The director of the Leibniz Institute for Atmospheric Physics in Kühlungsborn has been honored for her view of the starry sky. Prof. Dr. Claudia Stolle is the recipient of the internationally recognized William B. Hanson Lecture award of the American Geophysical Association. The award is given annually to scientists around the world who have made outstanding contributions to the field of space physics.

"Our atmosphere is very fascinating," says Claudia Stolle. "The upper layers have a huge impact on our weather, space and Earth's magnetic field - and vice versa. Exploring these interactions and looking for new insights excites me a lot." To support her research, Stolle uses innovative technology such as state-of-the-art lidar lasers, radars and satellites. Currently, she is studying how weather in the stratosphere and mesosphere affects space weather.    

Stolle has made her mark on numerous atmospheric research projects during her scientific career. For example, she was an expert in the development of the European Space Agency's Swarm mission, was a spokesperson for the German Research Foundation's Dynamic Earth program, and conducted research in Denmark and Finland. Most recently, she headed the Geomagnetism Section at the German Georesearch Center in Potsdam. In 2021, Claudia Stolle took over as director of the Kühlungsborn Institute.