David Stanley Develops Satellite Cloud Study Simulation

David Stanley, a PhD student in aerospace engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has developed a simulation program aimed at improving data collection for studying clouds, which could enhance climate change models. The program, which draws from computed tomography (CT scans) principles, utilizes multiple satellites to capture images of clouds from various angles in real-time, giving scientists a better view of cloud interiors. This approach, called computed cloud tomography, differs from traditional methods that only capture a cloud’s external features. Stanley explains that convection—the movement of heat and moisture in the atmosphere—is a critical but poorly understood factor in climate modeling. By simulating multiple satellite passes over the same cloud, the program can track how convection impacts the formation of new clouds, which may increase the greenhouse effect. After completing his master's degree, Stanley continued his PhD under the supervision of Robin Vollands. Because of his connections, he worked with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to improve its performance. For the simulation, Stanley used an integer linear programming solver to optimize the satellite's position and timing. His code ensured that as many satellites as possible captured different types of clouds in each orbit. Stanley had a challenge comparing the cloud data, first trying to divide the Earth into millions of parts, which could not be counted. Inspired by Woollands' work on the Mars mission, he reduced the complexity by listing only the clouds, which greatly reduced the size of the data and facilitated the simulation. Although the current results are based on comparative data, Stanley believes this new method could change the way we study cloud dynamics and improve understanding cloud formation and its effects on the atmosphere.