Special CIG Seminar: Karen McKinnon, NOAA Hollings Scholar

Start Date/Time: Wednesday, July 22, 2009, 10:00 AM
Ending Date/Time: Wednesday, July 22, 2009, 11:00 AM
Location: FSH 203 (Fisheries Science Bldg, 1122 Boat St)

The Climate Impacts Group is pleased to have a special summer seminar presentation on July 22nd from Karen McKinnon, a NOAA Hollings Scholar working with Phil Mote on evaluating the role of climate change in the 2000-01 drought. Karen's presentation title is: "Loading the dice: Climate change and the 2000-01 Northwest drought"

Abstract:
After predicting a cool, wet winter in the Northwest, the 2000-01 severe drought due to extremely low winter precipitation caught many seasonal forecasters by surprise. The cause of the drought remains a topic of study, and some have proposed climate change as a partial cause. This talk will discuss results from a climate change attribution study, comparing thousands of model simulations that capture either the anthropogenic (current) climate or a theoretical one that would have existed without twentieth century greenhouse gas emissions. The investigative framework informs about the changes that have already occurred in the Northwest due to warming and the effect of climate change on the probability of the drought. Additionally, the application of the methods to other severe weather events will be discussed, presenting legal and political implications if catastrophic events can be partially attributed to climate change.

Location:FSH 203 (Fisheries Science Bldg, 1122 Boat St) (http://www.fish.washington.edu/info/find_us.html
UW campus map: http://www.washington.edu/home/maps/southwest.html?FSH