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Global Water Cycle Science Division, Atmospheric Chemistry Lab
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A lab that uses chemistry to uncover the composition and properties of tiny particles in the atmosphere.
AboutAbout the lab
Studying aerosols through the lens of materials science
The Atmospheric Chemistry Lab studies the behavior and roles of the tiny particles floating in the atmosphere (aerosols) from a chemical perspective.
Aerosols affect climate by taking up water vapor to become cloud droplets and by absorbing and scattering sunlight.
Using advanced measurement techniques such as aerosol mass spectrometry, the lab investigates the properties, composition, and formation of particles through field observations and laboratory experiments.
The lab is recruiting graduate students and undergraduate thesis students, and invites those interested to feel free to get in touch about visiting the lab.
Key terms
- Aerosol
- Tiny particles floating in the atmosphere. PM2.5 is one example.
- Cloud condensation nuclei
- Aerosol particles that act as the nuclei from which cloud droplets form.
- Brown carbon
- Light-absorbing organic matter contained in aerosols.
NewsLab news
View More ↗ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to understand the various sources and formation processes of atmospheric aerosols and the diverse composition and properties they bring, and to clarify the relationship of aerosols with climate and air quality from the standpoint of “materials science.” It captures the behavior and properties of aerosols through two approaches: field observations and laboratory experiments.
*Illustrative imageChemical Composition and Origins of Aerosols
The lab focuses on chemical composition, one of the factors that determine aerosol properties. Using methods such as aerosol mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, it examines the characteristics of chemical structures, especially of organic matter, to explore where aerosols come from and how they were formed.
*Illustrative imageWater Uptake and Cloud Condensation Nuclei
Aerosols repeatedly grow by taking up water vapor and shrink by releasing it. Using dedicated instruments, the lab examines in detail how much water particles about 100 nanometers in diameter take up, and combines this with chemical composition analysis to evaluate the effects of organic matter. It also calculates the ability of particles to act as nuclei of cloud droplets.
*Illustrative imageBrown Carbon and White Carbon
The lab aims to determine, through analysis of light absorption and chemical structure, whether organic aerosols have strong properties of light-absorbing “brown carbon” or of nearly transparent “white carbon.” It also studies rainwater, which it concentrates for analysis.
*Illustrative imageField Atmospheric Observations Around the World
Using instruments it has developed, the lab has conducted intensive observations in places such as Okinawa and Wakayama. It also observes marine aerosols aboard research vessels and conducts long-term aerosol sampling in Ny-Ålesund in the Arctic, advancing its research in collaboration with other research institutions.
MembersFaculty
The Atmospheric Chemistry Lab consists of faculty members, research students, doctoral and master's students, and administrative assistants.As of 2026
- ProfessorMichihiro Mochida
VoicesStudent voices
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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: “Haze over China” Jeff Schmaltz / Public domain (cropped)
- Chemical Composition and Origins of Aerosols: “FTIR Spectrometer + ATR” Keshavana / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Water Uptake and Cloud Condensation Nuclei: “Cirrus uncinus clouds in the morning sky” ADARSHluck / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Brown Carbon and White Carbon: “Air Pollution Chokes Northern India (NESDIS )” NOAA / Public domain (cropped)
- Field Atmospheric Observations Around the World: “Anton Dohrn am Liegeplatz in Bremerhaven” Manfred Stein / CC BY-SA 3.0 de (cropped)
- Related lab (Material Cycle Science Lab (Urumu Tsunogai)): “EA-IRMS, isotope ratio mass spectrometer with elemental analyzer for the determination of isotope ratios of stable isotopes in wines, spirits, honey and natural sweeteners, in CAFIA laboratory” Sarka Na kopci / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Global Water Cycle Science Division, Oceanography Lab): “Infrared satellite image from the Pacífic Ocean” GOES Satellites / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Behavioral Ecology Lab): “Seabird colony nests on the Oregon Coast ( )” BLM Oregon & Washington / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Global Water Cycle Science Division, Hydroclimatology Lab): “Permafrost Polygons ( )” Western Arctic National Parklands / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
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