In my doctoral project, the goal is to improve knowledge about anthropogenic emissions of aerosols in Europe. I use numerical models of these particles to simulate how they move in the atmosphere and interact with the environment. Combining the models with measurements, we can get information about how many and which type of particles are emitted. In extension, this will be used to study how these particles affect human health and the climate. 

In the first part of the project, I aim to evaluate and improve existing emissions inventories of soot (Black Carbon) in Europe. This is done by relating models with observations and previous best estimates of emissions, a technique known as inverse modelling. Not only does this provide new emission estimates, but the uncertainties can be reduced. Particles in the atmosphere, and especially soot, are one of the major uncertainties in climate models. Accurate knowledge about how much is emitted into the atmosphere is therefore vital.

In the second part of the project, I aim to improve how emissions of particles from vehicle exhaust are represented in global climate and chemistry transport models. Specifically, particles that are not formed directly in the combustion process, but rather once the exhaust is released into the atmosphere. These particles are known as secondary exhaust particles. Better representation of the formation of these particles in climate models is a way to improve uncertainties in climate predictions.