Two University of Washington atmospheric scientists—Angela Rowe and Lynn McMurdie—are leaving for a weeks-long, firsthand study of some of the fiercest storms on the planet. They will participate in RELAMPAGO, an international campaign in Argentina to monitor storms that occur east of the Andes near the slopes of another mountain range, the Sierra de Córdoba. The international team hopes to better understand how convective storm systems — the big systems that unleash torrential rains, hail and lightning — initiate and grow as they travel from the mountainous terrain eastward over the plains.
Read more at UW Today »High CO2 levels cause plants to thicken their leaves, which could worsen climate change effects, researchers say
New research finds that plants with thicker leaves may exacerbate climate change impacts because they would be less efficient in sequestering atmospheric carbon.
Read more at UW Today »UW professor Cecilia Bitz elected American Geophysical Union fellow
Cecilia M. Bitz, a University of Washington atmospheric scientist, has been elected as a fellow of the American Geophysical Union. The UW honoree is among 62 new 2018 fellows from 21 countries.The scientific group recognizes only one in 1,000 members each year for major scientific work and sustained impact. Bitz is a UW professor in the atmospheric sciences department and director of the Program on Climate Change.
Read more at UW Today »Joel Thornton and Allan Devol receive 2018 AGU section and named lecture awards
Congratulations to Joel Thornton and Allan Devol for receiving 2018 awards from the American Geophysical Union, the world’s largest earth and space society. This year, AGU recognized 75 scientists for their sustained and unique contributions to increasing understanding of Earth and its atmosphere and oceans, and of the solar system and exoplanets.
Read more »Study shows why eastern U.S. air pollution levels are more stagnant in winter
The air in the United States is much cleaner than even a decade ago. But those improvements have come mainly in summer, the season that used to be the poster child for haze-containing particles that cause asthma, lung cancer and other illnesses. A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and led by the University of Washington explains why winter air pollution levels have remained high, despite overall lower levels of harmful emissions from power plants and vehicles throughout the year.
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