UNIVERSITY CORPORATION FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
Grant: $495,539 - National Science Foundation - May. 26, 2009
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Award Description: Researchers at NCAR aim to address Antarctic climate variability on interannual, multidecadal and longer timescales over the past ~250 years as a means to better understand the underlying physical mechanisms controlling climate change in the southern polar region. A range of observational, modeling and proxy (e.g. ice core) information will be combined and interpreted. Effort will be focused on the analysis and mechanistic interpretation of the interannual-to-multidecadal variability in the Antarctic ice core records over the past ~250 years. Analysis of observational ice core records will be used to define the leading patterns of variability and relate those to existing Antarctic temperature reconstructions and to tropical climate anomalies from various instrumental data sets. In particular, modeling experiments will be used to examine the relative roles of sea surface temperature forcing (tropical vs. extra-tropical) and direct atmospheric radiative forcing associated with changes in greenhouse gas and stratospheric ozone concentrations on Antarctic climate variability. The modeling component will use existing and modified atmospheric general circulation simulations driven with observational history from 1870 to the present. An augmentation of the most recent CCSM CAM (Community Climate System Model, Community Atmospheric Model) model explicitly incorporating a water isotope tracer scheme will be used to evaluate the isotope model performance, and to broaden current interpretation of ice core records. Participation in an ongoing and independently funded NCAR minority serving education effort (SOARS - Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research) is offered as a means of broadening participation in the atmospheric and related sciences.
Project Description: The overall purpose of this award is to better understand the physical mechanisms controlling climate variability in the southern polar region on interannual, multidecadal and longer time scales over approximately the past 250 years. This will be accomplished using a range of observational, modeling and proxy (e.g., ice core) information. We shall address the following questions: What is the nature of the connection between tropical and Antarctic climate variability, and what are the physical mechanisms responsible for this linkage? Is there a signature of forced climate change in Antarctic temperatures due to changes in greenhouse gases and stratospheric ozone concentrations, volcanic aerosols and solar output? Research has just begun this quarter, with a focus on comparing the ice core records with weather records from automated observing stations and temperature reconstructions for Antarctica, as well as examining the linkages with historical climate data from tropical marine records.
Jobs Summary: (a) Created: Visiting Scientist to work on modeling aspects of the proposal including experimental design strategies, analysis, and dissemination of results in the form of oral presentations and peer-reviewed journal articles. (b) Created: Visiting Scientist to work on observational aspects of the proposal including analysis of ice core records, temperature reconstructions, and global historical climate data sets, as well as dissemination of results in the form of oral presentations and peer-reviewed journal articles. (c) Retained: Associate Scientist III to provide technical support including running model experiments, post-processing output files, and assisting with analyses. (Total jobs reported: 1)
Project Status: Less Than 50% Completed
This award's data was last updated on May. 26, 2009. Help expand these official descriptions using the wiki below.
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