Future predicted sea level rise and increase in extreme weather events will have significant impacts on society. Prediction of these impacts strongly depends on a correct understanding of precipitation as part of the enhanced global water cycle. Our project “ATLantic interactions via atmospheric water cycle: exploiting a unique dataset from the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition for better understanding of clouds and precipitation (ATLACE)” offers progress in quantitative understanding of precipitation mechanisms focusing on the two edges of the Atlantic Ocean – the Southern Ocean/Antarctica and Portugal. While far from each other, the regions are linked by common mechanisms responsible for the intense precipitation formation, including the important role of the poleward transport of moisture from lower latitudes, impact of aerosols on cloud-precipitation properties, and the significance of mixed-phase clouds for intense precipitation formation.

Professor David Walton, chief scientist of the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition, passed away on 12 February 2019. The PI and collaborators of this project express deep respect for his efforts and enthusiasm for Polar Regions and would like to dedicate this project to his memory. David Walton showed a true tenacity of Fernão de Magalhães bringing the ACE expedition to a success despite many challenges.