Penner has contributed[3] to multiple reports from theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was awarded the2007 Nobel Peace Prize for its series of assessment reports.[4] Penner was the coordinating lead author for chapter 5 on "Aerosols, their Direct and Indirect Effects" within the 2001 Assessment Report 3, Working Group 1 (AR3 WG1), and one of 18 lead authors for the technical summary of that same report.[5] In 2007, she was one of 7 lead authors for chapter 9 on "Understanding and attributing climate change" (IPCC AR4 WG1 Ch9 2007 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFIPCC_AR4_WG1_Ch92007 (help)).[6] In 2013, she served as a review editor for chapter 7 (Clouds and aerosols,IPCC AR5 WG1 Ch7 2013 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFIPCC_AR5_WG1_Ch72013 (help)) and for the technical summary (IPCC AR5 WG1 Technical Summary 2013 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFIPCC_AR5_WG1_Technical_Summary2013 (help)).[7] She was also one of the contributing authors for the 1995 IPCC report.[8]
Penner's research interests focus on climate modeling, specifically the representation of aerosols in global climate models. Through her research, Penner has shown that the composition of aerosols impacts whether particles will increase or decrease global temperatures.[11] For example, her investigation into how biomass burning produces aerosols[12] concluded that smoke from burning tropical forests may cause cooling by an indirect effect because of the formation of droplets that reflect sunlight away from Earth's surface.[13] Within her climate models, Penner has examined the role of nitrogen compounds[14][15] and her research revealed that thenitric acid produced bysupersonic aircraft (e.g., the Concorde) can lead to decreases in atmospheric ozone concentrations.[16][17] She has also defined the uncertainties associated with modeling indirectaerosol forcing,[18] including a consideration of differences across a suite of models.[19] This indirect aerosol effect impacts the amount of radiation received at Earth's surface[20] which is a function of how aerosol particles are formed.[21]
Penner, J.E.; Andreae, M.O.; Annegarn, H.; Barrie, L.; Feichter, J.; Hegg, D.; Jayaraman, A.; Leaitch, R.; Murphy, D.; Nganga, J.; Pitari, G. (2001)."Aerosols, their Direct and Indirect Effects".Climate Change 2001: The Scientific Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change:289–348.hdl:11858/00-001M-0000-0014-921E-5.
^Penner, J. E.; Atherton, C. S.; Dignon, J.; Ghan, S. J.; Walton, J. J.; Hameed, S. (1991). "Tropospheric nitrogen: A three-dimensional study of sources, distributions, and deposition".Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.96 (D1):959–990.Bibcode:1991JGR....96..959P.doi:10.1029/90JD02228.
