Title: Climate Change in the Tropical Pacific and Beyond

Time: April 20^th, Monday: 9:30am-11:00am

Speaker: Prof. Mat Collins, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Exeter, UK

Location: 13rd floor meeting room, Haozhiying Technology Tower

Contact: Xiaolin Zhang (zhangxiaolin@dlmu.edu.cn)

Meeting ID: 514-591-507

Abstract: The tropical Pacific Ocean is sometimes described as the ‘engine room’ of the global climate system. Variations in the tropical Pacific have impacts on climate, people and ecosystems around the Pacific rim and beyond. This seminar will cover how climate change may impact the tropical Pacific. Topics will include the mean-state pattern of sea surface temperature (SST) change and the discrepancy between observations and models, physical processes responsible for uncertainties in future tropical Pacific SST patterns, and the impact of those mean-state SST pattern changes on rainfall and temperature extremes in N. and S. America and the atmospheric circulation in the Southern Hemisphere. The seminar will also discuss changes in the variability of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) including the time of emergence of changes in the mean state and ENSO, the time of emergence of changes in the Walker Circulation, and changes in ENSO teleconnection patterns in North America and Europe.

Bio: Mat Collins is Head of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and holds the Joint Met Office Chair in Climate Change in the Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter. His research interests are in physical aspects of climate change, with a focus on future projections. He has served twice as Coordinating Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, on the Firth Assessment Report of Working Group 1 and on the Special Report on Oceans and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. He is the Field Chief Editor of Frontiers in Climate. He has published nearly 200 peer-reviewed journal articles.