Lorenzo M. Polvani

Lorenzo M. Polvani is the Maurice Ewing and J. Lamar Worzel Professor of Geophysics at Columbia University, with dual appointments in the Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics and the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. He has taught at Columbia for over 30 years and received multiple teaching awards.

• PhD in Physical Oceanography, MIT/Woods Hole Joint Program (1988)
• MSc and BSc in Physics, McGill University

His research spans Atmospheric Science, Climate Modeling, and Arctic Studies, focusing on geophysical fluid dynamics, radiative forcing, and climate sensitivity. Recent work examines nonlinear climate responses to CO2 variations, Arctic amplification mechanisms, and volcanic aerosol impacts.

Scientific publications reveal trends in radiative forcing, Arctic sea ice dynamics, stratospheric ozone effects, and climate feedback interactions. Key tools include the ClimKern Python package for radiative feedback analysis.

Notable research includes:

• Nonlinear precipitation responses to volcanic eruptions
• High CO2 forcing effects on North Atlantic Oscillation
• Cloud feedbacks reducing hydrological sensitivity
• Arctic amplification through radiative-advective equilibrium
• Stratospheric ozone impacts on tropical climate patterns