Aug 17, 2021

Official recognition of Southern Ocean brings Earth’s total to five

iceberg and research vessl in the southern ocean

Growing up, most of us learned there were four oceans making up 71% of earth’s surface: The Arctic, Indian, Pacific and Atlantic. Now, there are five. The Southern Ocean is the most recent addition, officially recognized by National Geographic in June of 2021 on World Ocean Day. While the other four oceans are defined by continental boundaries, the Southern Ocean is different: it is the only ocean connecting the other oceans through a current that circles the entire globe.

Two UW Environment researchers honored by the American Meteorological Society

Two Atmospheric Sciences researchers were honored by the American Meteorological Society (AMS) for their contributions to the weather, water and climate research community. Shuyi Chen, professor and incoming UW Environment associate dean for research, received the Sverdrup Gold Medal. Cecilia Bitz, Atmospheric Sciences department chair and professor, received the Syukuro Manabe Climate Research Award. The AMS advances the atmospheric and related sciences, technologies, applications and services for the benefit of society.

Dryer, warmer night air is making some Western wildfires more active at night

Firefighters have reported that Western wildfires are starting earlier in the morning and dying down later at night, hampering their ability to recover and regroup before the next day’s flareup. A study by University of Washington and U.S. Forest Service scientists shows why: The drying power of nighttime air over much of the Western U.S. has increased dramatically in the past 40 years.

A visit to Mt. Baker’s Easton Glacier

Four people hiking in a rocky field with trees in the distance

This week, a few members of the UW News team joined glaciologists from the UW Department of Earth & Space Sciences on a trip to Mt. Baker. Students that came along got a pop quiz on glaciology from their professor on the hike up, and learned about how the recent heat wave impacted the snow melt on the ice. Taryn Black, a PhD candidate in the department, led the hike and is featured in this video.

UW Environment researcher plays leading role in latest IPCC report

Kyle Armour, associate professor of Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences, served as a lead author in the recently published United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report. Over the past three years, Armour collaborated with roughly 200 scientists all over the globe in an effort to come to a common understanding about the climate crisis and the steps needed to stabilize it.