Climate Variations and Trends

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Abstract ATM-9805886 Wallace, John M. University of Washington Title: Climate Variations and Trends This grant supports continued studies of weather and climate based largely on analyses of observational data. The PI will (i) analyze interdecadal variations in surface air temperature and precipitation as a means of determining whether and to what extent human activities are influencing climate; (ii) study the role of equatorial asymmetries in the diabatic heating fields in setting up zonal sea-level pressure gradients along the equator in order to determine whether monsoon-like cross-equatorial flows could mediate polarity reversals of the Southern Oscillation; (iii) document the variability of land surface vegetation based on satellite imagery and relate the variability to climatic variables such as rainfall and daily max/min temperatures; (iv) determine the predictability of the circulation in specific weather forecast situations; and (v) develop and apply statistical methods for use in weather and climate research. This research is important because it seeks to increase understanding of important climate and weather processes and hence may lead to better predictions of these phenomena.