Climate Processes
What are climate processes?
Climate Processes Research Objectives:
- To more effectively understand past and present climate patterns
- To monitor the changes in the climate due to anthropogenic influenes and contributions to the atmosphere
Naturally occurring climate processes are constantly occurring, most of which are driven by influx of of energy from the sun. The abundant supply of heat and light stimulate the Earth's atmosphere causing various climate processes to take place.
The amount of light and energy that reaches the Earth's surface and atmosphere fluctuates from season to season depending on a few factors, including changes in the Earth's orbit around the sun. The factors that cause us to experience seasonal changes are the same factors that are the driving forces behind the climate processes that atmospheric scientists study.
Why do we conduct field studies on climate processes?
Monitoring the Earth's influx and out flow of both long and short-wave radiation from all sources is critical to understanding the naturally occurring climate process that affect all living organisms. Data collection and analysis will help by providing more accurate climate models and forecasting, which will in turn better prepare our communities for the future.
EOL field projects studying climate processes:
- DYNAMO 2011 :: Studying how various seasonal atmospheric patterns interact with one another over the Indian Ocean
- VOCALS 2008 :: Studying ocean-atmosphere-land interactions of the Southeast Pacific Ocean and South America
Do you still have questions about climate processes?
If you still have a few more questions about cliamte processes feel free to ask a scientist! You can find a scientist who specializes in your particular question. Click on their name to send them an email, or click on some on some of the other provided links to learn more about their specialty!
