Ilan Koren

Goddard Space Flight Center, Weizmann Institute of Science

Papers

Total Citations

437

H-Index

About

Ilan Koren is a leading atmospheric scientist whose research focuses on the complex interactions between aerosols, clouds, and climate. His most influential work, "Smoke and Pollution Aerosol Effect on Cloud Cover" (2006), with over 330 citations, revealed a critical duality: pollution and smoke aerosols can either increase or decrease cloud cover, a finding that addresses one of the largest uncertainties in climate research. By analyzing solar measurements from AERONET sites worldwide, Koren demonstrated how aerosols alter cloud properties, reshaping our understanding of aerosol-cloud-climate feedbacks. His studies on absorbing aerosols over the eastern Mediterranean basin (2014, 62 citations) further highlight their significant impact on the atmospheric radiation budget and regional dynamics. Koren has also investigated the co-variability of smoke and fire in the Amazon basin (2015) and refined the spatial boundaries of AERONET observations over the Mediterranean (2016), advancing the accuracy of aerosol monitoring. Through his work, Koren has provided foundational insights into how anthropogenic and natural aerosols influence cloud cover and climate, making his research essential for students and scientists studying climate change, atmospheric physics, and remote sensing.