CU Boulder sources are available to discuss various aspects of Hurricane Irma as it continues to track west toward a potential U.S. landfall later this week.
Lakshmi Kantha, a professor in CU Boulder’s Ann and H.J. Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences department, can discuss the pros and cons of the Saffir-Simpson scale used to assign categories to hurricanes. He may be reached on his cell phone at 720-891-1775, in his office at 303-492-3014 or at kantha@colorado.edu.
Kris Karnauskas, a research fellow in the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, studies ocean circulation dynamics and how climate affects large storms in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He may be reached at 303-735-4395 or kristopher.karnauskas@colorado.edu
Julie Lundquist, an associate professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, studies wind interactions, specifically how hurricane-strength gusts can disrupt wind farms and turbines. She may be reached at 303-492-8932 or julie.lundquist@colorado.edu.
Lori Peek, director of CU Boulder’s Natural Hazards Center and a professor in the Department of Sociology, studies vulnerable populations in disaster-stricken regions as well as post-disaster recovery. She is the co-author of the award-winning book Children of Katrina and is currently co-leading a National Science Foundation-funded workshop series on methods of interdisciplinary disaster research. She may be reached at lori.peek@colorado.edu or on her cell phone at 303-324-4132.
For further assistance, contact Trent Knoss in CU Boulder media relations at 303-735-0528 or trent.knoss@colorado.edu.