Earth Scientist
Earth Scientist

Biography

Israel Silber is an inquisitive applied researcher with extensive experience leveraging atmospheric measurements and model output to derive valuable insights and generate meaningful metrics from complex data. His work spans the application of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) tools across diverse atmospheric science problems, and he is recognized as an expert in observational and model data mining and analysis, with a particular focus on bridging observations and models, primarily within the domain of active remote sensing.

At PNNL, his primary role is Data Analyst for the ARM User Facility. He also serves as the AI Engineer for the PNNL Digital Twin for Hydropower project, among other initiatives. He excels at designing and implementing innovative solutions to real-world measurement challenges, enhancing organizational impact and efficiency while delivering results that meet stakeholder needs.

Committed to professional ethics, he strives to delve deeply into technical details while maintaining a broad perspective across his work.

Research Interests

  • Mixed-phase clouds
  • Aerosol-cloud interactions
  • Cloud radiative effects
  • Bridging observations and models
  • Active remote sensing
  • Ground based measurements
  • ML and AI applications to measurements

Education

  • PhD in Geosciences, Tel Aviv University
  • BEd in Mathematics, Tel Aviv University
  • BSc in Geophysics and Planetary Science, Tel Aviv University

Publications

2026

  • Silber, I., J. M. Comstock, M. R. Kieburtz, A. Theisen, Z. Zhu, and J. Kyrouac, Synthesis of ARM User Facility Surface Rainfall Datasets to Construct a Best Estimate Value Added Product, Atmos. Meas. Tech., doi: 10.5194/amt-19-485-2026.
  • Sun, Y., A. M. Fridlind, I. Silber, N. Riemer, and D. Knopf, Prognostic simulations of mixed-phase clouds with model 1D-AC v1.0: The impact of freezing parameterizations on ice crystal budgets, Geoscientific Model Development, doi: 10.5194/gmd-19-1581-2026.
  • Nugent, J. M., H. Brown, A. C. Kirby, D. T. McCoy, G. D. Allen, S. M. Burrows, D. Caulton, A. Gettelman, J. Small-Griswold, L.-Y. R. Leung, J. H. Muelmenstaedt, N. G. Mahfouz, M. Ovchinnikov, I. Silber, Y. Qian, M. Zelinka, D. Zhang, and G. J. Zhang, Overview of the Nephele Perturbed Parameter Ensemble for Aerosol-Cloud Interactions in E3SMv3, Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, doi:10.1029/2025MS004989.

2025

  • Han, S., A. S. Williams, L. M. Russell, V. Z. Berta, J. L. Dedrick, C. Pelayo, N. Maneenoi, A. Osawa, I. Silber, D. Zhang, M. A. Zawadowicz, and A. J. Sedlacek III, Nearby Sites Show Similar Upwind Sources and Differing Semivolatile Concentrations in Coastal Aerosol Particles, ACS ES&T Air, doi: 10.1021/acsestair.5c00191.
  • Arabas S., J. Curtis, I. Silber, A. Fridlind, D. Knopf, M. West, and N. Riemer. 2025. "Immersion freezing in particle-based aerosol-cloud microphysics: a probabilistic perspective on singular and time-dependent models." Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems 17, no. 4:Art. No. e2024MS004770. PNNL-SA-188130. doi:10.1029/2024MS004770
  • Maneenoi N., L. Russell, S. Han, J.L. Dedrick, A. Williams, V.Z. Berta, and C. Pelayo, et al. 2025. "Photochemical and Cloud and Aerosol Aqueous Contributions to Regionally-Emitted Shipping and Biogenic Non-Sea-Salt Sulfate Aerosol in Coastal California." ACS ES&T Air 2, no. 4:648-664. PNNL-SA-207251. doi:10.1021/acsestair.4c00352
  • Mei F., Q. Zhang, D. Zhang, J.D. Fast, G.R. Kulkarni, M.S. Pekour, and C.R. Niedek, et al. 2025. "Measurement Report: Vertically resolved Atmospheric Properties Observed over the Southern Great Plains with the ArcticShark Uncrewed Aerial System." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 25, no. 6:3425-3444. PNNL-SA-204341. doi:10.5194/acp-25-3425-2025
  • Silber I., J.M. Comstock, M.R. Kieburtz, and L. Russell. 2025. "ARMTRAJ: A Set of Multipurpose Trajectory Datasets Augmenting the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) User Facility Measurements." Earth System Science Data 17, no. 1:29-42. PNNL-SA-196008. doi:10.5194/essd-17-29-2025
  • Tian J., J.M. Comstock, A.V. Geiss, P. Wu, I. Silber, D. Zhang, and P. Kooloth, et al. 2025. "Mesoscale Cellular Convection Detection and Classification Using Convolutional Neural Networks: Insights From Long-Term Observations at ARM Eastern North Atlantic Site." Journal of Geophysical Research: Machine Learning and Computation 2, no. 1:e2024JH000486. PNNL-SA-205367. doi:10.1029/2024JH000486

2024

  • Barone T., M. Diao, Y. Shi, X. Zhao, X. Liu, and I. Silber. 2024. "Impacts of Synoptic-Scale Dynamics on Clouds and Radiation in High Southern Latitudes." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 129, no. 16:e2023JD040329. PNNL-SA-192352. doi:10.1029/2023JD040329
  • Cesana G., A. Ackerman, A. Fridlind, I. Silber, A.D. Del Genio, M. Zelinka, and H. Chepfer, et al. 2024. "Observational constraint on a feedback from supercooled clouds reduces projected warming uncertainty." Communications Earth & Environment 5. PNNL-SA-197479. doi:10.1038/s43247-024-01339-1
  • Cesana G., O. Pierpaoli, M. Ottaviani, L. Vu, Z. Jin, and I. Silber. 2024. "The correlation between Arctic sea ice, cloud phase and radiation using A-train satellites." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 24, no. 13:7899-7909. PNNL-SA-197321. doi:10.5194/acp-24-7899-2024
  • Williams A., J.L. Dedrick, L. Russell, F. Tornow, I. Silber, A. Fridlind, and B.E. Swanson, et al. 2024. "Aerosol Size Distribution Properties Associated with Cold-Air Outbreaks in the Norwegian Arctic." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 24, no. 20:11791-11805. PNNL-SA-195961. doi:10.5194/acp-24-11791-2024

2023

  • Knopf D., I. Silber, N. Riemer, A. Fridlind, and A. Ackerman. 2023. "A 1D Model for Nucleation of Ice from Aerosol Particles: An Application to a Mixed-Phase Arctic Stratus Cloud Layer." Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems 15, no. 10:Art. No. e2023MS003663. PNNL-SA-188128. doi:10.1029/2023MS003663
  • Silber I. 2023. "Arctic Cloud-Base Ice Precipitation Properties Retrieved Using Bayesian Inference." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 128, no. 16. PNNL-SA-187529. doi:10.1029/2022JD038202
  • Stanford M.W., A.M. Fridlind, I. Silber, A. Ackerman, G. Cesana, J.H. Muelmenstaedt, and A. Protat, et al. 2023. "Earth-system-model evaluation of cloud and precipitation occurrence for supercooled and warm clouds over the Southern Ocean's Macquarie Island." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 23, no. 16:9037-9069. PNNL-SA-195960. doi:10.5194/acp-23-9037-2023