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Sciences and Exploration Directorate

Lauren M. Zamora

(Associate Research Scientist)

Lauren M. Zamora's Contact Card & Information.
Email: lauren.m.zamora@nasa.gov
Phone: 301.614.6353
Org Code: 613
Address:
NASA/GSFC
 Mail Code 613
 Greenbelt, MD 20771
Employer: UNIV OF MARYLAND COLLEGE PARK

Brief Bio

Dr. Lauren Zamora combines satellite observations, fieldwork, and modeling to investigate how aerosols—tiny airborne particles—affect cloud formation in polar regions. Dr. Zamora is an Associate Research Scientist at the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC), University of Maryland and through their cooperative agreement, has partnered with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center since 2014. As of 2025, Dr. Zamora co-leads the QuIESCENT international scientific group, which coordinates global research efforts to quantify Arctic aerosol-cloud interactions. She also received the 2024 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Climate and Radiation Laboratory Scientific Leadership Award for her contributions to the NASA Arctic Radiation-Cloud-Aerosol-Surface Interaction EXperiment (ARCSIX) aircraft campaign over Northern Greenland.


Her research addresses questions about polar atmospheric processes, such as: How do changing aerosol sources affect cloud cooling or warming of the surface? How can we enable Earth system models to more accurately capture these complex interactions? And what role might cloud modification play in managing polar environmental change?


ORCID

LinkedIn

Education

Ph.D. (2010) Marine and Atmospheric Chemistry, University of Miami

B.S. with Honors (2004) Environmental Science and Policy, University of Maryland, College Park

Publications

Refereed

2025. "Future Directions for Aerosol–Cloud–Precipitation Interaction Research in the Arctic from the QuIESCENT 2024 Workshop.", Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 106 (5): E829-E835 [10.1175/bams-d-25-0051.1] [Journal Article/Letter]

2024. "First observational evidence that dust‐driven cloud phase changes cool the surface over summertime Arctic sea ice.", Geophysical Research Letters, 51 (19): [10.1029/2024gl110423] [Journal Article/Letter]

2024. "Evolving Particles in the 2022 Hunga Tonga—Hunga Ha'apai Volcano Eruption Plume.", Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 129 (11): [10.1029/2023jd039963] [Journal Article/Letter]

2023. "A review of the factors influencing Arctic mixed-phase clouds: progress and outlook.", Clouds and their Climatic Impacts: Radiation, Circulation, and Precipitation, 103-132 [Full Text] [10.1002/9781119700357.ch5] [Article in Book]

2022. "Comparisons between the distributions of dust and combustion aerosols in MERRA-2, FLEXPART, and CALIPSO and implications for deposition freezing over wintertime Siberia.", Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 22 (18): 12269--12285 [10.5194/acp-22-12269-2022] [Journal Article/Letter]

2020. "Saharan dust aerosols change deep convective cloud prevalence, possibly by inhibiting marine new particle formation.", Journal of Climate, 33 (21): 9467-9480 [10.1175/jcli-d-20-0083.1] [Journal Article/Letter]

2019. "Anthropogenic nitrogen inputs and impacts on oceanic N2O fluxes in the northern Indian Ocean: The need for an integrated observation and modelling approach.", Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 166 104-113 [10.1016/j.dsr2.2019.03.007] [Journal Article/Letter]

2018. "A satellite-based estimate of combustion aerosol cloud microphysical effects over the Arctic Ocean.", Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 18 (20): 14949-14964 [10.5194/acp-18-14949-2018] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "Observation- and model-based estimates of particulate dry nitrogen deposition to the oceans.", Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 17 (13): 8189--8210 [10.5194/acp-17-8189-2017] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "Aerosol indirect effects on the nighttime Arctic Ocean surface from thin, predominantly liquid clouds.", Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 17 (12): 7311-7332 [10.5194/acp-17-7311-2017] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "A reevaluation of the magnitude and impacts of anthropogenic atmospheric nitrogen inputs on the ocean.", Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 31 289–305 [10.1002/2016gb005586] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "Oceanic nitrogen cycling and N2O flux perturbations in the Anthropocene.", Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 31 [10.1002/2017GB005633] [Journal Article/Letter]

2016. "Aircraft-measured indirect cloud effects from biomass burning smoke in the Arctic and subarctic.", Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 16 (2): 715-738 [10.5194/acp-16-715-2016] [Journal Article/Letter]

2014. "Surface nitrification: a major uncertainty in marine N2O emissions.", Geophysical Research Letters, 41 (12): 4247-4253 [10.1002/2014GL060556] [Journal Article/Letter]

2013. "INTERCAL: Results from the 2008 GEOTRACES aerosol intercalibration study.", Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, 11 62-78 [doi:10.4319/lom.2013.11.62] [Journal Article/Letter]

2013. "Atmospheric P deposition to the subtropical North Atlantic: sources, properties, and relationship to N deposition.", Journal of Geophysical Research- Atmospheres, 118 1546-1562 [doi:10.1002/jgrd.50187] [Journal Article/Letter]

2012. "Nitrous oxide dynamics in low oxygen regions of the Pacific: Insights from the MEMENTO database.", Biogeosciences, 9 5007-5022 [doi:10.5194/bg-9-5007-2012] [Journal Article/Letter]

2012. "Atmospheric fluxes of organic N and P to the global ocean.", Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 26 (3): GB3026 [10.1029/2011GB004277] [Journal Article/Letter]

2011. "Organic nitrogen in aerosols and precipitation at Barbados and Miami: implications regarding sources, transport and deposition to the subtropical North Atlantic.", Journal of Geophysical Research- Atmospheres, 116 D20309 [doi:10.1029/2011JD015660] [Journal Article/Letter]

2010. "Atmospheric deposition of nutrients and excess N formation in the North Atlantic.", Biogeosciences, 7 (777-793): [doi:10.5194/bg-7-777-2010] [Journal Article/Letter]

2008. "Impacts of atmospheric anthropogenic nitrogen on the open ocean.", Science, 320 893-897 [doi:10.1126/science.1150369] [Journal Article/Letter]

2007. "Assessment of excess nitrate development in the subtropical North Atlantic.", Marine Chemistry , 106 562-579 [doi:10.1016/j.marchem.2007.06.005] [Journal Article/Letter]

Non-Refereed

2021. "US SOLAS Science Report.", , [10.1575/1912/27821] [Report]

2020. "Arctic Radiation-Cloud-Aerosol-Surface Interaction Experiment (ARCSIX): Concept Paper for NASA Aircraft Investigation.", NASA Earth Science Project Office, [Full Text] [Report]

2011. "Phosphorus stress induced by atmospheric deposition to the surface waters of the subtropical North Atlantic.", SOLAS Newsletter, 13 34-36 [Newsletter]

Special Experience

Member of NASA's Arctic Radiation-Cloud-Aerosol-Surface Interaction Experiment (ARCSIX) science, leadership, forecasting and flight planning teams. See here for more.


Co-chair of QuIESCENT (Quantifying the Indirect Effect: from Sources to Climate Effects of Natural and Transported aerosol in the Arctic), 2025-present.

Grants

Exploring the potential for regionally cooling the Earth by seeding wintertime mixed phase clouds

Mathematics and Physical Sciences-Solar Radiation Management - Simons Foundation - Awarded: 2023-12-21


Dates:  - 

Aerosol forecasting constrained with satellite data to support flight planning as well as ARCSIX remote sensing, modeling, and cloud life cycle research objectives

Arctic Radiation-Cloud-Aerosol-Surface Interaction Experiment - NASA - Awarded: 2022-09-11


Dates:  - 

Aerosol microphysical effects on clouds in a warming Arctic

CloudSat and CALIPSO Science Team Recompete - NASA - Awarded: 2022-05-24


Characterizing and quantifying the impacts of Arctic marine aerosol emissions on low, liquid-containing clouds

Atmospheric Composition: Modeling and Analysis Program - NASA - Awarded: 2019-03-15


Dates: 2019-07-07  - 2022-09-10

Global aerosol type maps – the next generation

Atmospheric Composition: Aura Science Team and Atmospheric Composition Modeling and Analysis Program - NASA - Awarded: 2017-03-15


Dates: 2017-03-15  - 2019-06-30

Effects of biomass burning aerosols on Arctic net cloud indirect radiation

NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellowship - NASA Postdoctoral Program at Goddard Space Flight Center, administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities through a contract with NASA - Awarded: 2014-02-03


Dates: 2014-02-03  - 2017-01-02

Synthesis of marine N2O scenarios

SOPRAN Phase III - German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) - Awarded: 2013-02-01


Dates: 2013-02-01  - 2016-01-31

Other Professional Information

Datasets:

  • L. Zamora, N. Evangeliou*, C. Groot Zwaaftink, R. Kahn (2022), FLEXPART black carbon aerosol L4 global daily 1 x 1 degrees, Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC), 10.5067/XZOC4FV8LV3A
  • L. Zamora, N. Evangeliou*, C. Groot Zwaaftink, R. Kahn (2022), FLEXPART organic carbon aerosol L4 global daily 1 x 1 degrees, Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC), 10.5067/L4CD2D15VU2G
  • L. Zamora, C. Groot Zwaaftink*, N. Evangeliou, R. Kahn (2022), FLEXPART dust aerosol L4 global daily 1 x 1 degrees, Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC), 10.5067/3QGSHO836JHP

*Generated model output

Awards

  • University of Maryland, College Park Research Excellence Celebration Honoree (2025)
  • NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Climate and Radiation Laboratory Scientific Leadership Award (2025)
  • NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Earth Science Division Atmospheres Best Senior Author Publication (2021)
  • NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Climate and Radiation Laboratory Best First-Authored Paper (2018)
  • 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting Young Scientist Fellowship (2015)

Selected Public Outreach

Measuring Aerosols in the Arctic

December 2024 - December 2024

Contact Us

For general inquiries about the Sciences and Exploration Directorate.

Jocelyn Lynch

Project Support Specialist

301-286-6066 jocelyn.m.lynch@nasa.gov
Ellie Jeffries

Project Support Specialist

301-286-6066 ellie.jeffries@nasa.gov
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