Water evaporating from the ocean sustains precipitation on land. ... This study provides evidence that springtime SSS in the subtropical North Atlantic ocean can be used as a predictor of terrestrial precipitation during the subsequent summer monsoon in Africa.

With several special visitors in attendance, our soon-to-graduate Rachael Kaspar (ENVS/EBIO major, ATOC minor) presents the findings of her Independent Study project using multiple satellites to study the variability of chlorophyll (a measure of phytoplankton concentration and ocean bioproductivity in general) near the Galapagos Islands.

Small island nations at high risk of future freshwater stress due to projected increases in aridity AND population by 2050...

By accounting for [evaporation] at 80 island groups distributed among Earth’s major ocean basins, we reveal a robust yet spatially variable tendency towards increasing aridity at over 73% of island groups (16 million people) by mid-century ... has important implications for climate change adaptation scenarios for vulnerable human populations living on islands across the world ocean.

A unique suite of in situ measurements coupled with GCM simulations enables us to quantify the mitigation potential of the projected circulation change for three coral reef ecosystems under two future scenarios ... The pace and extent to which GCM projections overwhelm historical trends will play a key role in defining the fate of marine ecosystems across the tropical Pacific.

Undergraduate Hannah Palmer and Postdoc Lei Zhang share their latest research with the lab. Hannah discussed the impacts of vertical migration on larval dispersion around the world, and Lei presented his recent study of planetary waves in the stratosphere and their impact on tropical rainfall.

"Upon stepping off the HMS Beagle in 1835, what biota would Charles Darwin have found, and how might that have influenced contemporary thought, philosophy, religion, and the development of evolutionary biology? It is this fluke of geography that helped create such abundant biodiversity in the Galápagos, but also the islands vulnerability to Earth’s great climatic heartbeat, El Niño."

"Changes in larval import, export, and self-seeding will affect the resilience of coral reef ecosystems ... Virtual larvae from islands throughout Micronesia were moved according to present-day and future-ocean circulation models ... Results predict an increase in self-seeding ... 65% of all island pairs experienced decreased connectivity."

Many thanks to Dr. Diane Thompson of the National Center for Atmospheric Research ( NCAR ) Climate and Global Dynamics ( CGD ) Division for visiting our group meeting and discussing her latest research about ecological connectivity across the coral triangle including the impacts of El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and climate change.

The Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (ATOC) at the University of Colorado Boulder invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in climate dynamics. We are seeking a person who will develop a vibrant research program complementing...