Cosmic Zoo

Have you ever wondered how research helps predict the future changes of Earth’s oceans and atmosphere? In this talk, we will look at ocean phenomena with links to climate science and explore how fast ephemeral waves can interact and resonate to cause long-lived and large-scale layers of water density, which affect how the oceans and atmosphere evolve. We will also discover that research methods combine theory and computer simulations run on supercomputers!

Weather forecasts play an important role in everyday life, and the consequences if we don’t act against climate change are well known. The gap between these timescales is large. Seasonal forecasts predict climate variations months ahead, bridging part of the gap. Uses include prediction of energy supply/demand and the chance of extreme weather. This talk will explore the various timescales, before zooming in on seasonal climate and the distant factors which influence it.

Ever wondered if we are alone? Is Earth the only planet hosting life? We now know that planets outside the solar system, or exoplanets, are incredibly common and have even developed techniques to glimpse into their atmospheres. I will explain how we do this, what we are learning from these exotic distant worlds and how the search for signs of life is coupled with improving understanding of our own changing climate right here on Earth.

We've all heard this slogan, but is it really true? By placing Earth in its astronomical and geological contexts I will demonstrate that there is indeed no planet B.

The Arctic is changing dramatically. Its lower atmosphere is warming faster than the global average and without significant action on greenhouse gases, a sea-ice-free summer could occur within the next century. Some scientists have linked such changes to a higher likelihood of a breakdown of the winter stratospheric polar vortex, which could cause more frequent and longer-lasting weather extremes over Eurasia and North America. In this talk, we will explore how and why this might be happening.