New method shows today’s warming ‘unprecedented’ over past 24,000 years

Since ICESat-2 launched in September, it has already exceeded expectations. It's measuring the height of sea ice to within an inch, which will be used to improve climate modeling and forecasts.

A new effort to reconstruct Earth’s climate since the last ice age, about 24,000 years ago, highlights the main drivers of climate change, and how far out of bounds human activity has pushed the climate system. The University of Arizona-led study uses a technique for reconstructing past temperatures developed by co-authors at the University of Washington. The study, published Nov. 10 in Nature, has three main findings: It verifies that the main drivers of climate change since the last ice age are rising greenhouse gas concentrations and the retreat of the ice sheets It suggests a general warming trend over the last 10,000 years — settling a decade-long debate in the paleoclimatology community about whether this period trended warmer or cooler The magnitude and rate of warming over the last 150 years far surpasses the magnitude and rate of changes at any other time over the last 24,000 years “Paleoclimate records provide the only record we have of these past climates, but these records are imperfect and they have gaps in space and time.

UW professor and lead author on IPCC report sees hope for our climate future

It may seem counterintuitive, but on the heels of the most recent IPCC report on our changing climate, Kyle Armour finds reasons for optimism. “The degree of climate change we’ll experience this century depends on our future greenhouse gas emissions, which depend on the collective choices we make. Our future is up to us,” says Armour. He posted his thoughts on Twitter when many headlines about the report’s findings were overwhelmingly grave.

UW Environment announces 2021-2022 dean’s office scholarship recipients

The College of the Environment is pleased to announce the following undergraduate and graduate scholarships awarded for 2021-22. Del Rio Endowed Environmental Studies Scholarship The Del Rio Family Foundation established the Del Rio Endowed Scholarship Fund for Environmental Studies to encourage and support students with an interest in the environment who are participating in the Educational Opportunity Program. The Program promotes academic success and graduation for under-represented ethnic minority, economically disadvantaged and first-generation college students at the University of Washington.

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.

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.