Piyushkumar Patel

I’m an atmospheric scientist, remote sensing wizard, and proud data enthusiast with a talent for uncovering how tiny atmospheric particles—yes, the ones you can’t see—wield enormous power over our climate (and no, not the kind you clear off your desk). My fascination with aerosols, clouds, and radiation began when I realized they’re like the atmospheric Avengers, teaming up to influence everything from the weather outside your window to the future of our planet via climate change. And let’s face it, when it comes to climate change, this isn’t just a minor plot twist; it’s the blockbuster event of our time - and I’m here to help decode it!

My journey began with a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science at Space Applications Centre, ISRO, where I spent years tracking aerosols via satellites, studying their sneaky interactions with clouds and how they play tricks with the Earth’s radiation budget. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working at some pretty cool places—Physical Research Laboratory, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, MethaneSAT LLC, where I honed my expertise in satellite data analysis, developing retreival algorithms and integrative diverse datasets from multiple plarforms to understand the Earth’s atmosphere.

Currently, I am working at SRON in the Netherlands. My focus? Improving and developing new ways to measure aerosol and cloud data from space - becasue the atmosphere doesn’t give up its secrets easily, but with the advance satellite data, we can make it spill the beans. After all, you can’t mange what you can’t measure - so my work helps ensure we’re gathering the accurate data needed to tackle the challenges of climate change head-on.

My research tackles the big questions: How do aerosols alter cloud formation and their real impact on climate change? How can we use satellite data and innovative retrieval algorithms to see into the heart of these interactions? Armed with satellite and other platform observations along with data analysis skill, I’m constantly pushing the boundaries of what we know about our atmosphere. My work helps ensure that when we talk about the future of Earth’s climate, we’re using the most accurate and up-to-date information—because making predictions is hard, especially when it’s about the future.

If you’re into atmospheric science, remote sensing, or just want to geek out over climate change, hit me up—let’s make the atmosphere a little less mysterious (and cooler, hopefully, preferably without too many code errors).

Selected Publications