News & Blog
2018 Graduate Climate Conference, hosted by UW PCC students, is largest yet
The Graduate Climate Conference (GCC), now in its twelfth year, represents a rich tradition tied to the history of the PCC. First held in 2006, the GCC has grown and evolved while remaining true to its core mission of highlighting student-led work at a conference run by graduate students for graduate students. Hosting responsibilities have alternated each year between students in the PCC at UW and students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)’s Program on Atmospheres, Oceans, and Climate.
Read more80% Ice Covered, Greenland is 100% Worth the Visit
Stepping on the tarmac of Greenland’s lone international airport in Kangerlussuaq, it’s difficult to anticipate what awaits in this remote, cold, and isolated place. Yet, this territory covered in over 1,700,000 square km of ice and a population of just under 60,000 is filled to the brim with stories and excitement. Even more amazing than the sights were the professors and students who accompanied me on the UW Greenland Exploration Seminar, providing a diverse array of perspectives that allowed me to understand such a foreign place.
Read morePermian Mass Extinction caused by Global Warming
A newly published paper in Science proves that the Permian mass extinction, which is the largest extinction in Earth's history, was caused by global warming that raised ocean temperatures and lowered the amount of oxygen the ocean could hold, making it difficult for marine organisms to survive. Justin Penn, a doctoral student in Oceanography, and Curtis Deutsch, an assistant professor of Oceanography, along with Stanford researchers, modeled climate conditions during the Permian and used published lab measurements and the fossil record to analyze the effects of the changing climate on marine organisms. This study's results, that mass extinction is an effect of increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere resulting in a warmer ocean, are important considering our climate now. Penn said, "This study highlights the potential for a mass extinction arising from a similar mechanism under anthropogenic climate change.”
Read more at UW NewsTeaching Climate Science Using a Local Phenomenon: Harmful Algal Blooms
Climate science is inherently interdisciplinary and complex. Physical processes at a molecular level cascade upward to drive global-scale events. Decisions at a local level impact the health of the global population. How can we effectively teach a topic as complicated as climate science to middle-school students? We did by focusing on a local phenomenon that they themselves can experience, see, touch, and feel.
Read moreResponding to the National Climate Assessment Report
When paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould heard from his doctor that he had a rare and serious stomach cancer, he went straight to the medical library and devoured the scientific literature on his condition. He tells this story in his essay The Median Isn’t the Message. “The literature,” he writes, “couldn’t have been more brutally clear: mesothelioma is incurable, with a median mortality of only eight months after discovery.” The prognosis, the science, and the statistics helped Gould understand the nature of the disease, but after sitting in shock with the information, his realized that the most statistically likely life expectancy wasn’t up to chance alone.
Read morePCC Researchers and Graduate Students Build Partnerships to Address Wildfire Smoke Health Risks
After two summers in a row of several statewide smoke events in Washington, addressing the health impacts of wildfire smoke on communities has never been more urgent. While many scientific questions about wildfire smoke remain unanswered, answers to questions about risk communication and public health interventions are among the most pressing needs for impacted communities. With that goal in mind, a team of PCC faculty, researchers, and graduate students came together to plan a collaborative, interdisciplinary symposium around wildfire smoke risk communication.
Read moreCongratulations to Rebecca Neumann, AGU Award Recipient
Rebecca Neumann, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering is the American Geophysical Union’s 2018 recipient of the Charles S. Falkenberg Award given in “recognition of an early- to middle-career scientist who has contributed to the quality of life, economic opportunities and stewardship of the planet through the use of Earth science information and to the public awareness of the importance of understanding our planet.” Neumann has been an active PCC board member, she is currently on sabbatical.
Read more at UW Civil and Environmental EngineeringDale Durran, Atmospheric Science Professor, comments on I-1631
In a letter to the editor published in The Seattle Times on October 29, 2018, Atmospheric Science Professor Dale Durran, along with 21 other professors express their views on I-1631, a ballot initiative proposing a carbon tax in Washington.
Read more at The Seattle Times“Sources of Uncertainty in Long-Term Climate Projections” - PCC Summer Institute 2018
by Sarah Ragen and Hannah Director On September 12-14, 2018, members of the UW community and invited guests gathered at UW’s Friday Harbor Labs for the Program on Climate Change’s annual Summer Institute. The topic this year was “Sources of Uncertainty in Long-Term Climate Projections.” Participants attending the institute were introduced to many issues that affect how we quantify the uncertainty related to long-term climate projections.
Read morePlant response to elevated carbon dioxide amplifies warming
A new study published by Marlies Kovenock, a graduate student in the Department of Biology and member of the PCC, demonstrates how the response of plants to climate change could result in more warming. Plants have been observed to change the thickness of their leaves when subject to increased CO2. Yet, the consequence of this physiological response is still poorly understood. Does this response amplify or dampen the warming caused by the increased CO2? Kovenock suggests that the thicker leaves may amplify the effects of climate change because the leaves would be less efficient in sequestering atmospheric carbon. By not accounting for this response, it means that global temperatures could rise by an extra 0.3 to 1.4 degrees Celsius.
Read More at UW News