Photo of David Painemal
Image Courtesy of David Painemal
David Painemal
When you are from a country (Chile) with volcanoes everywhere, frequent earthquakes, more than 4000 km of coast and a diverse geography, being interested in earth sciences since you are a kid it is not a surprise.
As an electrical engineering student I took some elective courses in atmospheric sciences in order to try to understand the physical mechanisms involved in everyday processes. I was very impressed with how the same electromagnetic laws we use in electrical engineering could be applied to describe some atmospheric phenomena. It was natural that after getting my bachelors degree I pursued a masters degree in atmospheric sciences in my hometown of Santiago, Chile.
When I was working as a researcher at my former university I decided to move to the United States to start my PhD training in atmospheric sciences working with Dr. Paquita Zuidema at University of Miami.
Currently, I am studying the radiative properties of the warm clouds along the Chile and Peru coast. I am looking at how we can use satellite observation to have a better understanding of these clouds. Scientists are interested in studying these particular clouds due to the significant reflectivity of the incoming solar energy (radiation).
During VOCALS I will be measuring microwave radiation of the clouds using instrumentation on both ships and aircraft. The objective is to use the collected data to obtain estimates of the liquid water and to determine how well the satellite observations can match the in-situ observations.
During my free time I enjoy reading Latin-American literature, hiking, and contemplating the spectacular sunsets in South Florida. When I visit my country, I enjoy hiking in the mountains and spending time with my family.
Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!
Our
online store includes fun
classroom activities for you and your students.
Issues of NESTA's quarterly journal, The Earth Scientist are also full of classroom activities on different topics in Earth and space science!
You might also be interested in:
Many students in atmospheric science were motivated to enter the field by some fascinating extreme weather event experienced as a child. This was not the case with me. When I was an undergraduate I was
...more
I'm a physical oceanographer interested in climate variability and especially the El Niño phenomenon. Other than the annual cyle of the seasons, El Niño is the largest pulsation of the climate. I'm interested
...more
Hola! I am originally from the Netherlands and thereafter spent 3 years as a child in the Peruvian Andes, but I have lived most of my life in the United States. I received my bachelor's degree in physics
...more
I am starting my fourth year of graduate school at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, studying atmospheric chemistry and climate science. I love earth science and have always wanted to do something
...more
I am a university professor involved in studies of the concentration and type of particles contained within clouds. It is important to know these things in order to say how often clouds produce precipitation
...more
I am a specialist in ocean-atmosphere interactions. My interests include wave dynamics and wave breaking, the effect of near-surface turbulence on heat, gas, and momentum transport, airborne infrared
...more
I am a graduate student studying meteorology at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. I grew up in Beckley, WV and obtained my B.S. in meteorology from the University of North Carolina – Asheville.
...more
