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About

Steven Platnick is a leading figure in satellite remote sensing of aerosols and clouds, with a career dedicated to unraveling the complex interactions between these two critical components of the Earth’s climate system. His research focuses on advancing retrieval algorithms for spaceborne instruments like the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), where he has made foundational contributions to the operational Dark Target aerosol retrieval algorithm. This work enables the global monitoring of aerosol optical depth, a key climate variable. Platnick’s impact is demonstrated through highly cited studies, including his 2012 paper (154 citations) on fog- and cloud-induced aerosol modification observed by the AERONET network, which revealed how low-altitude clouds can dramatically alter aerosol size distributions. His 2019 work (42 citations) further advanced the field by using high-spatial-resolution aircraft remote sensing during the SEAC⁴RS campaign to explore aerosol variability near clouds—a persistent challenge for satellite retrievals. By bridging the gap between ground-based networks, airborne observations, and satellite data, Platnick has provided the scientific community with critical tools and insights for understanding aerosol-cloud interactions and their influence on climate.