CGCS Directory

Dr. Bhaskar Gunturu

Research Scientist, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Alumnus, MIT Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences
Former Postdoctoral Associate, Center for Global Change Science and Joint Program
Collaborators

Affiliations

JP, CGCS

Dr. Gunturu studies atmospheric processes using theory and modeling of the physical and chemical processes of the atmosphere. The modulation of cloud microphysics and precipitation formation in deep convective clouds is being addressed by developing an Aerosol-Cloud resolving model in which aerosol physical and chemical processes, and aerosol activation in particular, are explicitly represented. Greater fraction of precipitation in the tropics is from these deep convective clouds. Better understanding of these interactions is the key to the elucidation of precipitation formation in these clouds. It is significant that the frequency and magnitude of extreme precipitation from these clouds are on the rise with climate change. As the world gears itself for an era of renewable energy, assessment and forecasting of wind and solar resources stand out as the imminent challenges. Dr. Gunturu studies the resource assessment, prediction and the modulation of these resources by large-scale atmospheric processes. These studies help us characterize the abundance, variability and intermittency of wind and solar resources and also in formulating optimal strategies for their harvesting in each region.

Education

M.S., Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, India, 2000
Ph.D., Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, MIT, 2010

Ph.D. thesis title: Aerosol-Cloud Interactions: A New Perspective in Precipitation Enhancement