Staff information

Biography

I received my PhD in Atmospheric Science from Colorado State University in 2012. I have worked at JPL, RAL (UK), and University of Oxford (UK). My research focuses on aerosols on clouds, precipitation and effective radiative forcing using models of different scales and multi-sensor satellite observations.

PNNL Publications

2024

• Christensen M., P. Wu, A.C. Varble, X. Heng, and J.D. Fast. 2024. "AEROSOL-INDUCED CLOSURE OF MARINE CLOUD CELLS: ENHANCED EFFECTS IN THE PRESENCE OF PRECIPITATION." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 24, no. 11:6455-6476. PNNL-SA-191569. doi:10.5194/acp-24-6455-2024
• Feingold G., V.P. Ghate, L. Russell, P.N. Blossey, W. Cantrell, M. Christensen, and M.S. Diamond, et al. 2024. "Physical science research needed to evaluate the viability and risks of marine cloud brightening." Science Advances 10, no. 12:Art. No. eadi8594. PNNL-SA-189954. doi:10.1126/sciadv.adi8594
• Gettelman A., M. Christensen, M.S. Diamond, E. Gryspeerdt, P. Manshausen, P. Stier, and D. Watson-Parris, et al. 2024. "Has Reducing Ship Emissions Brought Forward Global Warming?." Geophysical Research Letters 51, no. 15:Art. No. e2024GL109077. PNNL-SA-196069. doi:10.1029/2024GL109077
• Li X., H. Wang, M. Christensen, J. Chen, S. Tang, S. Kirschler, and E. Crosbie, et al. 2024. "Process Modeling of Aerosol-cloud Interaction in Summertime Precipitating Shallow Cumulus over the Western North Atlantic." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 129, no. 7:Art. No. e2023JD039489. PNNL-SA-186592. doi:10.1029/2023JD039489
• Muelmenstaedt J.H., A. Ackerman, A. Fridlind, M. Huang, P. Ma, N.G. Mahfouz, and S.E. Bauer, et al. 2024. "Can general circulation models (GCMs) represent cloud liquid water path adjustments to aerosol-cloud interactions?." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 24, no. 23:13633-13652. PNNL-SA-197852. doi:10.5194/acp-24-13633-2024
• Muelmenstaedt J.H., E. Gryspeerdt, S. Dipu, J. Quaas, A. Ackerman, A. Fridlind, and F. Tornow, et al. 2024. "General circulation models simulate negative liquid water path--droplet number correlations, but anthropogenic aerosols still increase simulated liquid water path." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 24, no. 12:7331-7345. PNNL-SA-193973. doi:10.5194/acp-24-7331-2024
• Stier P., S. Van Den Heever, M. Christensen, E. Gryspeerdt, G. Dagan, S.M. Saleeby, and M. Bollasina, et al. 2024. "Multifaceted aerosol effects on precipitation." Nature Geoscience 17, no. 8:719 - 732. PNNL-SA-177432. doi:10.1038/s41561-024-01482-6
• Toll V., J. Rahu, H. Keernik, H. Trofimov, T. Voormansik, P. Manshausen, and E. Hung, et al. 2024. "Glaciation of liquid clouds, snowfall, and reduced cloud cover at industrial hot spots." Science 386, no. 6723:756 - 762. PNNL-SA-205704. doi:10.1126/science.adl0303

2023

• Christensen M., P. Ma, P. Wu, A.C. Varble, J.H. Muelmenstaedt, and J.D. Fast. 2023. "EVALUATION OF AEROSOL-CLOUD INTERACTIONS IN E3SM USING A LAGRANGIAN FRAMEWORK." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 23, no. 4:2789-2812. PNNL-SA-177501. doi:10.5194/acp-23-2789-2023
• Jones W.K., M. Christensen, and P. Stier. 2023. "A Semi-Lagrangian Method for Detecting and Tracking Deep Convective Clouds in Geostationary Satellite Observations." Atmospheric Measurement Techniques 16, no. 4:1043-1059. PNNL-SA-170699. doi:10.5194/amt-16-1043-2023
• Manshausen P., D. Watson-Parris, M. Christensen, J. Jalkanen, and P. Stier. 2023. "Rapid saturation of cloud water adjustments to shipping emissions." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 23, no. 19:12545-12555. PNNL-SA-184682. doi:10.5194/acp-23-12545-2023
• Varble A.C., P. Ma, M. Christensen, J.H. Muelmenstaedt, S. Tang, and J.D. Fast. 2023. "Evaluation of Liquid Cloud Albedo Susceptibility in E3SM Using Coupled Eastern North Atlantic Surface and Satellite Retrievals." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 23, no. 20:13523-13553. PNNL-SA-185187. doi:10.5194/acp-23-13523-2023

2022

• Christensen M., A. Gettelman, J. Cermak, G. Dagan, M. Diamond, A. Douglas, and G. Feingold, et al. 2022. "Opportunistic Experiments to Constrain Aerosol Effective Radiative Forcing." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 22, no. 1:641-674. PNNL-SA-163887. doi:10.5194/acp-22-641-2022
• Heinold B., H. Baars, B. Barja, M. Christensen, A. Kubin, K. Ohneiser, and K. Schepanski, et al. 2022. "Important role of stratospheric injection height for the distribution and radiative forcing of smoke aerosol from the 2019/2020 Australian wildfires." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 22, no. 15:9969-9985. PNNL-SA-167820. doi:10.5194/acp-22-9969-2022
• Manshausen P., D. Watson-Parris, M. Christensen, J. Jalkanen, and P. Stier. 2022. "Invisible Ship Tracks Show Large Cloud Sensitivity to Aerosol." Nature 610, no. 7930:101-106. PNNL-SA-177338. doi:10.1038/s41586-022-05122-0
• Watson-Parris D., M. Christensen, A. Laurenson, D. Clewley, E. Gryspeerdt, and P. Stier. 2022. "Shipping regulations lead to large reduction in cloud perturbations." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) 119, no. 41:Art. No. e2206885119. PNNL-SA-177339. doi:10.1073/pnas.2206885119

2021

• Kazil J., M. Christensen, S.J. Abel, T. Yamaguchi, and G. Feingold. 2021. "Realism of Lagrangian large eddy simulations driven by renalysis meteorology: Tracking a pocket of open cells under a biomass burning aerosol layer." Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems 13, no. 12:Art. NO. e2021MS002664. PNNL-SA-163481. doi:10.1029/2021MS002664