Climate
and Earth Systems Research Group
Department
of Geosciences
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University
The Climate and Earth Systems Research Group currently has three main foci:
Sea ice and High latitude Climate
We are engaged in research to both improve modeling of sea ice and investigate the climate impacts that current and future changes in the Arctic sea ice will have. Sea ice model development focuses on improving the representation of snow on sea ice. The climate impacts of changing Arctic sea ice has focused on the influence that changing Arctic sea ice has on Northern Hemisphere storm tracks and the influence of model resolution on ice model sensitivity to greenhouse gas forcing.
We are engaged in research to both improve modeling of sea ice and investigate the climate impacts that current and future changes in the Arctic sea ice will have. Sea ice model development focuses on improving the representation of snow on sea ice. The climate impacts of changing Arctic sea ice has focused on the influence that changing Arctic sea ice has on Northern Hemisphere storm tracks and the influence of model resolution on ice model sensitivity to greenhouse gas forcing.
Seagrass Biogeography and Diversity
Seagrasses are highly productive components of coastal ecosystems that play significant roles in the flow of nutrients and modulation of physical conditions within the world’s oceans. However, in spite of the significant role seagrasses play today, many questions about their biology, ecology, and evolutionary history remain to be explored. In collaboration with colleagues at the University of Wyoming, we are working to develop a model of global seagrass biogeography and diversity that has broad applicability throughout the ecological history of seagrass and will contribute greatly to filling the gaps in the fossil record and furthering our understanding of the evolutionary history of seagrasses.
Seagrasses are highly productive components of coastal ecosystems that play significant roles in the flow of nutrients and modulation of physical conditions within the world’s oceans. However, in spite of the significant role seagrasses play today, many questions about their biology, ecology, and evolutionary history remain to be explored. In collaboration with colleagues at the University of Wyoming, we are working to develop a model of global seagrass biogeography and diversity that has broad applicability throughout the ecological history of seagrass and will contribute greatly to filling the gaps in the fossil record and furthering our understanding of the evolutionary history of seagrasses.
Cretaceous Climate Dynamics
The Cretaceous (144 - 65 Ma) was a time of changing continental configurations, atmospheric composition, and climate. We are using coupled, earth system models to simulate the climate at four time slices throughout the Cretaceous in an effort to understand the climate changes and dynamics associated with the changing Cretaceous boundary conditions.
The Cretaceous (144 - 65 Ma) was a time of changing continental configurations, atmospheric composition, and climate. We are using coupled, earth system models to simulate the climate at four time slices throughout the Cretaceous in an effort to understand the climate changes and dynamics associated with the changing Cretaceous boundary conditions.