Climate versus weather: Planning the climate observing system of the future is more than collecting weather observations

September 19, 2019

Elizabeth Weatherhead

Hosted by Christine Chiu

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Abstract

Climate is often described of statistical summaries of weather: means, extremes, variability. This can
sometimes lead to the conclusion that climate observations are well served by appropriately storing
weather data. This seminar will try to dissuade you from this way of thinking. As various aspects of the
Earth change, including land use, greehouse gas concentrations and pollution, the climate questions we
have are varied and require more careful identification of observational needs in order to understand the
Earth's climate. This presentation will lead to a discussion of highest priorities for observations to address
outstanding climate questions.