Atmosphere at The Albert

Mixing process have a crucial effect on ocean circulation and so on long term climate, but happen most dramatically at short timescales (e.g. gales) or small length scales (e.g. overflows). Gregory Lane-Serff will explain both wind-driven mixed-layer deepening and the mixing of overflows descending into the deep ocean. He will show results from observations near Antarctica and explain how insights from laboratory models can help our understanding, with some experiments for the audience to try!

The future of the atmosphere can be determined from a fairly simple set of five physically-based equations. If so, why are weather forecasts sometimes so bad? In this talk, I present the scientific basis for why weather forecasts are possible, how modern weather prediction occurs by computer, and why we sometimes fail. I will also describe a web-based tool that anyone can use to forecast the weather on their own.

Atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases continue to rise at a rate not seen since before the dawn of mankind. As a result, the Earth’s global average climate is changing at a rate not seen in that same time period. We will discuss measurements recorded by academic teams all over the world & airborne measurements of methane recorded by the Manchester team, e.g. campaigns in the Arctic, the UK & planned projects around the world.