Climate modeler Aditi Sheshadri says that while weather forecasting and climate projection are based on similar science, they are very different disciplines. Forecasting is about looking at next week, while projection is about looking at the next century. Sheshadri tells host Russ Altman how new data and techniques, like low-cost high-altitude balloons and AI, are reshaping the future of climate projection on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.
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Chapters:
(00:00:00) Introduction
Russ Altman introduces guest Aditi Sheshadri, a professor of Earth systems science at Stanford University.
(00:02:58) Climate Projection vs. Weather Forecasting
The differences between climate projection and weather forecasting.
(00:04:58) The Window of Chaos
The concept of the "window of chaos" in climate modeling.
(00:06:11) Scale of Climate Models
The limitations and scale of climate model boxes.
(00:08:19) Computational Constraints
Computational limitations on grid size and time steps in climate modeling.
(00:10:56) Parameters in Climate Modeling
Essential parameters measured, such as density, temperature, and water vapor.
(00:12:18) Oceans in Climate Models
The role of oceans in climate modeling and their integration into projections.
(00:14:35) Atmospheric Gravity Waves
Atmospheric gravity waves and their impact on weather patterns.
(00:18:51) Polar Vortex and Cyclones
Research on the polar vortex and on tropical cyclone frequency.
(00:21:53) Climate Research and Public Awareness
Communicating climate model findings to relevant audiences.
(00:23:33) New Data Sources
How unexpected data from a Google project aids climate research,
(00:25:09) Geoengineering Considerations
Geoengineering and the need for thorough modeling before intervention.
(00:28:19) Conclusion
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