Atmospheric aerosols and clouds
Atmospheric aerosols and clouds is a research topic within Global and Planetary Change. Science Explorer counts 37k research works in it since 1950. 23.3% of them reached the world's top 10% most cited for their field and year.
This cluster of papers focuses on the impact of aerosols on climate and the hydrological cycle. It covers topics such as aerosol properties, radiative forcing, cloud interactions, ice nucleation, and air quality, using satellite observations and remote sensing techniques.
- Aerosols
- Climate
- Hydrological Cycle
- Atmospheric Dust
- Radiative Forcing
- Clouds
- Satellite Observations
- Air Quality
- Ice Nucleation
- Remote Sensing
- Research works
- 37k fractional, since 1950
- In the world top 10%
- 8.5k per year above
- Top-10% rate
- 23.3% share of its works in the world top 10%
- Growth, 2013–17 → 2018–22
- +19% the tick is no change
Which countries lead Atmospheric aerosols and clouds research?
By volume, China and the United States publish the most (1.5k and 1k works in 2022–2025).
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 China 1.5k works
- 2 United States 1k works
- 3 India 321 works
- 4 Russia 269 works
- 5 Germany 262 works
- 6 France 224 works
- 7 United Kingdom 146 works
- 8 Japan 136 works
- 9 South Korea 115 works
- 10 Italy 98 works
How concentrated that is
The same countries as shares of everything the list above accounts for. A node where two countries do two thirds of the work and one spread evenly across twelve read alike as a ranking and not at all alike here.
Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.
Which institutions lead Atmospheric aerosols and clouds research?
By volume in 2022–2025, Chinese Academy of Sciences publishes the most Atmospheric aerosols and clouds research, followed by China Meteorological Administration and Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology.
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 Chinese Academy of SciencesChina 101 works
- 2 China Meteorological AdministrationChina 98 works
- 3 Nanjing University of Information Science and TechnologyChina 82 works
- 4 V.E. Zuev Institute of Atmospheric OpticsRussia 58 works
- 5 Lanzhou UniversityChina 49 works
- 6 University of Chinese Academy of SciencesChina 42 works
- 7 Chinese Academy of Meteorological SciencesChina 41 works
- 8 Institute of Atmospheric PhysicsChina 38 works
- 9 Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueFrance 37 works
- 10 Goddard Space Flight CenterUnited States 35 works
Who are the leading researchers in Atmospheric aerosols and clouds?
The most-cited researchers publishing on Atmospheric aerosols and clouds include B. H. Samset, Robin J. Hogan and Richard Forbes.
- 1 B. H. Samset France 3.6k citations
- 2 Robin J. Hogan United Kingdom 3.5k citations
- 3 Richard Forbes United States 3.4k citations
- 4 Yang Liu United States 3.2k citations
Ranked by citations received across their whole record, among researchers with at least three works on this topic.
Where is Atmospheric aerosols and clouds research done?
The largest centres of Atmospheric aerosols and clouds research in 2022–2025 are Beijing (China), Nanjing (China), Boulder (United States) and Moscow (Russia). Among places with at least 20 works in it, it is an unusually large share of all research in Greenbelt, Hampton and Boulder.
Largest cities, 2022–2025
Where it is the local speciality
- GreenbeltUS · 36.0 works75×
- HamptonUS · 34.7 works75×
- BoulderUS · 107.9 works32×
Location quotient: how much more of its research is in Atmospheric aerosols and clouds than the world average.
Where is the best place to study Atmospheric aerosols and clouds?
Among universities, judged by research, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Leipzig University and Lanzhou University score highest, combining excellence, specialisation, size, growth and international reach. Research strength is one signal when choosing where to study; it does not measure teaching.
One dot per university in the table below. The upper left is the interesting corner: small places doing unusually strong work.
| # | University | Score | Top 10% | Specialisation | Works | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nanjing University of Information Science and TechnologyChina | 68.2 | 18.8% | 40.1× | 82 | +87.9% |
| 2 | Leipzig UniversityGermany | 61.1 | 26.8% | 11.3× | 16 | +74.5% |
| 3 | Lanzhou UniversityChina | 58.7 | 18.2% | 16.8× | 49 | +22.6% |
| 4 | University of Colorado BoulderUnited States | 58.4 | 23.3% | 13.1× | 25 | +24.6% |
| 5 | ETH ZurichSwitzerland | 56.0 | 26.6% | 7.0× | 24 | +24.6% |
| 6 | Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-PyrénéesFrance | 56.0 | 20.9% | 11.7× | 9 | +99.6% |
| 7 | University of OklahomaUnited States | 54.7 | 21.5% | 11.9× | 15 | +56.9% |
| 8 | Nanjing UniversityChina | 53.1 | 25.3% | 6.4× | 25 | +80.2% |
| 9 | Aerospace Information Research InstituteChina | 52.9 | 19.3% | 29.2× | 17 | — |
| 10 | China University of GeosciencesChina | 52.6 | 29.6% | 6.9× | 16 | — |
Universities only. Score blends excellence (30%), specialisation (25%), size (20%), growth (15%) and international reach (10%), 2015–2022; growth compares 2010–14 with 2015–19.
Is Atmospheric aerosols and clouds research growing?
Output in 2018–2022 was 19% higher than in 2013–2017, peaking in 2020. The fastest-growing topics are Atmospheric aerosols and clouds.
The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.
Which topics inside it are moving
Growth and decline on one axis around a shared zero. Two lists side by side hide the thing that matters: whether the growth dwarfs the decline, or the other way round.