Monthly Archives: January 2014

Wettest January on the University’s 106-year weather record

Posted on 31 January, 2014 by

This January has been the wettest on the University’s long meteorological record. Weather observations began at the London Road site in 1908, with a move to Whiteknights in 1968. Records from the Atmospheric Observatory on the Whiteknights campus show that, … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate | Tagged | Leave a comment

Are we heading for another ‘Maunder minimum’?

Posted on 23 January, 2014 by

Recent research from Mike Lockwood and team has evaluated the current decline in solar activity (which began in 1985) by comparing with past behaviour of the Sun deduced from cosmogenic isotopes found in ice sheets and tree trunks. The current … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate, Space | Leave a comment

Dame Professor Julia Slingo named by Science Council as one of the UK’s ‘Top 100 scientists’

Posted on 20 January, 2014 by

The Science Council has today released a list of the 100 leading practising scientists in the United Kingdom, to challenge the UK’s narrow and old-fashioned view of science and to highlight a collective blind spot in the approach of government, … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Women in Science | Leave a comment

A soggy start to 2014 …

Posted on 12 January, 2014 by

With the worst of the Christmas rains now behind us, and some drier and calmer weather being forecast for the next few days, it is interesting to take stock of the rainfall during the past four weeks as measured by … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental hazards | Tagged | Leave a comment

Artificially cooling the planet could cause climate chaos

Posted on 8 January, 2014 by

Plans to reverse the effects of global warming by injecting reflective particles into the stratosphere which would mimic the impact of large, tropical volcanic eruptions could have a catastrophic impact on some of the most fragile ecosystems on earth, according … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate, Environmental hazards | Tagged , | Leave a comment

How does science influence policy development in Westminster?

Posted on 6 January, 2014 by

Ever wondered how politicians and civil servants use science to make policy decisions? Dr Jonny Day spent a week in Westminster on the Royal Society Pairing Scheme to find out. The week started with a tour of Westminster followed by … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Climate | Leave a comment