Rapid Adjustments and Their Effects on Arctic Amplification

DESCRIPTION: Arctic amplification (AA) refers to the enhanced warming of the Arctic relative to lower latitudes. Understanding the physical processes that give rise to AA is critical, given its impacts on a range of human and natural systems. This project tests the hypothesis that fast atmospheric processes ? known as ?rapid adjustments? ? are fundamental to the occurrence of AA. This represents a new way of thinking about AA, which has traditionally been attributed to much slower processes such as sea-ice loss. The project thus will enhance our understanding of AA and its underlying physical mechanisms, and also has the potential to fundamentally reshape how we view this phenomenon. Broader impacts of the project will include the development of a new curriculum on climate modeling that will be suitable for use in high school Earth science or physics courses.

BROADER IMPACTS: The new GCM simulations created for this project will be made freely available to the scientific community, thus contributing to scientific discovery beyond the scope of the project. The project will support a postdoctoral research scientist, and will include a significant educational outreach component. This outreach will partner the PIs with local high school science teachers and students as part of the Secondary School Field Research Program (SSFRP). This partnership with the SSFRP will lead to the development of a 4-week curriculum on climate modeling that will be suitable for use in high school Earth Science or Physics courses