The Impact of CLIVAR Science on Society

Abstract:

U.S. CLIVAR has fostered coordination and leadership of climate research for over 15 years. That has led to improved observational systems, better dynamical models, climate diagnostics of variability and change, and innovative ways of focusing the efforts of the research community to tackle important challenges. This talk will overview some of the many ways in which U.S. CLIVAR research is making a difference to society through better understanding, modeling, and prediction at timescales of weeks to decades. Examples of these innovative mechanisms include Climate Process Teams, limited lifetime working groups that have taken on issues such as hurricanes, drought, and decadal variability, and a national postdoctoral program (PACE: http://vsp.ucar.edu/pace) that is building the leaders of tomorrow, who can work effectively with society to make climate science relevant to their decisions.