Lagrangian Modeling of the Atmosphere

Like watching a balloon borne by the breeze, a Lagrangian model tracks a parcel of air as it flows through the atmosphere. Whether running forward or backward in time, Lagrangian models offer a powerful tool for tracking and understanding the fates, or origins, of atmospheric flows. In the AGU monograph Lagrangian Modeling of the Atmosphere, editors John Lin, Dominik Brunner, Christoph Gerbig, Andreas Stohl, Ashok Luhar, and Peter Webley explore the nuances of the modeling technique. In this interview Eos talks to Lin about the growing importance of Lagrangian modeling as the world settles on climate change mitigation strategies, the societal value of operational modeling, and how recent advances are making it possible to run these complex calculations at home .