CAREER: Connections between Stratospheric Perturbations and Climate Change - Research and Teaching Integration

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The quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) is a dramatic shift in atmospheric dynamic properties in the stratosphere, e.g., winds, on an approximately 2-year cycle. This Career Development Grant (CDG) addresses two key objectives: (1) to develop a better understanding of the physical mechanisms responsible for the QBO, and how variations in the QBO affect current and future climate, and (2) to improve student understanding of issues related to climate change through the development and implementation of effective pedagogy. The research component of the CDG seeks to identify and understand forcing mechanisms responsible for QBO variability and its influence on climate. The investigation will utilize various modeling tools including NCAR's Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) to identify the relationship between large-scale planetary waves, stratosphere/troposphere coupling and the QBO. The scientific research includes: a) a physically based investigation of how various forcing mechanisms affect the QBO; b) an analysis of how stratospheric climate and stratosphere/troposphere coupling are affected by perturbations to the QBO as simulated by the WACCM; and c) estimates of how QBO properties in a doubled carbon dioxide atmosphere will change, and the feedbacks these changes may have on future climate. The educational component of the CDP seeks to develop more effective teaching paradigms for climate change. The first educational activity aims to identify student misconceptions about climate change through a series of surveys and interviews. These will guide the subsequent activities that include the development of a learning module on climate change suitable for a variety of teaching environments, and the development of a summer institute on climate change for high school teachers. The development of effective teaching materials will use an inquiry-based learning environment that utilizes climate model science and data generated from the research activities. Broader impacts: The expected outcomes of this research include a greater understanding of the processes responsible for QBO variability and an improved knowledge of how perturbations to the stratosphere affect both stratospheric and tropospheric climate. The educational outcomes include advances in both student and teacher understanding of climate change topics, improvement in the teaching of climate change in high schools, and an improvement in the recruitment of underrepresented students to pursue careers in climate related sciences.