Monthly Archives: April 2013

Indian Summer Monsoon

Posted on by
Reply

Research Spotlight

Monsoon

Can Anthropogenic Absorbing Aerosols Affect the Indian Summer Monsoon?

The Asian monsoons affect the livelihood of billions of people. Rapid economic development over the region in the past decades unfortunately has also created abundance of air pollutants such as black carbon aerosols. The Wang group has studied the potential impacts of these particulate pollutants on the monsoonal circulation and precipitation pattern. Using an interactive aerosol-climate model combining with surface rainfall data, they have found that the anthropogenic absorbing aerosols could cause the Indian summer monsoon to come earlier and also a shift in monsoonal rainfall pattern, all in a coincidence with past observed trend.

Learn more about the Wang group’s research here.

Rwanda Climate Change Observatory

Posted on by
Reply

Research Spotlight

Rwanda Observatory

Rwanda Climate Change Observatory

The Center for Global Change Science (Professor Ronald Prinn, Director) is collaborating with the Ministry of Education of Rwanda to establish a major Climate Change Observatory and develop educational and research programs in climate science that use the Observatory measurements. This involves: preparation and construction of sites for both a permanent observatory on Mt. Karisimbi, and for an interim observatory on Mt. Mugogo for testing and training; acquisition and installation of meteorological and atmospheric gas analyzing instruments; and training of technicians to operate and maintain the instruments and their data output. Dr. Kat Potter is the initial resident PI. The Rwandan Observatory is intended to become part of the international global AGAGE network (sponsored by NASA and several foreign governments’ agencies).

Learn more about the Center for Global Change Science here.

Joint Program

Posted on by
Reply

Research Spotlight

JPwheel

The MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change

The Greenhouse Gamble™ wheels were developed by the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change to better convey uncertainty in climate change prediction. The roulette-style spinning wheels depict the estimated probability, or likelihood, of potential temperature change (global average surface temperature) over the next 100 years. The face of each wheel is divided into colored slices, with the size of each slice representing the estimated probability of the temperature change in the year 2100 falling within that range.

Learn more about how to interpret the Greenhouse Gamble™ wheels here

Learn more about the Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change here.