Climate disruption: what math and science have to say

The signs of disruption to our climate are all around us. California  has seen longer, hotter dry seasons leading to severe wildfires. Rising  sea levels are threatening infrastructure and property along the State's  coast, and a declining snow pack is causing concern for hydropower,  water supply and tourism. Nationally, extended droughts over recent  years have affected agriculture and led to higher food prices, and  questions have been asked as to whether hurricane Sandy was a warning of  more extreme weather and extensive damage to come. Across the world,  further signs of climate disruption have been observed. Perhaps the most  striking are the changes in the Arctic – at the end of summer the area  covered by sea ice has reduced over the past couple of decades by a size  equivalent to the majority of the eastern half of the United States.

How can we make sense of these signs of climate disruption? How  urgent is it for us to respond? This talk will explain the math and  science underlying the observed changes to our weather and climate and  will discuss the projections of future change to help inform behavior or  policy decisions.

Speaker: Emily Shuckburgh, British Antarctic Survey