Researching the sky, freediving in the sea
Researching the sky, freediving in the sea
Eshkol Eytan just finished a 2-year postdoctoral visiting fellowship at CIRES and NOAA’s Chemical Sciences Laboratory (CSL). Eshkol uses remote sensing techniques to study aerosols and clouds. Recently, he published a paper in AGU Advances that estimated the contributions of regions in the sky that aren’t aerosol or clouds to Earth’s energy budget. Eshkol enjoys freediving because he loves “the meditative aspect of it, and the ability to observe and be part of the ocean’s life for a few minutes.” He is the proud father of 2 sons, Yaari and Ofek, and partner to Tal.
Left: Eshkol and his son at Emerald Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Middle: Eshkol and his family on a hike.
Right: Eshkol on the top of Longs Peak, Colorado.
Humans of CIRES Q&A
Q: What did you study at CIRES?
I study the interface of aerosols and clouds from remote sensing datasets. Radiation measurements are used for retrieving the cloud and aerosol physical properties, and for quantifying their contribution to Earth's energy budget and climate change.
Q: What has been your greatest professional achievement so far?
The main goal in my research proposal for the fellowship was to give an estimate of the contribution of regions in the sky that aren't cloud or aerosol (i.e., something in between), to Earth's energy budget. A few months ago, this was published, so I am happy to have achieved this.
Q: Tell us about a hobby of yours.
Before I came to Boulder, I was always living close to the sea and used to practice free diving. I love the meditative aspect of it and the ability to observe and be part of the Ocean's life for a few minutes.
Q: Favorite vacation you’ve ever taken?
Before my Bachelor's degree, I went for a year of backpacking in Asia. I spent most of the time tracking in the Nepali and Indian Himalayas, but also spent time in Mongolia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
Q: Tell us about your family.
I am a proud father to my sons, Yaari and Ofek, and I do my best to be worthy of my partner for life, Tal.