC / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (海洋
変動力学分野): “Argo float deployed from research vessel” NOAA GOMO (Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program) / Public domain (cropped)
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