Climate Projections and Assessments

Science Theme 1: Climate Projections and Assessments

Temperature, precipitation, and related observational records provide a century or more of data on climate variability and change in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States.

To get the best climate projections for the future, our researchers are utilizing paleoclimate data such as sediments cores, tree rings, and other sources, These offer an even longer perspective that can be used to evaluate modern climate shifts as well as characterize past baselines of earth-system behavior in the region.

The combination of different temporal data (decadal to million year scales) types reveals the strong role of natural variability in the region, and the fact that human activities are shifting climate statistics which can be utilized to build on existing climate models that are specifically tailored to the geographical domain of stakeholders in the NE CASC region.

Key Areas of Climate Data Generation

Projections of climate extremes, primarily temperature and rainfall extremes
Spatial distribution of climate data at various scales, ranging from local to national scales
Information on how hydrological systems will change as temperature, precipitation, and extreme events change
Projections of sea level rise and changes in the frequency and intensity of coastal flooding

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