Charles S. Zender

Picture of Charles S. Zender
Professor, Earth System Science
School of Physical Sciences
Vice Chair, Graduate Studies, Earth System Science
School of Physical Sciences
Professor, Computer Science
Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences
Ph.D., University of Colorado at Boulder, 1996, Atmospheric Physics
M.S., University of Colorado at Boulder, 1994, Atmospheric Science
B.A., Harvard University, 1990, Physics
Phone: (949) 891-2429
Fax: (949) 824-3874
Email: zender@uci.edu
University of California, Irvine
3323 Croul Hall
Mail Code: 3100
Irvine, CA 92697
Research Interests
Aerosols, Clouds, Chemistry, Climate, Dust, Erosion, Radiation, Snow, Black Carbon, Supercomputing
Appointments
National Center for Atmospheric Research, Advanced Studies Program, 1996–1998
Research Abstract
I am a physicist who studies climate. I help piece together the
climate puzzle so that as people alter the Earth, intentionally or
not, we better understand the likely outcomes. Rapidly changing parts
of our planet fascinate me most---melting snow, blowing dust, and
burning forests. Fast processes often indicate pressure points to
which Earth is very sensitive. Recently we discovered that nothing
heats the planet faster than pollution landing on snow and making it
darker. This has helped spur the policy shift to reduce soot emissions.
My current research includes desert dust and fire-emitted soot
particulates, snowpack lifecycle and reflectance, wind-dispersal of
nutrients and pathogens, wind-drag effects on deserts and oceans,
and large-scale data analysis.
A more wonkish overview of my teaching and research is
here.
Last updated
11/18/2005