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Gannet Hallar
( Desert Research Institute )
- Institution:Desert Research Institute
- Departments: Atmospheric Science
- Research Fields: High Elevation Atmospheric Science, Cloud Microphysics, Aerosols
- Disciplines: Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Physical Sciences
- Location:Washoe County
- Funding:DoE - Department of Energy, EPSCoR - Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NSF - National Science Foundation
Biography
Dr. Hallar is an Assistant Research Professor with the Desert Research Institute, she directs Storm Peak Laboratory, a high elevation atmospheric science facility in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. This laboratory has undergone major changes under her leadership including new instrumentation, new research foci, new field courses, and a significant building expansion. Currently, at Storm Peak Laboratory, Dr. Hallar also work as adjunct faculty for the University of Nevada, Reno and teaches a graduate level field course in Mountain Meteorology.
The overarching theme of Dr. Hallar’s research is using high quality measurements of trace gases, aerosol physical and chemical properties, and cloud microphysics to understand connections between the biosphere, atmosphere, and climate, along with the impact of anthropogenic emissions on these connections. More specifically, currently her research uses high elevation sites, combined with airborne measurements, to study the formation processes of Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) and Ice Nuclei (IN) and how differing formation processes impact mixed-phase cloud microphysics. This research topic is stemmed in many potential formation mechanisms of aerosols, including nucleation, secondary organic aerosols, and primary biological aerosol particles (PBAP’s).