Jul 31, 2017

Earth likely to warm more than 2 degrees this century

Warming of the planet by 2 degrees Celsius is often seen as a “tipping point” that people should try to avoid by limiting greenhouse gas emissions. But the Earth is very likely to exceed that change, according to new University of Washington research. A study from lead-author and Professor of Statistics and Sociology Adrian Raftery and Associate Professor of Atmospheric Sciences Dargan Frierson uses statistical tools to show only a 5 percent chance that Earth will warm 2 degrees or less by the end of this century.

UW building underwater robots to study oceans around Antarctica

The ocean float lab in the UW Ocean Sciences Building is a hive of activity. Dozens of floats are in various stages of construction, both for the ongoing Argo program and the new SOCCOM project to study the Southern Ocean.

Earth and Space Sciences' John Booker receives AGU William Gilbert Award

ESS' John Booker, recipient of the AGU William Gilbert Award.

Congratulations to Earth and Space Sciences‘ Emeritus Professor John Booker, who recently received the prestigious William Gilbert Award from the American Geophysical Union. This top honor is given by the AGU’s Geomagnetism, Paleomagnetism and Electromagnetism section. It’s presented annually to one honoree in recognition of outstanding work in magnetism of Earth materials and of the Earth and planets. Booker, who earned his bachelor’s degree at Stanford University and Ph.D.

Could spraying particles into marine clouds help cool the planet?

The idea of climate engineering is controversial, but as greenhouse gases continue to accumulate in our atmosphere, scientists are beginning to look at possible emergency measures. A new University of Washington study looks at marine cloud brightening, which is being investigated by an on-campus group as a promising strategy to offset global warming. The idea, which could be a short-term measure to offset global warming in a future extreme emergency, is to spray saltwater into the air to make marine clouds reflect more incoming solar rays.

Rob Wood, recent AGU Ascent Award winner, to serve as the College’s Associate Dean for Research

The College is pleased to announce that Rob Wood, a professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, has agreed to serve as the UW Environment’s Associate Dean for Research effective September 16, 2017. In this role he will foster multidisciplinary collaborations, promote and support the range of basic and applied research programs across the College and University, and help faculty identify opportunities to partner and collaborate with universities and research organizations around the U.S.