[PAOCQ] Kerry Emanuel (MIT)

“Volcanoes and Tropical Cyclones”

Large volcanic eruptions can directly affect the thermodynamic environments of tropical cyclones (TCs). Strong perturbations to stratospheric aerosols cool ocean mixed layers by reflecting and absorbing solar radiation, while solar absorption by aerosols usually heats the lower stratosphere. The reduction of surface insolation and warming of the tropopause both reduce TC potential intensity, while changes in atmospheric circulation can affect trajectories and intensities of TCs. These effects on TCs last as long as the residence time of stratospheric volcanic aerosols, usually a few years. In this talk I will use a millennium simulation a global climate model that includes volcanic aerosol forcing to examine volcanic effects on large-scale, TC-relevant environmental variables, as well as downscaled TCs, isolating the TC response itself as well as the physical causes of the response.

PAOC Colloquium —

Interdisciplinary seminar series that brings together the whole PAOC (Program in Atmospheres, Oceans, and Climate) community. Seminar topics include all research concerning the physics, chemistry, and biology of the atmospheres, oceans and climate, as well as talks about societal impacts of climatic processes.

Contact: paoc-colloquium-comm@mit.edu