Scientific Colloquium
May 7, 2010


"Western United States Climate Variability and Change:  Observations and Projections"

The interplay between projections and observations of climate, and the role of unfolding observations in the scientific and public dialog, are the main emphases of this talk.  Warming in the US has so far been most pronounced in the western states.  Precipitation changes, as ever, have been more ambiguous.  The relationships between the various forcings and responses at different scales are not straightforward.  Issues of the spatial scale of change and variability matter greatly to hydrologic and ecological systems.  Many of these issues converge in the ongoing Colorado River drought and its uncertain future.

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