Nov 17, 2016

UW Program on Climate Change Director LuAnne Thompson on being a climate scientist

The College of the Environment’s LuAnne Thompson, a faculty member in the School of Oceanography and the director of the Program on Climate Change, has dedicated her career to researching the ocean’s role in climate variability. Having recently returned from France, where she delved into the specifics of measuring an interpreting sea levels from radar altimetry with her academic peers, Thompson reflects on her feelings about the state of climate science and her hopes for the future of climate science outreach and education.

Read more at Program on Climate Change »

Nov 16, 2016

2 UW scientists lead effort to craft ‘blueprint’ for holistic fisheries management

Two University of Washington professors are leading an effort to help U.S. fisheries consider the larger marine environment, rather than just a single species, when managing a fishery. Tim Essington, a UW professor of aquatic and fishery sciences, and Phil Levin, a UW professor of practice with the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences and lead scientist at The Nature Conservancy, head a taskforce convened by the Lenfest Ocean Program to guide managers on implementing ecosystem-based fisheries management.

Large forest die-offs can have effects that ricochet to distant ecosystems

Abigail Swann, Dave Minor and Juan Villegas take measurements of live and dead trees in central New Mexico.

Major forest die-offs due to drought, heat and beetle infestations or deforestation could have consequences far beyond the local landscape. Wiping out an entire forest can have significant effects on global climate patterns and alter vegetation on the other side of the world, according to a study led by the University of Washington and published Nov. 16 in PLOS ONE. “When trees die in one place, it can be good or bad for plants elsewhere, because it causes changes in one place that can ricochet to shift climate in another place,” said lead author Elizabeth Garcia, a UW postdoctoral researcher in atmospheric sciences.

How lightning strikes can improve storm forecasts

Humans have always been frightened and fascinated by lightning. This month, NASA is scheduled to launch a new satellite that will provide the first nonstop, high-tech eye on lightning over the North American section of the planet. University of Washington researchers have been tracking global lightning from the ground for more than a decade. Lightning is not only about public safety — lightning strike data have recently been introduced into weather prediction, and a new UW study shows ways to apply them in storm forecasts.

UW Environment scientists discuss what the current political climate will mean for climate education

Sarah E. Myhre, a postdoctoral scholar with the Future of Ice Initiative and the School of Oceanography at the University of Washington, and Marisa J. Borreggine, an undergraduate in the UW School of Oceanography, discuss what the election of President-elect Donald Trump will mean for their professions, their futures and our planet. Here’s a snippet of their conversation via Medium.com. Follow the link for more.