Climate change is one of the largest threats facing humanity today. In order to adapt to the inevitable changes, it is essential that the Earth system models (ESMs) used to predict future warming are as accurate as possible. Therefore, there is an urgent need to increase our observations of the current climate state and the complex interactions between different aspects of the climate system. According to the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, one of the largest sources of uncertainties in ESMs stem from so-called aerosol-cloud interactions (Forster and Storelvmo et al, 2021).
Aerosols or particles suspended in the air influence the amount of radiation reaching the Earth’s surface and act as the seed particles that clouds form on and thus, also play a key role in controlling cloud radiative properties, precipitation formation and cloud lifetime. Mixed-phase clouds (MPCs), which consist of supercooled cloud droplets and ice crystals are especially susceptible to aerosols and are important for modulating future climate change (Tan et al, 2016).
Recently, it has been shown that the equilibrium climate sensitivity, or the amount of future warming for a doubling of CO2, is highly sensitive to the amount of ice in MPCs (Bjordal et al, 2020). Therefore, understanding the formation of ice crystals in MPCs is essential for accurately predicting future climate change. In order to improve our understanding of ice crystal formation, its subsequent representation in ESMs and more generally, future climate change, additional observational data is required. As these complex datasets have significant implications for the scientific community, commercial interests, policy makers and society as a whole, they must be collected, presented and published according to the standards recognized by the scientific community.
Unfortunately, Eastern European research organisations are still facing significant challenges in performing and presenting high-quality research activities. Therefore, in order to help solve the future climate challenge, efforts are needed to close the gap between the dissemination of data collected in Eastern Europe and that of world class research organisations located in Western and Northern Europe. One of the top research organisations in Romania is the National Institute for Aerospace Research “Elie Carafoli” (acronym INCAS), which is involved in several research projects, not only in the aerospace industry but also in environmental activities, such as measuring cloud microphysical properties. The cloud microphysics research is conducted by collecting and processing data from airborne research platforms.
Even though the institute hosts CAART, a national research facility (included in the national roadmap), and is part of two European research infrastructures (ACTRIS and EUFAR), its research capacity is far from similar institutes in Western and Northern Europe. Therefore, INCAS needs to twin with world-class research organisations in order to increase its scientific capabilities by being involved in as many research activities as possible. BRACE-MY provides the unique framework for INCAS to develop and expand its research capabilities by conducting research in coordination with excellent scientists and thus, acquiring knowledge & research techniques from them. The research component of BRACE-MY is a unique and innovative approach to investigate the formation and concentration of ice crystals in MPCs. As such, the consortium will investigate one of the largest uncertainties in climate science today. The proposed research activities will place INCAS at the forefront of cloud research and thereby, elevate it to a world- class research centre. The main lines for twining and increasing the administrative & managerial capacities of INCAS will emerge from the research component of BRACE-MY.