Dr. Chai's primary research interest is in the marine boundary layer which includes the dynamics and microphysics of the marine boundary-layer cloud systems, the formation and dissipation of marine fog, and the modeling of marine boundary-layer convection. He is also involved in research on a cloud dynamic model involving the convective turbules and has conducted investigations of the microphysics of clouds, the formation of droplets in clouds, and their evolution. A new thermodynamic diagram, constructed by Drs. Telford and Chai, is the most powerful tool available for cloud microphysics investigations. He is currently working on several projects including: 1) integrate a dynamic aerosol model with a mesoscale meteorology model in order to predict the evolution of aerosol size spectra in the marine boundary layer; 2) retrieve the microphysical properties of marine boundary layer clouds from satellite remote sensing data; and 3) model the dispersion of gas and particulate over complex terrain. Dr. Chai is also investigating the role of AgI in atmospheric modification experiments by using tracers and theoretical simulations. A new physical-chemical snow enhancement assessment method, invented by Drs. Warburton and Chai, greatly advances our ability to assess the effect of seeding by silver iodide on winter orographic cloud systems

Atmospheric Boundary Layer