The Earth Science Colloquium presents:
Monsoon depressions: Mechanisms and trends of high-impact storms at the edge of Earth's tropics
with Dr. William Boos, Associate Professor, University of California, Berkeley.
Abstract
Much of the rain that falls in the monsoon circulations that dominate the climate of Earth's tropics is delivered by transient, propagating atmospheric vortices. These storms are neither typhoons nor classical extratropical cyclones, but another type of system that has remained poorly understood despite its role in generating catastrophic flooding in a region inhabited by billions of people. In this talk I focus on these vortices in South Asia, where they are called monsoon depressions; I present new theory for their genesis and growth, as well as their propagation and dynamical structure. I discuss historical trends in the frequency of monsoon depressions, projections for how the extreme rainfall that they produce will change over this century, and short-term operational predictions of monsoon depression activity.
Host: Dr. Michela Biasutti, Lamont Research Professor, Ocean and Climate Physics, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.
The Earth Science Colloquium Series, sponsored by Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia University Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DEES), provides a lively forum for discussing a wide variety of topics within the Earth sciences and related fields. Colloquia are attended by the full range of scientific and technical staff at LDEO. Colloquium attendance is required of all pre-orals DEES graduate students. The Colloquium Series supports the Lamont Seminar Diversity Initiative.
