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[CfP] Insular weathers, global atmospheres: Exploring the aerial histories of islands, 1-3 November 2024 https://lnkd.in/e46g9jiJ The conference general themes include, but are not limited to: ·               Why do islands attract scientists, writers, explorers, enterpreneurs, soldiers and traders? ·               How have islands emerged as unique socio-environmental ecosystems for new atmospheric epistemologies and became testing grounds for larger global weather and climate ideas and models? ·               How did islands contribute to larger infrastructures, both scientific (observatories) and logistic (shipping, air routes) that more and more depended on weather and climate literacy? ·               How have islands served as sites of research in extreme atmospheric events such as nuclear tests or volcanic events? ·               How have they formed political frontiers for empires with maritime and aerial ambitions? ·               Have islands been privileged sites for the scientific imagination, a kind of environmental and atmospheric Bensalems, to refer to Bacon’s ‘New Atlantis’? Have islands played the role of (scientific) bellwethers? ·               To what extent do islands create their own ‘atmospheres’; ‘scientific’, ‘touristic’, ‘economic’ or ‘military atmospheres’. And how have they contributed to the scientific and public understanding of ‘volcanic’, ‘oceanic’, ‘polar’ or ‘tropical atmospheres’.  ·               What role does the weather, real or imagined, play in the scientific economies of islands and their role of sites of knowledge and leisure? ·               Who owns island knowledge? How do we analyze the tensions between ‘visitors’ and ‘islanders’ in the process of scientific commodification?  

Today’s rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide increase is 10 times faster than at any other point in the past 50,000 years, researchers have found through a detailed chemical analysis of ancient Antarctic ice. The findings, just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provide important new understanding of abrupt climate change periods in Earth’s past and offer new insight into the potential impacts of climate change today. “Studying the past teaches us how today is different. The rate of CO2 change today really is unprecedented,” said Kathleen Wendt, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences - Oregon State University and the study’s lead author. #BelieveIt #Research #ClimateScience Read the article: https://lnkd.in/dN9UjZNv

In a recent commentary by activist David Pepper during an eclipse event, an inadvertently profound point was made regarding the perception of science and its impact on policy. Pepper highlighted the precision with which scientists can predict astronomical events such as eclipses and questioned why the same trust isn’t extended to climate science predictions. However, the discourse around “trusting the science” often neglects the inherent complexities of scientific research, especially within the scope of climate change. While astronomical predictions rest on longstanding and relatively straightforward principles like gravity and momentum, climate science deals with a far more intricate system. The Earth’s atmosphere contains numerous gases, and climate patterns are influenced by an array of factors, including oceanic temperatures, landmass heat absorption, and even geophysical occurrences like volcanoes and earthquakes. The fallacy identified here is the oversimplification of climate science compared to the predictions of celestial mechanics. Although both fields of study are scientific, their complexity and the unpredictability involved vary dramatically. Climate models, while advanced, cannot yet forecast with the certainty that we have with solar and lunar events, due to the myriad variables in play. Pepper’s argument implies that climate science should dictate policy-making, such as fossil fuel regulations and the promotion of alternative energy sources. However, the science itself does not endorse any particular policy – it merely presents data and potential outcomes based on that data. In the context of political debates, what is often perceived as a denial of science may actually be a disagreement with suggested policies. Acknowledging the nuanced difference between understanding scientific findings and endorsing specific policy measures is crucial. This discernment underlines that engagement with scientific discourse should be tempered with the recognition of its complexities and uncertainties, rather than brandished as a definitive guide for policy. https://lnkd.in/gfZJSipQ

FSU biogeochemists Amy Holt and Robert Spencer from FSU Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Science are part of an international research team investigating how glaciers impact the global carbon cycle. Learn about their findings from analyzing 136 glaciers across six continents and what it means for the future of these environments: fla.st/7HLPQ806 ✍️: Kendall Cooper

🌍💨 Uncovering the Hidden Impact of Alaska’s Dust Storms on Global Climate New research from the University of Leeds and the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS) has revealed that large-scale dust storms in Southern Alaska could have a greater impact on the global climate system than previously thought. 🌫️🗺️ The study, published in Science Advances, highlights how the dust particles, rich in vegetation and fine silt from Alaska’s Copper River, are highly effective at forming ice crystals in clouds—far more so than dust particles from desert environments like the Sahara. 💧🌿 These Alaskan dust storms can last several days and carry tonnes of sediment into the atmosphere, influencing cloud formation and potentially affecting climate patterns across the Northern Hemisphere. Unlike typical desert dust, the particles from the Copper River region contain more biological material, which makes them more efficient ice-nucleating agents. ❄️🔬 Sarah Barr, the lead author of the study and a doctoral researcher at the University of Leeds, conducted on-site sampling during these dust storms. Her analysis found that this unique dust composition is crucial for cloud ice formation. As Dr. Ryan Neely III, a senior atmospheric scientist, explains: “This research sets a new standard for exploring high-latitude regions like the poles for sources of ice-nucleating particles and understanding their impact on the climate system.” 🔍 The findings suggest that dust from river deltas like the Copper River plays a pivotal role in regulating the climate, emphasising the need to include these emissions in climate models for more accurate predictions. 🌍📊 #ClimateChange #EnvironmentalResearch #EarthScience #UniversityOfLeeds #ScienceAdvances #AtmosphericScience #ClimateImpact #ResearchInnovation #Sustainability

A better way to study ocean currents

New highlight paper -  Opinion: Strengthening research in the Global South – atmospheric science opportunities in South America and Africahttps://lnkd.in/ezhVv-ff

In prior postings, I have noted that climate scientists have struggled on both short and long term forecasts. That is ok, except when others believe that the science on climate change is "settled" or when a model like the University of Florida ACUNE computer climate model can forecast sea level rise by 2050 with "high probability." Government spending priorities are driven by these models, so it is important whether they have as much of a grasp on science as they claim. This article acknowledges that climate modeling is not as simple or settled as many would have us believe. It uses a lot of technical jargon, but, in essence, it is trying to answer this question: does the melting snow on top of the ice in Antarctica or Greenland flow off the ice cap and go into the sea or does it go downward through cracks in the ice and refreeze? The study's co-author, Surenda Adhikari, made this statement: "Things are much more complex in reality than what has been captured by existing models."  This is a candid and realistic observation that suggests that any "high probability" scenario about sea level rise is probably overstating the level of confidence existing models can give us. This study certainly advances the science, but it also suggests that we are not close to determining the path of this melting snow, which has a significant impact on sea level rise.

Did you know that oceans not only capture and redistribute the sun’s heat, but produce gases that make particles with immediate climate cooling effects? 🌊🌍 Researchers from UEA’s Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Institut de Ciències del Mar - CSIC and Blas Cabrera Institute of Physical Chemistry have detected a new gas that, once in the atmosphere, oxidizes, forming small particles that reflect solar radiation back into space, reducing the heat retained by the Earth. Published in Science Magazine, Dr Charel Wohl from our School of Environmental Sciences and one of the lead authors, said: “This is the climatic element with the greatest cooling capacity, but also the least understood. We knew methanethiol was coming out of the ocean, but we had no idea about how much and where. We also did not know it had such an impact on climate.” To find out more: https://lnkd.in/eM4bVjAZ ClimateUEA   #ClimateChangeResearch #OceanicScience #AcademicExpert #ResearcherLife

Impact of ocean in-situ observations on ECMWF sub-seasonal forecasts - Frontiers in Marine Science: We assess for the first time the impact of in-situ ocean observations on European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) sub-seasonal forecasts of both ocean and atmospheric conditions. A series of coupled reforecasts have been conducted for the period 1993-2015, in which different sets of ocean observations were withdrawn in the production of the ocean initial conditions. Removal of all ocean in-situ observations in the initial conditions leads to significant degradation in the forecasts of ocean surface and subsurface mean state at lead times from week 1 to week 4. The negative impact is predominantly caused by the removal of the Argo observing system in recent decades. Changes in the mean state of atmospheric variables are comparatively small but significant in the forecasts of lower and upper atmospheric circulation over large regions. Our results highlight the value of continuous, real-time in-situ observations of the surface and subsurface ocean for coupled forecasts in the sub-seasonal range.