Juan Lora

We are working to better understand the climate and hydrologic cycle of Saturn’s moon Titan, a unique yet Earth-like world with an exotic but recognizable hydrologic cycle based on methane. Titan is the only body in the Solar System besides Earth with a massive nitrogen atmosphere and stable surface liquids, and its climate system plays an important role in many observable phenomena. In addition to having an atmosphere full of organic molecules, Titan likely hosts a sub-surface water ocean; it is therefore a key target for astrobiological exploration.

Our main tool to investigate Titan is our ever-evolving climate model, the Titan Atmospheric Model, a general circulation model that is now coupled to a self-consistent surface hydrology model. We supplement our simulations with theory and analysis of observations of Titan, a wealth of which is available from the Cassini mission.

Take a look also at the Dragonfly section of our collaborations, below.

Some relevant papers:

• Lora (2024): A review paper about Titan’s methane cycle
• Lombardo & Lora (2023b): This paper investigates the heat and momentum budgets of Titan’s middle atmosphere
• Lora et al. (2022): This paper investigates the influences of topography and orbital forcing on the methane cycle
• Faulk et al. (2020): This paper describes the coupling between atmosphere and surface hydrology that enables a self-consistent simulation of Titan’s climate
• Mitchell & Lora (2016): A review paper about Titan’s climate
• Lora et al. (2015): This paper describes the original version of our Titan Atmospheric Model (TAM)

Another area of interest in our group is Earth’s water cycle, and how it has changed in response to various drivers over the past several million years, with a particular focus on atmospheric rivers. Atmospheric rivers are synoptic features of the extratropical atmosphere that are responsible for a majority of poleward vapor transport, and they deliver water to all continents, sometimes in extreme precipitation events.

How do natural and anthropogenic climate drivers affect the mid-latitude water cycle? And how has it evolved in the past in response to changes in, for example, ice sheets? These are questions we address in our group, with a combination of global climate models, observations, and climate reconstructions. 

Take a look also at the ARTMIP section of our collaborations, below.

Some relevant papers:

• Lora et al. (2023): This paper investigates the global hydrologic cycle in recent simulations of the last ice age
• Baek & Lora (2021): This paper explores the influences of anthropogenic aerosols and greenhouse gases on atmospheric river intensity
• Skinner et al. (2020): This paper discusses atmospheric rivers and the hydrologic cycle during the early and mid Holocene, and describes our tracking algorithm
• Lora & Ibarra (2019): This paper examines our understanding of the changing hydrologic cycle of North America since the last ice age
• Lora (2018): This paper investigates the hydrologic cycle of North America at the last ice age
• Lora et al. (2017): This paper explores the impact that glacial conditions had on North Pacific atmosheric river behavior

We also investigate various other topics, including the atmospheres and climates of other planets (and exoplanets), climate variability, and the connections between the atmosphere and surface (through the boundary layer). We are interested in a broad, mechanistic understanding of climate, and bridging terrestrial climate and planetary sciences.

Some relevant papers:

• Battalio et al. (2025): This paper shows that Mars’s annular modes propagate and that they likely contribute to the interannual variability of global dust storms
• Williams et al. (2024): This paper investigates the seasonal behavior of clouds in response to changes in planetary rotation rate
• Baek et al. (2023): This paper describes the connection between atmospheric river variability and annular modes
• Battalio & Lora (2021): This paper documents the presence of annular modes of variability on Mars and Titan

Research Scientists:

• J. Michael Battalio: Michael studies atmospheric dynamics via comparative planetology, particularly focusing on Earth, Mars, and Titan. All three bodies are marked by storm systems that are controlled by the unique conditions and constituents of their atmospheres.

Graduate Students:

• Sooman Han: Sooman is interested in the evolution and habitability of planets and worked on modeling Jupiter’s radiation belts before joining Lora’s group. Currently, he studies atmospheric dynamics of Titan using the Titan Atmospheric Model (TAM).
• Caleb Keaveney: Caleb studies planetary atmospheres, with particular interests in the atmospheric and climate dynamics of outer solar system worlds.
• Nick Lombardo: Nick is broadly interested in the formation and evolution of planetary systems through the study of their atmospheric dynamics and chemistry. His research is primarily concerned with Titan’s stratosphere.
• Serena Scholz: Serena is interested in the evolution of Earth’s hydroclimate, particularly how precipitation patterns change with time. She is currently studying the dynamics and effects of atmospheric rivers.
• Ashley Arroyo (minor discourse)
• Zhiyuan Li (minor discourse)
• Annika Margevich (minor discourse)
• Demetra Yancopoulos (minor discourse)

Postdoctoral Researchers:

• Seung Hun Baek (Postdoctoral Fellow 2020–2023)
• Will Rush (Postdoctoral Researcher 2022–2023)

Graduate Students:

• Guillaume Delaviel (minor discourse 2019–2021)

Undergraduate Students:

• Ethan Olim (Group Member 2022–2024)
• Jaden Uram (Group Member 2023–2024)
• Sophia Getz (Senior Thesis 2024)
• Alyse Olcott (Senior Thesis 2024)
• Kunsang Dorjee (Senior Thesis 2022)
• Sofia Menemenlis (Senior Thesis 2020; Postgraduate Researcher 2020–2021)
• Nick Archambault (Senior Thesis 2021)
• Colin Baciocco (Senior Thesis 2021)
• Mary Yap (Senior Thesis 2021)
• Juliana Surprenant (Group Member 2020)
• Mike Machado (Senior Thesis 2019)

Dragonfly is a rotorcraft lander that will explore Titan in the 2030s. It is NASA’s fourth New Frontiers Program mission selection. This amazing mission will sample Titan’s surface materials, investigate prebiotic chemistry, and monitor, and make measurements of the atmosphere—including during flights.

Relevant papers and links:

• Barnes et al. (2021): This paper describes the science goals of Dragonfly
• NASA’s Dragonfly site: This is NASA’s official website about Dragonfly
• APL’s Dragonfly site: This is the Dragonfly website from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory

ARTMIP is the Atmospheric River Tracking Method Intercomparison Project, a project to compare methods for detecting atmospheric rivers. The goal is to better understand and quantify uncertainties in atmospheric river science based on methodology. ARTMIP also maintains a series of detection catalogues and corresponding datasets.

Relevant papers and links:

• Rush et al. (2025): This is the “Tier 2” ARTMIP paper, on paleoclimate forcings, led by our group
• Lora et al. (2020): This paper explores how ARTMIP methods agree and differ globally
• Rutz et al. (2019): This is the main “Tier 1” ARTMIP paper that presents the initial results of the project
• Shields et al. (2018): This paper describes the motivation and design of ARTMIP, along with preliminary results
• ARTMIP website: This is the official website for ARTMIP

DIYnamics (“DIY” and “dynamics” combined) is a now-international project to design, test, and provide affordable, accessible geoscience demonstration and teaching materials so that anyone that is interested can do some hands-on climate science!

Relevant papers and links:

• Hill et al. (2018): This BAMS paper describes the project and some of our materials
• DIYnamics website: This is the official website for DIYnamics, which includes kits, videos, and a lot more

†Yale advisee

2025

• 72. ^†Battalio, J.M., J.M. Lora, S.W. Lubis, and P. Hassanzadeh (2025). Propagation and periodicity of Mars’s northern annular mode modulates the dust cycle. Geophysical Research Letters 52, e2024GL112814.
• 71. Lora, J.M., E.P. Turtle, and J.L. Mitchell (2025). Titan’s weather, climate, and paleoclimate. In: Titan After Cassini-Huygens (COSPAR Book Series). R. Lopes, C. Elachi, I. Mueller-Wodarg, and A. Solomonidou, Eds. Elsevier, pp. 201–237.
• 70. ^†Rush, W.D., J.M. Lora, C. Skinner, ^†S. Menemenlis, and 21 co-authors (2025). Atmospheric river detection under changing seasonality and mean-state climate: ARTMIP tier 2 paleoclimate experiments. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres130, e2024JD042222.
• 69. ^†Olim, E., J.M. Lora, and ^†J.M. Battalio (2025). Methane storm characteristics and evolution in simulations of Titan’s hydroclimate. Icarus 425, 116290.

2024

• 68. ^†Scholz, S.R. and J.M. Lora (2024). Atmospheric rivers cause warm winters and extreme heat events. Nature 636, 640–646.
• 67. ^†Battalio, J.M., M. Cohen, P. read, J.M. Lora, T. McConnachie, and K. McGouldrick (2024). Oscillations in terrestrial planetary atmospheres. In: Atmospheric Oscillations: Sources of Subseasonal-to-Seasonal Variability and Predictability. B. Guan, Ed. Elsevier, pp. 399–441.
• 66. Lora, J.M. (2024). Moisture transport and the methane cycle of Titan’s lower atmosphere. Icarus 422, 116241.
• 65. ^†Battalio, J.M. and J.M. Lora (2024). Increases in the local eddy energetics of the extratropical atmosphere over the last four decades. Journal of Climate 37, 3283–3304.
• 64. Williams, D.A.*, X. Ji*, P. Corlies*, and J.M. Lora (2024). Clouds and seasonality on terrestrial planets with varying rotation rates. Astrophysical Journal 963, 36.  *2022 Rossbypalooza summer school advisees
• 63. Chatain, A., S.C.R. Rafkin, A. Soto, E. Moisan, J.M. Lora, A. Le Gall, R. Hueso, and A. Spiga (2024). The impact of lake shape and size on lake breezes and air–lake exchanges on Titan. Icarus 411, 115925.

2023

• 62. †Lombardo, N.A., and J.M. Lora (2023). The heat and momentum budgets of Titan’s middle atmosphere. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 128, e2023JE008061.
• 61. Oster, J.L., S. Macarewich, M. Lofverstrom, C. de Wet, I. Montañez, J.M. Lora, C. Skinner, and C. Tabor (2023). North Atlantic meltwater during Heinrich Stadial 1 drives wetter climate with more atmospheric rivers in western North America.  Science Advances 9,  eadj222.
• 60. Lora, J.M., C.B. Skinner, †W.D. Rush, †S.H. Baek (2023). The hydrologic cycle and atmospheric rivers in CESM2 simulations of the Last Glacial Maximum. Geophysical Research Letters 50, e2023GL104805.
• 59. Lewis, N.T., †N.A. Lombardo, P.L. Read, and J.M. Lora (2023). Equatorial waves and superrotation in the stratosphere of a Titan general circulation model. Planetary Science Journal 4, 149.
• 58.†Baek, S.H., Y. Kanzaki, J.M. Lora, N. Planavsky, C.T. Reinhard, and S. Zhang (2023). Impact of climate on the global capacity for enhanced rock weathering on croplands. Earth’s Future 11, e2023EF003698.
• 57. Birch, S.P.D., G. Parker, P. Corlies, J.M. Soderblom, J.W. Miller, R.V. Palermo, J.M. Lora, A.D. Ashton, A.G. Hayes, and J.T. Perron (2023). Reconstructing river flows remotely on Earth, Titan, and Mars. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 120, e2206837120.
• 56. Shields, C.A., et al. (including J.M. Lora) (2023). Future atmospheric rivers and impacts on precipitation: Overview of the ARTMIP Tier 2 high-resolution global warming experiment. Geophysical Research Letters 50, e2022GL102091.
• 55. †Baek, S.H., †J.M. Battalio, and J.M. Lora (2023). Atmospheric river variability over the last millennium driven by annular modes. AGU Advances 4, e2022AV000834.
• 54. Skinner, C.B., J.M. Lora, C. Tabor, and J. Zhu (2023). Atmospheric river contributions to ice sheet hydroclimate at the Last Glacial Maximum. Geophysical Research Letters50, e2022GL101750.
• 53. †Lombardo, N.A. and J.M. Lora (2023). Influence of observed seasonally varying composition on Titan’s stratospheric circulation. Icarus 390, 115291.
• 52. Lee, H.-I., J.L. Mitchell, J.M. Lora, and A. Tripati (2023). Influence of stationary waves on precipitation change in North American summer during the Last Glacial Maximum. Journal of Climate 36, 3165–3182.

2022

• 51. †Menemenlis, S., S.M. White, D.E. Ibarra, and J.M. Lora (2022). A proxy-model comparison for mid-Pliocene warm period hydroclimate in the Southwestern US. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 596, 117803.
• 50. Lewis-Merrill, R.A., S. Moon, J.L. Mitchell, and J.M. Lora (2022). Assessing environmental factors of alluvial fan formation on Titan. Planetary Science Journal 3, 223.
• 49. Lora, J.M., †J.M. Battalio, †M. Yap, and †C. Baciocco (2022). Topographic and orbital forcing of Titan’s hydroclimate. Icarus 384, 115095.
• 48. †Baek, S.H., Y. Kushnir, M. Ting,  J.E. Smerdon, and J.M. Lora (2022). Regional signatures of forced North Atlantic SST variability: A limited role for aerosols and greenhouse gases. Geophysical Research Letters 49, e2022GL097794.
• 47. Collow, A., C.A. Shields, B. Guan, S. Kim, J.M. Lora, and 15 co-authors (2022). An overview of ARTMIP’s Tier 2 reanalysis intercomparison: Uncertainty in the detection of atmospheric rivers and their associated precipitation. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 127, e2021JD036155.
• 46. Comola, F., J. Kok, J.M. Lora, K. Cohanim, X. Yu, C. He, P. McGuiggan, S. Hörst, and F. Turney (2022). Titan’s prevailing circulation might drive highly intermittent, yet significant sediment transport. Geophysical Research Letters 49, e2022GL097913.
• 45. Amaya, D.J., A.M. Seltzer, K.B. Karnauskas, J.M. Lora, X. Zhang, and P.N. DiNezio (2022). Air–sea coupling shapes North American hydroclimate response to ice sheets during the Last Glacial Maximum. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 578, 117271.
• 44. O’Brien, T.A., et al. (including J.M. Lora) (2022). Increases in future AR count and size: Overview of the ARTMIP Tier 2 CMIP5/6 experiment. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 127, e2021JD036013.
• 43. Rafkin, S., J.M. Lora, A. Soto, and †J.M. Battalio (2022). The interaction of deep convection with the general circulation in Titan’s atmosphere. Part 1: Cloud resolving simulations. Icarus 373, 114755. 
• 42. †Battalio, J.M., J.M. Lora, S. Rafkin, and A. Soto (2022). The interaction of deep convection with the general circulation in Titan’s atmosphere. Part 2: Impacts on the climate. Icarus 373, 114623. 
• 41. Rodriguez, S., et al. (including J.M. Lora) (2022). Science goals and new mission concepts for a future exploration of Titan’s atmosphere, geology and habitability: Titan POlar Scout/orbitEr and In situ lake lander and DrONe explorer (POSEIDON). Experimental Astronomy 54, 911–973.

2021

• 40.†Baek, S.H., Y. Kushnir, W.A. Robinson, J.M. Lora, D.E. Lee, M. Ting (2021).  An atmospheric bridge between subpolar and tropical Atlantic regions: A perplexing asymmetric teleconnection. Geophysical Research Letters 48, e2021GL096602.
• 39. †Baek, S.H. and J.M. Lora (2021). Counterbalancing influences of aersols and greenhouse gases on atmospheric rivers. Nature Climate Change 11, 958–965.
• 38. †Battalio, J.M. and J.M. Lora (2021). Global impacts from high-latitude storms on Titan. Geophysical Research Letters 48, e2021GL094244. 
• 37. †Battalio, J.M. and J.M. Lora (2021). Annular modes of variability in the atmospheres of Mars and Titan. Nature Astronomy 5, 1139–1147. 
• 36. †Menemenlis, S.A., J.M. Lora, M. Lofverstrom, and D. Chandan (2021). Influence of stationary waves on mid-Pliocene atmospheric rivers and hydroclimate. Global and Planetary Change 204, 103557. 
• 35. Nichols-Fleming, F., P. Corlies, A.G. Hayes, M. Ádámkovics, P. Rojo, S. Rodriguez, E.P. Turtle, J.M. Lora, and J.M. Soderblom (2021). Tracking short-term variations in the haze distribution of Titan’s atmosphere with SINFONI VLT. Planetary Science Journal 2, 180. 
• 34. Barnes, J.W., et al. (including J.M. Lora) (2021). Science goals and objectives for the Dragonfly Titan rotorcraft relocatable lander. Planetary Science Journal 2, 130. 
• 33. MacKenzie, S.M., S.P.D. Birch, S. Hörst, C. Sotin, E. Barth, J.M. Lora, and 27 co-authors (2021). Titan: Earth-like on the outside, Ocean World on the inside. Planetary Science Journal 2, 112. 
• 32. Kageyama, M., S.P. Harrison, M.-L. Kapsch, M. Löfverström, J.M. Lora, and 18 co-authors (2021). The PMIP4 Last Glacial Maximum experiments: Preliminary results and comparison with the PMIP3 simulations. Climate of the Past 17, 1065–1089. 

2020

• 31. Lora, J.M., C.A. Shields, and J.J. Rutz (2020). Consensus and disagreement in atmospheric river detection: ARTMIP global catalogues. Geophysical Research Letters 47, e2020GL089302. 
• 30. Rehfeld, K., R. Hébert, J.M. Lora, M. Lofverstrom, and C.M. Brierly (2020). Variability of surface climate in simulations of past and future. Earth System Dynamics 11, 447–468. 
• 29. Skinner, C.B., J.M. Lora, A.E. Payne, and C.J. Poulsen (2020). Atmospheric river changes shaped mid-latitude hydroclimate since the mid-Holocene. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 541, 116293. 
• 28. O’Brien, T.A., et al. (including J.M. Lora) (2020). Detection uncertainty matters for understanding atmospheric rivers. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 101, E790–E796. 
• 27. Dixit, Y., S. Toucanne, C. Fontanier, V. Pasquier, J.M. Lora, G. Jouet, and A. Tripati (2020). Enhanced western Mediterranean rainfall during past interglacials driven by North Atlantic pressure changes. Quaternary International 533, 1–13.
• 26. Santi, L.M., A.J. Arnold, D.E. Ibarra, C.A. Whicker, J.A. Mering, R.B. Lomarda, J.M. Lora, and A. Tripati (2020). Clumped isotope constraints on changes in latest Pleistocene hydroclimate in the northwestern Great Basin: Lake Surprise, California. GSA Bulletin132, 2669–2683. 
• 25. Faulk, S.P.*, J.M. Lora*, J.L. Mitchell, and P.C.D. Milly (2020). Titan’s climate patterns and surface methane distribution due to the coupling of land hydrology and atmosphere. Nature Astronomy 4, 390–398.  *Equal-contribution authors

2019

• 24. Rutz, J.J., C.A. Shields, J.M. Lora, and 35 co-authors (2019). The atmospheric river tracking method intercomparison project (ARTMIP): Quantifying uncertainties in atmospheric river climatology. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 124, 13777–13802. 
• 23. Lora, J.M. and D.E. Ibarra (2019). The North American hydrologic cycle through the last deglaciation. Quaternary Science Reviews 226, 105991. 
• 22. Lee, H.-I., J.L. Mitchell, A. Tripati, J.M. Lora, G. Chen, and Q. Ding (2019). North Atlantic and Pacific quasi-stationary parts of atmospheric rivers and their implications for East Asian monsoon onset. Geophysical Research Letters 46, 12311–12320. 
• 21. Lora, J.M., T. Tokano, J. Vatant d’Ollone, S. Lebonnois, and R.D. Lorenz (2019). A model intercomparison of Titan’s climate and low-latitude environment. Icarus 333, 136–126. 
• 20. MacKenzie, S.M., J.M. Lora, and R.D. Lorenz (2019). A thermal inertia map of Titan. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 124, 1728–1742. 
• 19. Molaro, J.L., M. Choukroun, C. Phillips, E. Phelps, R. Hodyss, K. Mitchell, J.M. Lora, and G. Meirion-Griffith (2019). The microstructural evolution of water ice in the solar system through sintering. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 124, 243–277. 

2018

• 18. Hill, S.A., J.M. Lora, N. Khoo, S.P. Faulk, and J. Aurnou (2018). Affordable rotating fluid demonstrations for geoscience education: The DIYnamics project. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 99, 2529–2538. 
• 17. Lora, J.M. (2018). Components and mechanisms of hydrologic cycle changes over North America at the Last Glacial Maximum. Journal of Climate 31, 7035–7051. 
• 16. Shields, C.A., J.J. Rutz, L.R. Leung, F.M. Ralph, M. Wehner, B. Kawzenuk, J.M. Lora, and 32 co-authors (2018). Atmospheric River Tracking Method Intercomparison Project (ARTMIP): Experimental design and project goals. Geoscientific Model Development 11, 2455–2474. 
• 15. Turtle, E.P., J.E. Perry, J.M. Barbara, A.D. Del Genio, S. Rodriguez, C. Sotin, J.M. Lora, S. Faulk, P. Corlies, J. Kelland, S.M. MacKenzie, R.A. West, A.S. McEwen, J.I. Lunine, J. Pitesky, T.L. Ray, and M. Roy (2018). Titan’s meteorology over the Cassini mission: Evidence for extensive subsurface methane reservoirs. Geophysical Research Letters 45, 5320–5328. 
• 14. Lora, J.M., T. Kataria, and P. Gao (2018). Atmospheric circulation, chemistry, and infrared spectra of Titan-like exoplanets around different stellar types. Astrophysical Journal 853, 58–67. 

2017

• 13. Faulk, S.P., S. Moon, J.L. Mitchell, and J.M. Lora (2017). Regional patterns of extreme precipitation on Titan consistent with observed alluvial fan distribution. Nature Geoscience 10, 827–831. 
• 12. Löfverström, M. and J.M. Lora (2017). Abrupt regime shifts in the North Atlantic atmospheric circulation over the last deglaciation. Geophysical Research Letters 44, 8047–8055. 
• 11. Lora, J.M., J.L. Mitchell, C. Risi, and A.E. Tripati (2017). North Pacific atmospheric rivers and their influence on North America at the Last Glacial Maximum. Geophysical Research Letters 44, 1051–1059. 
• 10. Lora, J.M. and M. Ádámkovics (2017). The near-surface methane humidity on Titan. Icarus 286, 270–279. 

2016

• 9. Lora, J.M., J.L. Mitchell, and A.E. Tripati (2016). Abrupt reorganization of North Pacific and western North American climate during the last deglaciation. Geophysical Research Letters 43, 11796–11804. 
• 8. Mitchell, J.L. and J.M. Lora (2016). The climate of Titan. Annual Reviews of Earth and Planetary Science 44, 353–380. 
• 7. McDonald, G.D., A.G. Hayes, R.C. Ewing, J.M. Lora, C.E. Newman, T. Tokano, A. Lucas, A. Soto, and G. Chen (2016). Variations in Titan’s dune orientations as a result of orbital forcing. Icarus 270, 197–210. 
• 6. Neish, C.D., J.L. Molaro., J.M. Lora, A.D. Howard, R.L. Kirk, P. Schenk, V.J. Bray, and R.D. Lorenz (2016). Fluvial erosion as a mechanism for crater modification on Titan. Icarus 270, 114–129. 

2015

• 5. Lora, J.M. and J.L. Mitchell (2015). Titan’s asymmetric lake distribution mediated by methane transport due to atmospheric eddies. Geophysical Research Letters 42, 6213–6220. 
• 4. Lora, J.M., J.I. Lunine, and J.L. Russell (2015). GCM simulations of Titan’s middle and lower atmosphere and comparison to observations. Icarus 250, 516–528. 

2011–2014

• 3. Lora, J.M., J.I. Lunine, J.L. Russell, and A.G. Hayes (2014). Simulations of Titan’s paleoclimate. Icarus 243, 264–273. 
• 2. Griffith, C.A., J.M. Lora, J. Turner, P.F. Penteado, R.H. Brown, M.G. Tomasko, L. Doose, and C. See (2012). Possible tropical lakes on Titan from observations of dark terrain. Nature 486, 237–239. 
• 1. Lora, J.M., P.J. Goodman, J.L. Russell, and J.I. Lunine (2011). Insolation in Titan’s troposphere. Icarus 216, 116–119.