NCAR ECSA Junior Faculty Forum on Future Scientific Directions 2010
The 2010 forum will explore the following two topics
Climate and Water - Biomass Burning
July 13-15, 2010 - NCAR Center Green Campus, Boulder, CO
Topic I: Climate and Water: Advancing adaptation science and strategies for water-resource vulnerability from climate variability and change
Chairs: Shannon McNeeley (NCAR), Jason Gurdak (San Francisco State University)
Given projections of future warming and associated changes to hydrological cycles, there will likely be substantial climatic effects on water resources and management. Changing seasonality and increasing societal demand for water that can exceed availability threatens the sustainability of some social-ecological systems. At the same time, uncertainties inherent to model-based, hydroclimatic projections at regional and local levels limit the usability of the science for adaptation decisions. There is a timely and critical need for collaborative and integrative research on adaptation strategies between junior, biophysical and social scientists in the climate and water community. Of particular importance is the improved dialogue regarding stakeholders’ needs for observational data and simulation diagnostics and how scientists will help meet those needs.
A fundamental challenge that scientists and stakeholders face is that the vulnerability of water resources to climate variability and change, and associated social-ecological systems adaptations, are inherently dynamic. Therefore, assessment of vulnerability and adaptation requires: a) understanding processes that are context- and place-specific, b) defining appropriate scales of local and regional analyses, and c) identifying cross-scale linkages to national and international processes and agendas. Success in meeting these challenges will result from integrating social and natural sciences that best apply qualitative and quantitative research methods and from participatory approaches that include open and ongoing communication between scientists and stakeholders. To that end, we envision a highly engaging, interactive, and collaborative forum on adaptation science and methods to serve society. The purpose of this forum is to bring together early career faculty and researchers across the social, natural, and physical sciences with senior scientists and practitioners in water management to advance strategies for water resource adaptation science and policymaking.
For questions please contact Shannon (smcneele@ucar.edu) or Jason (jgurdak@sfsu.edu).
Topic II: Biomass Burning – Observations, Modeling, Data Assimilation
Chairs: Ave Arellano (NCAR), Jun Wang (University of Nebraska) and Edward Hyer (Naval Research Laboratory)
Biomass burning is a climatically significant source of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and albedo change over land, as well as an important source of trace gas and aerosol pollution at local to continental scales. As a land surface process, biomass burning is highly concentrated in space and time, and highly variable on interannual, seasonal, and intraseasonal time scales, as well as fine spatial scales. In addition, biomass burning is strongly dependent on weather at a range of scales. These factors, scale dependence and temporal/spatial variability, pose a unique challenge to researchers attempting to represent biomass burning processes in Earth system models.
Improved observations of biomass burning from satellite have led to the development of spatially and temporally explicit estimations of biomass burning, but high levels of uncertainty remain. Estimation of burning effects at progressively finer scales requires progressively higher-resolution inputs. The key sources of uncertainty, and the critical information required to reduce uncertainty, vary depending on the scale of the atmospheric application.
Atmospheric observations contain a wealth of information about terrestrial sources of trace gases and aerosols. The development of a wide range of data assimilation and inverse modeling techniques in both the forecasting and climate modeling communities presents a great opportunity to use atmospheric observations to quantitatively evaluate models of surface processes such as biomass burning.
The purpose of the forum is to highlight and discuss research related to biomass burning across a range of diverse fields, and to identify information needs and scientific priorities common to multiple scientific applications. Topics will include:
- Observations of biomass burning processes and models of direct burning emissions;
- Atmospheric modeling of biomass burning emissions at “weather” scales;
- Modeling of biomass burning impacts on global and regional climate and associated climate-land surface feedbacks;
- Use of atmospheric observations in data assimilation or inverse modeling schemes to constrain and feed back to models of burning emissions.
Link to flyer for Boimass Burning session
For questions please contact Ave (arellano@ucar.edu), Jun (jwang7@unlnotes.unl.edu) or Edward (edward.hyer.ctr@nrlmry.navy.mil)
What is the JFF?
The Early Career Scientists Assembly (ECSA) hosts the annual NCAR Junior Faculty Forum on future scientific directions with the objective of bringing together junior faculty (or postdoctoral researchers) and members of NCAR's Early Career Scientists Assembly (ECSA) to discuss selected topics in the Geosciences.
This forum is open to non-tenured faculty at UCAR member universities and institutions, with preference given to those within five years of their first professorial academic appointment (some non-tenured faculty at non-member universities/institutions in North America may be considered).
The primary goals of the forum are the following.
* To have junior scientists decide a research plan for future science directions including identification of new and important scientific challenges, development of grant proposals, and planning strategies for conducting research on the identified challenges.
* Encourage collaboration between early career scientists at NCAR and junior faculty and researchers at universities and other research institutions (particularly UCAR member institutions).
A secondary goal of the forum is to familiarize junior faculty with the facilities that NCAR has to offer including models, computers, observational facilities and collaborative opportunities.
Logistical information
Map of UCAR/NCAR Boulder locations
Transportation to and around Boulder
APPLICATION DEADLINE IS MARCH 15, 2010
More details about the Junior Faculty Forum 2010 and on past Forums can be found at:
http://www.asp.ucar.edu/ecsa/announce.php
