Lise Seland Graff. Photo: Geir Holm/UiO
Lise Seland Graff with the article: “Changes in Cyclone Characteristics in Response to Modified SSTs” in the Journal of Climate. The article examines changes in the storm track due to increases in sea surface temperature.
In line with previous studies, Graff finds that mid-latitude storms are shifting toward the poles. But her results also show that the storms are traveling faster, and are stronger. As such, they pose a greater challenge both to forecasters and to coastal communities.
Graff, L. S., J. H. LaCasce, 2014: Changes in Cyclone Characteristics in Response to Modified SSTs. J. Climate, 27, 4273–4295. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-13-00353.1
Ada Gjermundsen. Photo: Private
Ada Gjermundsen, in her article: “The Atmospheric Response to Surface Heating under Maximum Entropy Production” in the Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, studies whether a simplified physical model (from non-equilibrium thermodynamics) can be used to simulate temperature changes in the atmosphere.
The model, which can be written on a few sheets of paper, is perhaps as simple as a climate model can possibly be. Despite this simplicity though, it does surprisingly well at capturing atmospheric temperatures and heat transport.
However, Gjermundsen shows the model is unable to reproduce the shifting storm tracks, described by Graff and others. So more complexity is required before the model can be used in climate simulations.
Gjermundsen, A., J. H. LaCasce, L. S. Graff, 2014: The Atmospheric Response to Surface Heating under Maximum Entropy Production. J. Atmos. Sci., 71, 2204–2220. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-13-0181.1