SEAS Colloquium in Climate Science with Margot Clyne, Univ of CO
Speaker: Margot Clyne, University of Colorado Boulder
Title: Volcanic eruptions in Global Climate Models
Abstract: Adding the effects of large volcanic eruptions, which cool down the Earth’s surface, to climate models may seem like a straightforward procedure, but it is not. Early versions of volcano-climate modeling made use of available observations and modeling capabilities at hand and successfully established the basics. However, since then, there has been a wide spectrum in how far models have advanced, and in different areas. Even the most simplified volcano models still have their uses in situations when lower levels of accuracy are sufficient to answer the research question or when the event is similar to the volcanoes that the model’s parameterizations had been based on (usually Pinatubo, Chichon, and Agung). Models cannot be properly adaptive to the variety of real-life scenarios unless they are fully equipped with the highest functioning chemistry and physics that do not rely on over-parameterizations whose consequences are not fully understood. Model validation is imprecise, as even the most observable volcanic eruptions still have a range of plausible initial values that models can choose from to start the volcanic injection. Moreover, the relative comparison of different models can be misleading due to the large number of models that now approach the volcano problem at various complexities in contrasting areas. But, if applied in solar geoengineering studies, it is of utmost importance that the models get things right.
In this talk, I will step through the mechanisms at play when volcanic eruptions inject stratospheric SO2, detail how volcanoes are implemented in the most advanced interactive stratospheric aerosol chemistry climate models, and provide guidelines on how to interpret results when things are parameterized in different parts of the process. This will be a deep dive into topics of atmospheric radiation and aerosol optics, aerosol microphysics, stratospheric chemistry, and more. Additionally, I will highlight some areas found in classic volcano parameterizations that could behave differently in solar geoengineering.
Clyne is nearing the end of her PhD at the University of Colorado Boulder’s ATOC/LASP under the mentorship of highly acclaimed atmospheric scientist Owen B. Toon. Clyne’s collaborations with multiple co-authors from top modeling institutions work well with her no-stone-left-unturned approach to science, as she is pushed to provide enough evidence that everyone can agree upon. She is a talented communicator and has presented her research at numerous conferences and events. She is now leading the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai Volcano Model Intercomparison Project (Tonga-MIP), which she created with the goal of forming a baseline standard for the volcano and climate modeling community, and will be a contributor to the SPARC-HT activity.
- Morningside
- Lecture
- Engineering
- Faculty
- Graduate Students
- Postdocs
- Students
Date Navigation Widget
Getting to Columbia
Other Calendars
- Alumni Events
- Barnard College
- Columbia Business School
- Columbia College
- Committee on Global Thought
- Heyman Center
- Jewish Theological Seminary
- Miller Theatre
- School of Engineering & Applied Science
- School of Social Work
- Teachers College
Guests With Disabilities
- Columbia University makes every effort to accommodate individuals with disabilities. Please notify us if you need any assistance by contacting the event’s point person. Alternatively, the Office of Disability Services can be reached at 212.854.2388 and [email protected]. Thank you.