PAOC Colloquium: Dan Chavas (Purdue University)
Using imaginary worlds to understand the tropical cyclone
Abstract: This talk will discuss the use of planetary climate simulation experiments to understand tropical cyclones on Earth. First, a hierarchy of models spanning theory, idealized aquaplanet and Earth-like climate simulations, and observations are employed to understand the physical relationship between the two widely-used measures of tropical cyclone intensity: the central pressure deficit and the peak near-surface wind speed. Second, simulations of idealized aquaplanets of different sizes and planetary rotation rates are employed to probe the underlying theoretical dependence of tropical cyclone genesis and size on the dynamical forcing imparted by an Earth-like planet. The application of these results and their limitations for explaining the rich heterogeneity of real storms on Earth will be discussed.
About the Speaker
Dr. Chavas is an Assistant Professor at Purdue University. His research areas include natural hazard physics, tropical cyclones, weather and climate variability, climate change, risk analysis, and societal impacts.
About this Series
The PAOC Colloquium is a weekly interdisciplinary seminar series that brings together the whole PAOC community. Seminar topics include all research concerning the physics, chemistry, and biology of the atmospheres, oceans and climate, but also talks about e.g. societal impacts of climatic processes. The seminars generally take place on Monday from 12-1pm. Lunch is provided to encourage students and post-docs to meet with the speaker. Besides the seminar and lunch, individual meetings with professors, post-docs, and students are arranged.
