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Climate Research and Development Program

The Climate Research and Development (Climate R&D) Program strives to advance the understanding of the physical, chemical, and biological components of the Earth system, the causes and consequences of climate and land use change, and the vulnerability and resilience of the Earth system to such changes.

News

Trees in cities are beyond shady

Trees in cities are beyond shady

Los árboles en las ciudades dan más que sombra

Los árboles en las ciudades dan más que sombra

Extreme Low Flows Less Common with Warmer Winters and Wetter Summers

Extreme Low Flows Less Common with Warmer Winters and Wetter Summers

Publications

Snow avalanches are a primary climate-linked driver of mountain ungulate populations

Snow is a major, climate-sensitive feature of the Earth’s surface and catalyst of fundamentally important ecosystem processes. Understanding how snow influences sentinel species in rapidly changing mountain ecosystems is particularly critical. Whereas effects of snow on food availability, energy expenditure, and predation are well documented, we report how avalanches exert major impacts on an ecol
Authors
Kevin White, Eran Hood, Gabriel Wolken, Erich Peitzsch, Yves Bühler, Katreen Wikstrom Jones, Chris Darimont

Characterizing vegetation and return periods in avalanche paths using lidar and aerial imagery

Snow avalanches are a hazard and ecological disturbance across mountain landscapes worldwide. Understanding how avalanche frequency affects forests and vegetation improves infrastructure planning, risk management, and avalanche forecasting. We implemented a novel approach using lidar, aerial imagery, and a random forest model to classify imagery-observed vegetation within avalanche paths in southe
Authors
Erich Peitzsch, Chelsea Martin-Mikle, Jordy Hendrikx, Karl W. Birkeland, Daniel B. Fagre

Polar paleoenvironmental perspectives on modern climate change

In today’s rapidly changing climate, society needs a better understanding of climate impacts on sea level, ice sheets and glaciers, sea ice, ocean circulation, ecosystems, biodiversity, and other aspects of planet Earth. Paleoenvironmental records provide a unique and invaluable source of insight into these complex issues, and place recent observations into a broader historical context. This essay
Authors
Laura Gemery, Adrián López-Quirós

Science

Glaciers and Climate Project

Mountain glaciers are dynamic reservoirs of frozen water closely coupled to ecosystems and climate. Glacier change in North America has major socioeconomic impacts, including global sea level change, tourism disruption, natural hazard risk, fishery effects, and water resource alteration. Understanding and quantifying precise connections between glaciers and climate is critical to decision makers...
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Glaciers and Climate Project

Mountain glaciers are dynamic reservoirs of frozen water closely coupled to ecosystems and climate. Glacier change in North America has major socioeconomic impacts, including global sea level change, tourism disruption, natural hazard risk, fishery effects, and water resource alteration. Understanding and quantifying precise connections between glaciers and climate is critical to decision makers...
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South Cascade Glacier

South Cascade Glacier is located in the midlatitude maritime climate of the North Cascade Mountains of Washington State. Glacier observations began at this site in 1958.
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South Cascade Glacier

South Cascade Glacier is located in the midlatitude maritime climate of the North Cascade Mountains of Washington State. Glacier observations began at this site in 1958.
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Lemon Creek Glacier

Lemon Creek Glacier is located in the high-latitude maritime region of Alaska, at the southernmost tip of the Juneau Icefield. Glacier observations began at this site in 1953.
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Lemon Creek Glacier

Lemon Creek Glacier is located in the high-latitude maritime region of Alaska, at the southernmost tip of the Juneau Icefield. Glacier observations began at this site in 1953.
Learn More
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