Category Archives: Climate

Using measurements of cloud ice to evaluate frozen particle scattering models

By: Karina McCusker How do we measure cloud ice, and why do we need to? Ice particles in clouds have complex geometries, making them more difficult to understand than droplets. As a result, ice clouds are a source of uncertainty … Continue reading

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Projected longer dry spells under climate change occur during dry seasons not wet seasons

By Caroline Wainwright  The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report states that the global water cycle will intensify with continued global warming. This means fewer rainy days, but with more intense rain over many land regions, and more … Continue reading

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From Falling Paper Strips, Tossed Coins To Settling Snowflakes

By Majid Hassan Khan Did you notice money raining down in part three of the Spanish TV series “Money Heist” (Spanish: La casa de Papel, “The House of Paper”) on Netflix? A blimp flew over Madrid and showered money. These … Continue reading

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Data assimilation under dramatic growth of observational data and rapid advances in computer performance

By: Guannan Hu The importance of data assimilation Data assimilation (DA) is a technique used to produce initial conditions for numerical weather prediction (NWP). In NWP, computer models describing the evolution of the atmosphere are used to predict future weather … Continue reading

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How do we actually run very high resolution climate simulations?

By: Annette Osprey High resolution modelling Running very detailed and fine scale (“high resolution”) simulations of the Earth’s atmosphere is vital for understanding changes to the Earth’s climate, particularly extreme events and high-impact weather [1]. However, each simulation is 1) … Continue reading

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The Other Climate Impact Of Aviation

By: Ella Gilbert In-flight entertainment Picture yourself in the window seat of an aeroplane, cruising along at 30,000 feet, occasionally admiring the clouds below and watching that cheesy blockbuster you were too shy to go and see in the cinema. … Continue reading

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Soil Moisture Monitoring with Satellite Radar

By: Keith Morrison-Department of Meteorology & Will Maslanka-Department of Geography & Environmental Science Everyone knows about the impacts from intense and/or prolonged rainfall – flooding, like that experienced in the Thames Basin during the Summer of 2007, and the Winter of … Continue reading

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Rescuing early satellite data to improve long-term estimates of past weather.

By: Jade Westfoot  This post is contributed by Jade Westfoot, a year-12 school student who did work experience in the department recently. During her week with us, Jade worked with Drs. Jon Mittaz and Tom Hall on rescuing historic satellite … Continue reading

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The Future of Arctic Sea Ice

By: Rebecca Frew It is well documented in scientific studies and the news (recent example here) that the summer extent of Arctic sea ice has been declining rapidly in response to global warming. As the summer sea ice shrinks and … Continue reading

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Three Flavours of Pykrete

By: David Livings Three Flavours of Pykrete A few years ago, Giles Foden published a novel called Turbulence. Most of the book is about a young meteorologist in the second world war, but there’s a framing story set in the 1980s, … Continue reading

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