Our own Dr. Jay Shafer was a guest on Vermont Public Radio’s Vermont Edition on January 22, 2018, along with the Vermont State Climatologist Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux. They answered listener questions about winter weather phenomena in Vermont, including:
Why does it get quieter when it snows?
Can there actually be thunder and lightning during a snow storm?
How can smog and flooding happen in the dead of winter?
Atmospheric Science juniors and seniors spent Tuesday at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in Hanover, NH. To reinforce concepts introduced in various core Atmospheric Science classes, the group of students watched presentations by CRREL scientists before touring various research areas in the Engineer Research and Development Center. They examined ice cores in the Cold Rooms and explored several other facilities including the Frost Effects Research Facility, the Ice Engineering Facility, and the Field Research Areas. They also learned about various career paths and had the opportunity to network with professionals in the field.
Two Lyndon Atmospheric Sciences students, Sarah Sickles and Lauren Cornell, joined Dr. Hanrahan at the Vermont Youth Environmental Summit in Barre, VT. The group gave a presentation called, “It’s Our Climate – Let’s Talk About It,” which was followed by an open discussion with middle and high school students. The Lyndon group also hosted a table during an exhibition and scavenger hunt which allowed ATM students to practice the important skill of climate change communication. They had the opportunity to visit with local youth who shared their concerns and wanted to learn more about climate change mitigation.
The Department of Atmospheric Sciences is excited to announce new Climate Courage Awards. Local Vermont residents established the awards to recognize Lyndon Atmospheric Science students who have accepted the responsibility of educating the community about human-caused climate change while instilling a sense of urgency for action. This type of outreach is beyond what is traditionally expected of young scientists and takes a tremendous amount of courage. The number of recipients and cash award will vary depending on total donations each year. If you would like to recognize these courageous students, donations can be made by contacting Jenny Harris at jennifer.harris [at] lyndonstate.edu. For more information about this award or student activities, please contact Dr. Janel Hanrahan at janel.hanrahan [at] lyndonstate.edu.
Climate Courage Awards Description
Climate change presents humankind with a monumental challenge. While scientists understand the need for immediate climate change mitigation, the urgency of our situation is not well understood by many outside of the scientific community. It is therefore crucial for today’s scientists to communicate the impacts of climate change by educating the general public and key decision makers. Scientists must instill a sense of urgency for climate change action. This type of engagement is beyond what is traditionally expected of scientists and takes a tremendous amount of passion and courage. Vermont residents, Carl Bayer and Sheila Reed, established this award to recognize Atmospheric Sciences students at Lyndon who have demonstrated such courage.
The Climate Courage Awards are given annually to graduating Atmospheric Sciences or Climate Change Science seniors who have:
accepted the responsibility to educate others about the urgency of climate change action,
engaged with members of the community such as students, meteorologists, business leaders, and/or government officials,
demonstrated passion for decarbonizing our global energy system by advocating for a clean energy future based on renewable sources, and
expressed commitment to continued climate change advocacy as described in a two-page essay
Climate Change Courage award recipients will be announced at the Robing Ceremony in May.
Many Lyndon Atmospheric Science students are members of the Climate Change Communication group. These young scientists repeatedly demonstrate exemplary courage and passion about climate change communication, education, and outreach.
Students, faculty and staff at the 2017 Youth Rally for the Planet in Montpelier, VT
Atmospheric Science students at the People’s Climate March in Washington, DC on April 29, 2017
Students in the Climate Change Communication group educate local schoolchildren about climate change science
Climate Change Communication group students marching during the 2016 Youth Rally for the Planet in Montpelier, VT
Four Atmospheric Science students are now co-authors of an American Meteorological Society (AMS) publication that highlights their research findings. Their paper, Examining the Climatology of Shortwave Radiation in the Northeastern United States, was recently accepted for publication in the Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology.
Allison Fitzpatrick and Alex Maynard present their research at the 2017 Northeastern Storm Conference
Using Diurnal Temperature to Estimate Shortwave Radiation
In order to identify long-term trends and variability of potential solar energy production in the northeastern U.S., an extended climatology of shortwave radiation is needed.
What if this shortwave radiation data is lacking?
Due to differences in radiative forcing, clear skies are linked to large diurnal temperature range (DTR) values and overcast to small DTR values thus providing valuable information about shortwave radiation (SR) when direct observations are not available
A simple linear regression was created using diurnal temperature range during 2002 – 2015 as a predictor variable to estimate long-term shortwave radiation values in the northeastern U.S.
They found that statistically significant decreases in shortwave radiation were identified, which are dominated by changes during the summer months. Because this coincides with the season of greatest insolation and the highest potential for energy production, financial implications may be large for the solar energy industry if such trends persist into the future.
Colton Zercher explains his research at the 2016 Northeastern Storm Conference
Their work contributes to the scientific understanding of climate change impacts on renewable energy resources due to changing weather patterns in the Northeastern United States.
These students recently completed internships with Dr. Janel Hanrahan. Three of the students, Alex Maynard, Sarah Murphy, and Colton Zercher, recently graduated from the Atmospheric Science program. Allison Fitzpatrick plans to graduate in 2018.
Forecasting what the weather will be like tomorrow can be difficult. Now imagine forecasting the weather on the world’s tallest peak, Mount Everest. That’s exactly what students in Lyndon’s Atmospheric Science department did this spring. For the second year in a row, ten students, led by Dr. Jay Shafer, provided Mount Everest weather forecast support for an expedition. What an amazing experiential learning opportunity!
Students were able to apply the weather forecasting concepts that they learned in the classroom to forecasting the weather on Mount Everest.
The New England-based climbing team that Lyndon provided weather forecast support for successfully completed their mission of doing high altitude archaeology near 27,000 feet elevation. The daily weather forecasts helped them to stay safe, particularly ahead of heavy snowfall on Tuesday, May 9.
Mount Everest Weather Forecast Challenges
When forecasting for Mount Everest, there are two weather forecast challenges: high winds and heavy snowfall. These create dangerous climbing conditions. Typically, both wind speeds and snowfall are low during the second and third weeks of May. Not coincidentally, May 17 to May 23 is when the highest number of summits occur each year.
Forecasting the weather in the U.S. is a luxury compared to Mt. Everest.
-Scott Myerson, senior
New this year, Lyndon ran an in-house 4 km (high-resolution) Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model over Everest. This helped to tease out weather forecast details, such as wind direction over the complex terrain (see the elevation map, below) and simulated radar, that were not apparent or available with other lower-resolution weather models.
What makes forecasting for #Everest2017 successful? Battle-tested forecasters combined with model data, including our own in house WRF model pic.twitter.com/d6lLPmfrUZ
One weather forecast expected wind direction to bring in drier air aloft, helping to keep clouds and snowfall at bay. While the monsoon moisture remained fairly high in the lowlands to the south, the wind flow was generally expected to keep most clouds and any precipitation south of the summit.
On another day, the WRF simulation forecasted that a mesoscale convective system (MCS), a complex of thunderstorms, could impact the summit. Temperatures were cold enough there for possibly significant snowfall. It turned out that precipitation occurred earlier in the day than was forecast, but there were mesoscale convective systems.
“Everest was not only a high-stakes forecast, it also had high rewards. Hearing about our team’s safety and success was highly rewarding and motivating,” said sophomore Francis Tarasiewicz. Scott Myerson, a senior, summed up the overall experience well: “Forecasting the weather in the U.S. is a luxury compared to Mt. Everest.”
Topography of Everest vicinity. Created by Eric Weglarz
Simulated radar. Graphic by Aaron Perry
Jet stream level wind. Graphic by Aaron Perry
Jet stream level relative humidity. Graphic by Aaron Perry
Twenty-four Lyndon State College Atmospheric Science Department students joined over 200,000 others for the People’s Climate March in Washington, DC.
The march began in front of the Capitol shortly after 12:30pm and headed along Pennsylvania Avenue to encircle the White House.
Climate March Goal
National planning for the People’s Climate March (there were over 370 sister marches across the country) began in 2014 with one goal: pressure world leaders to act on climate change, as a direct response to a distressing reality. For example, 2016 was the hottest year on record, which had surpassed the previous two records set in 2015 and in 2014. While climate change is often talked about as a future problem, it is actually a current problem.
“I march because what we’re doing today cannot be undone”
-Dr. Janel Hanrahan, Professor, Lyndon Atmospheric Science Department
Improving Climate Change Communication
Climate scientists attribute this warming, and associated changes in global weather patterns, directly to human activities such as burning of fossil fuels. Lyndon’s Department of Atmospheric Sciences is providing students with opportunities to help communicate this important message to the public. First, a new Climate Change Science degree is starting this fall. In addition, two ongoing projects, the Lyndon Climate Change Communication group and TheClimateConsensus.com, give students of all ages, as well as scientists and the public, platforms to communicate the science and make a difference.
The journey is more than walking and chanting through the streets of Washington.
“Climate scientist and scientist as a whole kind of just been fed up, and had decided that we need to be as loud as we possibly can. Really what is the point of doing the science if nobody is paying attention,” said Janel Hanrahan a professor of Atmospheric Sciences at Lyndon State College.
Jake Fortin (L) and Francis Tarasiewicz (R) talk to students at Danville School
Improving Public Communication About Climate Change
One of the biggest hurdles for Dr. Hanrahan and her students is communicating the science to the general public. “Our goal is to communicate the science with the general public to inform them about facts, about climate change,” said Atmospheric Science student Celia Fisher. The Climate Consensus group did just that Monday speaking to a full room of students in Danville. They engaged the audience with analogies they could comprehend.
“In terms of our climate,” says Atmospheric Science student Francis Tarasiewicz, “we have a lot of CO2 in the air, but the temperature is not going to immediately respond. It takes a little while. So we relate that to an oven, where you preheat it to 400 degrees. It doesn’t immediately warm to 400 degrees.”
Moving Forward Following the Science
The group leaves this Friday and will attend the People’s Climate March this Saturday, the 29th.
“If we want to keep moving forward we want to make sure we are leaders in the world. We need to make sure we are following the science and right now we are just not,” said Hanrahan.
Local 22 / Local 44 News My Champlain Valley recently highlighted the new Climate Change Science degree coming to Lyndon this fall.
“If you want to learn about Climate Change Science, this is one of the best places to do it,” said Dr. Janel Hanrahan, professor of Atmospheric Sciences at Lyndon.
The Atmospheric Science department will house the Climate Change Science B.S. degree. “We are a nationally recognized department, and have been around for 43 years. What we do, we do very well,” said Hanrahan.
Most of all, the Climate Change Science degree is designed for students who want to get out and apply the science. For example, a few career paths include: policy, renewable energy, urban planning, or natural resources planning, to name a few career paths.
Associate Professor of Atmospheric Sciences Chair, Department of Atmospheric Sciences | Director, The Climate Consensus
Education:
B.A. – Mathematics, Alverno College (2005) M.S. – Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2008) Ph.D. – Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2010)
Several Lyndon Atmospheric Sciences students and faculty recently attended the American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington. Some of them presented on research conducted at Lyndon and through external internships. In addition, faculty discussed the integration of informal climate change communication into the ATM curriculum and convened a Town Hall Meeting to encourage widespread communication of the science.
