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About

Akihiro Uchiyama is a leading figure in atmospheric remote sensing, whose work has significantly advanced our ability to measure aerosols and water vapor around the clock. His research centers on the calibration and retrieval methods for sky radiometers and ceilometers, with a particular focus on closing the critical data gap in nighttime observations. Uchiyama’s most impactful contribution is his 2014 work on ceilometer calibration for aerosol optical property retrieval (50 citations), which provided a foundational methodology for ground-based aerosol monitoring. He further broke new ground by modifying the sky radiometer POM-02 to use the moon as a light source, enabling the first robust measurements of nocturnal aerosol optical depth (AOD) and precipitable water vapor (PWV)—a major step forward for studies of nighttime atmospheric chemistry and transport. His 2020 development of on-site self-calibration techniques for PWV retrieval (12 citations) has made sky-radiometer data more reliable and accessible for operational use. By extending the temporal coverage of aerosol and water vapor datasets into the night, Uchiyama has opened new avenues for understanding diurnal atmospheric cycles and improving climate models.