Dr Kwinten Van Weverberg
Kwinten is a research scientist at the Met Office working on large-scale cloud parametrizations.
Areas of expertise
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Cloud parametrization
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Cloud microphysics
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Radiative transfer in cloudy atmospheres
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Model evaluation
Current activities
Kwinten is a visiting scientist within the Atmospheric Processes and Parametrizations team. Currently Kwinten investigates how to improve the representation of clouds in weather prediction and climate models. Using a multitude of ground-based and remote sensing observations for model evaluation, he aims at understanding the reasons for specific model biases.
Kwinten developed the bimodal cloud fraction parametrization used in the Regional Atmosphere 3 configuration and performed a number of studies evaluating different cloud schemes over the tropics, midlatitudes and the arctic, with a focus on cloud-radiative effects.
Kwinten also has an interest in land-atmosphere-precipitation interactions and is involved in a number of GEWEX Global Atmospheric System Studies projects on this topic.
Career background
Kwinten joined the Met Office in 2014 as part of the Clouds and Microphysics group. Previously, Kwinten obtained a PhD in Earth Sciences from the University of Leuven (Belgium) in 2010. His PhD-thesis was entitled 'Modelling of intense precipitation in Belgium'. In 2010, Kwinten started a two-year postdoc at the Department of Energy Brookhaven National Laboratory (U.S.) as part of the Faster-project. In 2012, he continued with a postdoc at the University of Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium) on high-resolution climate modelling (MACCBET).