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‘Understanding Our Climate, Understanding Our Future’
Walker Institute for
Climate System
Research
Sir Gilbert Walker:
Discovered Southern
Oscillation and North
Atlantic Oscillation.
Father of Seasonal
Forecasting
An interdisciplinary institute that draws
together Reading’s unique breadth and
depth in climate system science under
one umbrella organisation
Dr Maria Noguer, Climate Research Coordinator, Walker Institute
[email protected]
October 2009
Walker Institute Today
• £20 million on research projects
• 100 scientists across the University
• Leading capabilities in:
– Understanding the climate system
– Improving the prediction of future climate
– Estimating impacts and consequences
Leadership in Climate Science
Strong national and international presence:
• Stern Review on the ‘Economics of Climate Change’
• IPCC Fourth Assessment Report
• Research Councils Major Programmes (e.g. Rapid, QUEST)
• Government Programmes (e.g. AVOID)
• EU Major Projects (ENSEMBLES, QUANTIFY, Euro-LIMPACS, ALARM)
• WCRP - World Climate Research Programme (e.g. Joint Scientific
Committee, Expert Panels)
• Joint programmes - UK-Japan, UK-India and UK-China
Understanding climate change
Exploiting Earth observation
Oceans – variability and
change
Atlantic Ocean Temperature
Dynamical processes
Land surface and atmosphere
Changes in the track density of mid-latitude storms
1979 - 2003 minus 1958 - 1978
August 2003 Heatwave
Medium strength
(20-40hPa)
Intense
(>40hPa)
Predicting climate
High resolution climate
models
Data assimilation
ADJUST
MODEL’S FIELDS
MODEL’S
PREDICTION OF
OBSERVATIONS
COMPARE WITH
OBSERVATIONS
Decadal predictions
Extremes
August 2005:
Hurricane Katrina
October 2006:
Longest summer on record
Impacts and consequences
Food security
Water
Reduction in pod set in groundnuts
Fruit set (%)
60
40
20
0
24
28
32
36
40
44
48
Flower bud temperature (oC)
Biodiversity
Built environment
Priority integrating themes
“Science”
“Impacts”
The next
30 years
Extremes
and
variability
Urban areas
Water/
Atmosphere
feedbacks
Tropics
India
Africa
Europe
Water
Agriculture
Infrastructure
Linking models
Using observations
Using
“supercomputing”
Real impact of our science
Advising businesses
Working with insurances
Advising governments
Transforming societies
Thank you
Visit www.walker-institute.ac.uk