PNNL

Nurun Nahar Lata is a chemist who studies atmospheric aerosol processes at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory on the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory campus. Lata’s research focuses on understanding the aerosol-climate interaction through the lens of aerosol physicochemical properties and meteorological variables. She has expertise in several aerosol characterization techniques, such as controlled scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning transmission X-ray microscopy, near edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and ice nucleation. Lata wants to implement her knowledge to probe the land-atmospheric interaction.  

• PhD in atmospheric sciences, Michigan Technological University 
• MS in applied chemistry and chemical engineering, University of Dhaka 
• BS in applied chemistry and chemical engineering, University of Dhaka 

• Member, American Association for Aerosol Research 
• Member, American Geophysical Union 
• Member, European Geoscience Union  

• Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship, Michigan Technological University, 2021 
• Henes Center Fellowship, Department of Physics, Michigan Technological University, 2021 
• Miles Fellowship, Department of Physics, Michigan Technological University, 2021 
• Best Poster Award, Department of Physics, Michigan Technological University, 2018 
• National Science and Technology Fellowship, Ministry of Science and Technology, Bangladesh, 2014 

2025

• Kassianov E.I., C.J. Flynn, J. Barnard, L.K. Berg, S.J. Beus, X. Chen, and S. China, et al. 2025. "Radiative impact of record-breaking wildfires from integrated ground-based data." Scientific Reports 15:Art. No. 8262. PNNL-SA-190279. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-85103-1
• Lata N., Z. Cheng, D.N. Dexheimer, S. Mathai, M.A. Marcus, K.A. Pratt, and S. Thevuthasan, et al. 2025. "Vertical Gradient in Atmospheric Particle Phase State: A Case Study Over the Alaskan Arctic Oil Fields." Environmental Science: Atmospheres 5, no. 4:415-428. PNNL-SA-206143. doi:10.1039/D4EA00150H
• 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
• Rivera-Adorno F., J. Tomlin, N. Lata, L. Azzarello, M.A. Robinson, R. Washenfelder, and A. Franchin, et al. 2025. "Chemical Imaging of Atmospheric Biomass Burning Particles from North American Wildfires." ACS ES&T Air 2, no. 4:508-521. PNNL-SA-205265. doi:10.1021/acsestair.4c00242
• Royer H.M., M.T. Sheridan, H.E. Elliott, E. Blades, N. Lata, Z. Cheng, and S. China, et al. 2025. "African dust transported to Barbados in the wintertime lacks indicators of chemical aging." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 25, no. 11:5743-5759. PNNL-SA-214398. doi:10.5194/acp-25-5743-2025

2024

• Cheng Z., M.B. Shrivastava, A. Ijaz, D.P. Veghte, G.W. Vandergrift, K. Tseng, and N. Lata, et al. 2024. "Enhanced light absorption for solid-state brown carbon from wildfires due to organic and water coatings." Nature Communications 15, no. _:Art. No. 10326. PNNL-SA-199989. doi:10.1038/s41467-024-54506-5
• Cornwell G.C., I. Steinke, N. Lata, A. Zelenyuk-Imre, G.R. Kulkarni, M.S. Pekour, and R. Perkins, et al. 2024. "Enrichment of phosphates, lead, and mixed soil-organic particles in INPs at the Southern Great Plains site." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 129, no. 13:Art. No. e2024JD040826. PNNL-SA-194419. doi:10.1029/2024JD040826
• Gautam T., G.W. Vandergrift, N. Lata, Z. Cheng, A. Rahman, A. Minke Eknim, and Z. Lai, et al. 2024. "Chemical insights into the molecular composition of organic aerosols in the urban region of Houston, Texas." ACS ES&T Air 1, no. 10:1304-1316. PNNL-SA-193682. doi:10.1021/acsestair.4c00141
• Mirrielees J.A., R.M. Kirpes, E.J. Pasach Costa, G.C. Porter, B.J. Murray, N. Lata, and V. Boschi, et al. 2024. "Marine aerosol generation experiments in the High Arctic during summertime." Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene 12, no. 1:00134. PNNL-SA-191885. doi:10.1525/elementa.2023.00134
• Rahman A., N. Lata, B.G. Sebben, D.N. Dexheimer, Z. Cheng, R. Godoi, and A. Bilbao, et al. 2024. "Enhanced Detection of Primary Biological Aerosol Particles Using Machine Learning and Single Particle Measurement." ACS ES&T Engineering 4, no. 10:2393-2402. PNNL-SA-194864. doi:10.1021/acsestengg.4c00262
• Vandergrift G.W., D. Dexheimer, D. Zhang, Z. Cheng, N. Lata, M.M. Rogers, and M.B. Shrivastava, et al. 2024. "Tethered Balloon System and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Reveal Increased Organonitrates Aloft compared to Ground Level." Environmental Science & Technology 58, no. 23:10060-10071. PNNL-SA-192523. doi:10.1021/acs.est.4c02090

2023 

• Royer, H. M., Pöhlker, M. L., Krüger, O., Blades, E., Sealy, P., Lata, N. N., ... & Gaston, C. J. (2023). African smoke particles act as cloud condensation nuclei in the wintertime tropical North Atlantic boundary layer over Barbados. Atmospheric chemistry and physics, 23(2), 981-998. 
• Lata, N. N., Cheng, Z., Dexheimer, D., Zhang, D., Mei, F., & China, S. (2023). Vertical Gradient of Size-Resolved Aerosol Compositions over the Arctic Reveals Cloud Processed Aerosol in-Cloud and above Cloud. Environmental science & technology, 57(14), 5821-5830. 
• Vandergrift, G. W., Lata, N. N., Mathai, S., Ijaz, A., Cheng, Z., Shrivastava, M., ... & China, S. (2023). Case study evaluation of size-resolved molecular composition and phase state of carbonaceous particles in wildfire influenced smoke from the Pacific Northwest. Environmental Science: Atmospheres, 3(9), 1251-1261. 
• Cheng, Z., Morgenstern, M., Henning, S., Zhang, B., Roberts, G. C., Fraund, M., Lata, N. N., ... & China, S. (2023). Cloud condensation nuclei activity of internally mixed particle populations at a remote marine free troposphere site in the North Atlantic Ocean. Science of The Total Environment, 904, 166865. 
• Knopf, D. A., Wang, P., Wong, B., Tomlin, J. M., Veghte, D. P., Lata, N. N., ... & Wang, J. (2023). Physicochemical characterization of free troposphere and marine boundary layer ice-nucleating particles collected by aircraft in the eastern North Atlantic. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 23(15), 8659-8681. 
• Ijaz, A., Kew, W., Cheng, Z., Mathai, S., Lata, N. N., Kovarik, L., ... & Mazzoleni, L. R. (2023). Molecular and physical composition of tar balls in wildfire smoke: an investigation with complementary ionisation methods and 15-Tesla FT-ICR mass spectrometry. Environmental Science: Atmospheres, 3(10), 1552-1562. 

2022 

• Cheng, Z., Morgenstern, M., Zhang, B., Fraund, M., Lata, N. N., Brimberry, R., ... & Mazzoleni, C. Particles’ phase state variability in the North Atlantic free troposphere during summertime determined by different atmospheric transport patterns and sources. 
• Chen, Q., Mirrielees, J.A., Thanekar, S., Loeb, N.A., Kirpes, R.M., Upchurch, L.M., Barget, A.J., Lata, N.N., Raso, A.R., McNamara, S.M. and China, S., 2022. Atmospheric particle abundance and sea salt aerosol observations in the springtime Arctic: a focus on blowing snow and leads. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 22(23), pp.15263-15285. 
• Cheng, Z., Liyu, A., Dexheimer, D., Lata, N. N., Kulkarni, G., Longbottom, C. M., ... & China, S. (2022). An automated size and time-resolved aerosol collector platform integrated with environmental sensors to study the vertical profile of aerosols. Environmental Science: Atmospheres, 2(6), 1263-1276. 

2021 

• Knopf, D.A., Barry, K.R., Brubaker, T.A., Jahl, L.G., Jankowski, K.A., Li, J., Lu, Y., Monroe, L.W., Moore, K.A., Rivera-Adorno, F.A., Lata, N.N., and Sauceda, K.A., 2021. Aerosol–ice formation closure: A Southern Great Plains field campaign. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 102(10), pp.E1952-E1971. 
• Lata, N. N., Zhang, B., Schum, S., Mazzoleni, L., Brimberry, R., Marcus, M. A., ... & China, S. (2021). Aerosol composition, mixing state, and phase state of free tropospheric particles and their role in ice cloud formation. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 5(12), 3499-3510. 
• Glen, A., Dexheimer, D., Sanchez, A. L., Ho, C. K., China, S., Mei, F., & Lata, N. N. (2021, June). Near-Field and Far-Field Sampling of Aerosol Plumes to Evaluate Particulate Emission Rates From a Falling Particle Receiver During On-Sun Testing. In Energy Sustainability (Vol. 84881, p. V001T02A011). American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 
• Rahman, M. M., Lata, N. N., Rimu, S. H., & Chisty, A. H. (2021). Simultaneous determination of heavy metals and cationic dyes from industrial effluent by prawn shell derived chitosan-g-poly (acrylic acid) biocomposite. Desalination Water Treat, 216, 252-262. 

2020 

• Lata, N. N., Zhou, J., Hamilton, P., Larsen, M., Sarupria, S., & Cantrell, W. (2020). Multivalent surface cations enhance heterogeneous freezing of water on muscovite mica. The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 11(20), 8682-8689.