Climate researcher David Thompson to speak at WWU Friday, April 2

David Thompson will speak on “Climate Change and Middle-Latitude Weather” as part of Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment speaker series at 3 p.m., Friday, April 2 at WWU’s Communications Facility Room 125.

The presentation is free and open to the public.

Thompson’s lecture will describe observational and numerical evidence that suggest anthropogenic emissions of ozone-depleting substances and carbon dioxide affect atmospheric temperatures and patterns of middle-latitude weather. He will also survey the evidence for past trends in middle latitude weather; the predictions for future trends in our weather; and the mechanisms whereby the emissions generated by a modern, industrial world are thought to drive these trends.

Thompson, an associate professor in the department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University, studies the Earth’s climate and works on improving understanding of global climate variability using observational data. His topics of interest include large-scale atmospheric dynamics, the interpretation of observed climate change and the climate impacts of large-scale atmospheric phenomena.

Additional information about Thompson’s work can be found at http://www.atmos.colostate.edu/~davet/.

For more information contact David Rossiter, assistant professor, WWU’s Huxley College of the Environment, (360) 650-2221 or david.rossiter@wwu.edu

WWU’s Huxley College of the Environment is one of the oldest environmental colleges in the nation and a recognized national leader in producing the next generation of environmental stewards. The College’s academic programs reflect a broad view of the physical, biological, social and cultural world. This innovative and interdisciplinary approach makes Huxley unique. The College has earned international recognition for the quality of its programs.