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Professor Benjamin Murray

Professor Benjamin Murray

Profile

Ben is a Professor of Atmospheric Science in the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science in the University of Leeds. His research addresses questions on atmospheric aerosol and their influence on ice formation in clouds.  This involves laboratory, field and modelling studies where his group attempts to resolve which aerosol types are responsible for making ice in clouds as well as quantifying the abundance of atmospheric ice-nucleating particles.  Through working with modellers, he uses this knowledge to study the role of ice formation in clouds, with a focus on reducing uncertainty in climate projections.   After completing his PhD in 2004 on noctilucent cloud chemistry at the University of East Anglia, Ben moved to the University of British Columbia (Canada) as a postdoctoral fellow.  He has been a permanent member of staff in Leeds since 2006.  He is the Deputy Director for Research in the School of Earth and Environment responsible for research environment, culture and International and is a founding Executive Editor of the new diamond open access journal ‘Aerosol Research’. He has over 130 papers published in the areas of ice nucleation, aerosol-cloud interactions, ice crystal structure and aerosol properties.  

Responsibilities

  • Head of the Atmospheric Ice Nucleation group
  • Deputy Director of Research and Innovation
  • Executive Editor of Aerosol Research

Research interests

Prof Murray researches nucleation and crystallisation throughout the Earth's atmosphere, in collaboration with aerosol and cloud modellers. Major areas of research include:

  • Heterogeoeus ice nucleation on aerosol such as mineral dust, soot and biogenic materials
  • Measurements of the concentration of atmospheric ice nucleating particles from airborne, ship or ground based platforms
  • Global modelling of ice nucleating particle distributions
  • Aerosol-cloud interactions
  • Crystal structure and properties of ice which forms under atmospherically relevant conditions
  • Glass formation and the role of other amorphous solids in the Earth's atmosphere
  • Nucleation crystallisation from solution droplets
  • Cryopreservation (including knowledge exchange with industrial partners)
  • Efficient descriptions of ice nucleation for use in cloud models
  • Formation of crystalline acid hydrates in stratospheric clouds
  • Ice cloud formation on planets other than Earth
<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Some research projects I'm currently working on, or have worked on, will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Qualifications

  • MChem, University of Wales
  • PhD, University of East Anglia

Professional memberships

  • Aerosol Society (UK) - Committee member (former President)
  • British Association for Crystal Growth (BACG)
  • Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
  • European Geosciences Union (EGU)
  • American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Student education

  • Atmospheric Physics
  • Atmospheric Pollution from Local to Global Scales
  • Environmental Measurements
  • Environmental Science/Meteorology and Climate Science Tutorials
  • Frontiers in Environmental Research
  • Environmental Research Project
  • Masters research projects

Research groups and institutes

  • Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science
  • Atmospheric Chemistry and Aerosols

Current postgraduate researchers

<h4>Postgraduate research opportunities</h4> <p>We welcome enquiries from motivated and qualified applicants from all around the world who are interested in PhD study. Our <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk">research opportunities</a> allow you to search for projects and scholarships.</p>