Dr Tom Whale

Profile

Tom Whale is an Associate Professor in the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science (ICAS) at the University of Leeds. His research seeks to understand why surfaces nucleate ice from supercooled water and supersaturated water vapour. He combines laboratory experiments, atmospheric measurements and instrument development to study ice formation in clouds, including its role in the climate system and its relevance to proposed climate interventions.

Tom completed an MChem in Chemistry at Durham University, where he worked with Dr Christoph Salzmann, before joining Professor Ben Murray’s group at Leeds for his PhD. After graduating in 2016, he remained in the group to investigate the control of ice nucleation in cryobiological systems. In 2018, he joined Professor Fiona Meldrum’s group at Leeds to study the heterogeneous nucleation of inorganic crystals.

From 2019 to 2023, Tom was a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Warwick. He returned to ICAS in September 2023, where his current research examines ice nucleation from the molecular scale to its effects on clouds and climate. This includes developing new tools to study ice formation in the upper atmosphere and investigating the scientific basis, feasibility and risks of proposed climate-cooling approaches.

Responsibilities

• Atmospheric Chemistry and Aerosols cluster lead

Research interests

I have broad interests in the experimental and theoretical study of ice nucleation and growth, and of crystallisation more broadly. My applied research includes atmospheric ice formation, cryobiology, and the scientific basis, feasibility and risks of proposed climate interventions.

Primary investigator (PI)

• Ice-Nucleating Particles in the Upper Troposphere: Advancing Cirrus Control and Experimental Science Strength “INPUT:ACCESS”
• Toy Models to Cloud Models: A Multifaceted Approach to understanding at atmospheric ice nucleation

Qualifications

• MChem (Durham) 2011
• PhD (Leeds) 2016

Professional memberships

• Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry
• Member of the Aerosol Society
• Treasurer of the Society for Low Temperature Biology
• Member of the British Association for Crystal Growth

Student education

• Atmospheric Physics
• Environmental Measurements
• Engaging with Climate Change: Capstone Project.

Current postgraduate researchers

• Alicia Alli