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About

K. L. Thornhill is an atmospheric scientist whose research focuses on aerosol–cloud interactions, aerosol optical properties, and the validation of satellite and ground-based remote sensing measurements. Their major contributions center on understanding how aerosols are transported, transformed, and removed by precipitation, particularly in polluted outflow regions. Thornhill’s work has been instrumental in improving the accuracy of Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) retrievals by comparing them with in situ aircraft profiles from major field campaigns like DISCOVER-AQ and DRAGON. Their most cited paper (78 citations) documents rapid aerosol optical depth enhancements near polluted cumulus clouds, revealing critical processes in aerosol–cloud interactions. Another highly cited study (54 citations) intercompares single-scattering albedo from AERONET and aircraft profiles, advancing the reliability of aerosol radiative forcing estimates. Thornhill also led research on how precipitation along North American air trajectories affects aerosol properties over the western North Atlantic (51 citations). Their findings from the KORUS-AQ campaign demonstrated that aerosol optical depths are more spatially consistent than intensive properties, informing both climate and air quality modeling. Through rigorous observational studies, Thornhill has significantly advanced our understanding of aerosol variability and its implications for climate and air quality.