Highlighting applications of climate tools to decision-making

Katherine Hegewisch, John Abatzoglou, and Erica Fleishman The Climate Impacts Research Consortium is pleased to introduce two new series of documents that increase accessibility of the Climate Toolbox: the Climate Toolbox Summaries series, which provides overviews of tools, and the Climate Toolbox Case Studies series, which highlights how users are applying the tools to decision-making….

Designing Better Wind Power Based on Greater Knowledge of Wind-Speed Variations

Wind power is a fast-growing energy source. To get the most breeze for our buck from wind farms, we need to know where and how fast the winds blow each season, and how El Niño alters those winds. To help answer these questions, researcher Benjamin Hamlington of Old Dominion University and his colleagues studied 35…

New Tools for Gauging Estuarine Dynamics

Estuaries — vital nurseries for sea life in the Pacific Northwest — provide water filtration and habitat protection for the many species that live in and around them. To better understand how climate change will alter the dynamics of tides, winds, ocean waves and stream flows in these critical ecosystems, a new tool was designed…

Investigating Die-Offs of Western Woodlands

Western North American forests are experiencing a rapid increase in severe die-offs from droughts, insect attacks and fires. This increase in mortality has contributed to lumber mills closing, as well as to other, more far-reaching, economic impacts. Since 2013, OCCRI’s Forest Mortality, Economics, and Climate (FMEC) project has been studying the processes behind these die-offs….

Summaries for Policymakers Provide Guidance for Action

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) just released the summaries for policymakers for the reports by Working Groups 2 and 3. They are highlighted below. (Last fall’s report from Working Group 1 was highlighted in the March 2014 issue of the CIRCulator.) Impacts, Adaptation, and VulnerabilityWorking Group 2 has created a practical “guide to action,” evaluating current…

Higher Waves Could Mean More Flooding and Erosion

Global and regional sea levels have been increasing because of melting land ice and because the oceans expand as they absorb heat. But it’s not just the average sea level that matters. Damage also is caused by a few hours of the highest waves in a decade. A study by Muyin Wang and colleagues using…