This project will quantify changes in climate extremes for the UK and Europe at several policy-relevant global warming levels, in novel simulations where global temperatures have stabilised. This is contrasted to projected changes in extremes extracted from more conventional simulations, where warming is ongoing throughout the 21st century.
Department: Meteorology
Supervised by: Andrea Dittus and Ed Hawkins
This project will investigate the possible consequences that stabilising temperatures at different warming levels would have for climate extremes in the UK and Europe (from the policy-relevant global warming levels of 1.5 & 2 degrees C of global warming to higher levels of warming, 3 & 4 degrees C) in different seasons. Using novel simulations with a state-of-the-art climate model, where temperatures are evolving on a more stable trajectory than conventional climate projections, the student will analyse the projected frequency and intensity of temperature and/or precipitation extreme events in these simulations. Most comparable studies to date have relied on simulations with ongoing warming until the end of the century. This project will therefore help quantify the potential benefits and risks that a stabilisation of global temperatures would bring for the UK and Europe.
The student will analyse climate model output using a programming language such as Python or similar and learn to interpret the results in the context of existing assessments of changes in climate extremes in the UK. The student will further be encouraged to think about how to visualise and communicate these results. Tasks include: 1) Reading relevant publications and getting acquainted with datasets 2) calculating climate extreme indices, e.g. the frequency, absolute temperature and duration of heatwaves for each season in the climate model experiments (help and code is available for this task as required) 3) assessing and interpreting change in extreme indices at different global warming levels 4) comparing these results to results from other climate model simulations and published literature 5) interpreting, visualising and communicating results.
This project would be suitable for anyone enrolled in a physical science degree with an interest to learn more about climate change and some previous programming experience.
Data analysis and coding skills, scientific reasoning and other research skills, data visualisation & presentation.
Department of Meteorology, University of Reading (or online depending on government guidelines)
Flexible hours (suggested 9am-5pm Mon-Fri)
Wednesday 15 June 2022 - Monday 15 August 2022
The post will be advertised centrally on the UROP website between 21st February and 4th April 2022. Students should submit their CV and Cover Letter directly to the Project Supervisor (click on supervisor name at the top of the page for email). Successful candidates will be invited for an interview.