Survival of Sulfuric Acid Clouds in the Terrestrial Planet Climate: From Earth to Venus to Exoplanets

Descrizione del progetto

Il ruolo delle nubi di acido solforico nell’evoluzione del clima planetario

Cosa sono le nubi di acido solforico e come influenzano il clima della Terra, di Venere e degli esopianeti? Rispondere a questa domanda non è facile, poiché la Terra attuale mette in mostra solo una minima parte dell’importanza di tali nubi. Di conseguenza, chiarire il loro ciclo di vita risulta fondamentale per comprendere a fondo l’evoluzione planetaria. Sostenuto dal programma di azioni Marie Skłodowska-Curie, il progetto SoSAD si propone di approfondire le conoscenze sulla formazione, la persistenza e la dissipazione delle nubi di acido solforico valutando inoltre come i feedback radiativi, chimici e di fisica delle nubi influenzino l’evoluzione del clima terrestre e planetario su scale temporali geologiche. A tal fine, il progetto svilupperà un modello unidimensionale di evoluzione geochimica e climatica volto a migliorare le simulazioni relative alle nubi di acido solforico, con l’obiettivo finale di comprendere i motivi per cui la Terra e Venere si sono evoluti in modo così diverso.

Obiettivo

"Sulfuric acid clouds (SAD) play an important role in the Venus, Earth and potentially exoplanet climates. However, a systematic understanding of SAD's life cycle within terrestrial planetary evolution is still lacking. Here I propose a project that aims to understand the emergence, sustainability and extinction of SAD in the climate evolution of terrestrial planets (Objective 1), and evaluate the SAD radiative, cloud-physics and chemical feedbacks on the planetary climate evolution in a geological timescale (Objective 2). I will combine my expertise in clouds and chemistry with the supervisor's expertise in radiative transfer and exoplanet atmospheres to construct the first 1D state-of-the-art geochemistry-climate evolution model with a complete sulfur cycle included. First, I will use the model to determine the planetary environments required for SAD to emerge and exist for a long term, and to investigate the long-standing question of why Earth and Venus evolved in a divergent way. Then, I will use my new model to resolve and study the radiative, cloud-physics and chemical feedbacks of SAD on planetary climates, and investigate whether SAD's lifetime is also affected by these feedbacks. Finally, I will apply my model to exoplanets observed by the “Hot Rocks"" JWST survey to explore the possibility of SAD's existence on terrestrial exoplanets. I will accomplish the objectives and contribute with broad, long-term impacts to both the Venus and Exoplanet communities, considering that three upcoming Venus missions, JWST and other space telescopes are or will be providing more observations of terrestrial planets. Through the MSCA programme, I will also establish my leadership in the interdisciplinary research community and transition from an independent researcher to a group leader, which will support my long-term goal of obtaining a permanent academic position. The host institution will also benefit from my expertise, networking and involvement in mentoring and outreach."