Steiner, Allison
Faculty
Professor of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering
Biography
Allison Steiner’s research group studies the relationship between the atmosphere and the terrestrial biosphere. Why study the terrestrial biosphere? Trees are a living, breathing dynamic component of the Earth system. Like humans, they can respond and adapt to climate change in ways that we cannot anticipate. Further, these responses can influence atmospheric composition through the release of gas phase compounds like water vapor and volatile organic compounds (VOC), and particulate matter such as pollen. These gas and aerosol components can cause changes in climate at the local and regional scale by altering surface air temperatures and precipitation. Their research group works to integrate the dynamic biosphere into high-resolution models and compare with observations, with the ultimate goal of developing a comprehensive understanding of regional scale climate and atmospheric chemistry.