The atmosphere of Titan holds more methane than the ground itself — which, in Earth terms, would be the equivalent of having more water molecules concentrated in the air than the sea.
The study of these kinds of atmospheric processes has earned assistant professor of earth and planetary sciences Juan Lora the 2022 Harold C. Urey Prize in Planetary Science. The award, which recognizes leadership and “outstanding achievements” by an early-career scientist, was given to Lora by the American Astronomical Society last month. A focal point of Lora’s research has been Titan, Saturn’s largest moon.
“It’s a really nice … surprise,” Lora said. “I have a memory of the first time I … sat in on the Urey prize talk … so to now be in a position to give this talk … it’s kind of amazing.”
Lora, who joined Yale’s faculty in January 2019, has devoted his research to Earth’s paleoclimates and Titan’s atmosphere. Using numerical climate models, his lab has observed a variety of weather-related phenomena occurring in terrestrial bodies throughout the solar system.
“Yale is lucky to have Juan,” J. Michael Battalio, a postdoctoral researcher in Lora’s lab, said.
Lora focuses on the phenomena of atmospheric rivers — narrow, long columns of air transporting moisture from out of the tropics — that are often behind extreme precipitation events. His study of these water dynamics has helped track changes in Earth’s hydroclimate over time, Serena Scholz, first year postdoctoral student in Lora’s lab, noted.
While some of Lora’s work has contributed to the earth sciences community, his research has also taken him into the reaches of space. Lora entered college focused on the study of astrophysics, but shifted his focus specifically to Titan in graduate school. During that time, he wrote and programmed the Titan Atmospheric Model — one of the “best developed, most reliable climate models that we have for Titan,” according to Battalio.
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