Climate

Dr. Forest uses the MIT Integrated Global System Model to examine the uncertainty of climate projections and their relation with uncertainty in forcing parameters as well as climate system feedbacks controlling both the magnitude and rate of the response. This work contributes to uncertainty estimates of future climate in which emissions scenarios for stabilization are considered in addition to business-as-usual scenarios. Dr. Forest is currently exploring how to characterize uncertainty in regional climate change and how these uncertainties should be included in climate change impacts relevant to decision making and policy development. His group is using the NCAR Community Atmospheric Model (CAM3.1, CAM3.5, and CAM4.0) to explore structural model uncertainties related to the response to tropical sea-surface temperature patterns.

Most of my work that directly involves climate is about the impact of climate change on coastal regions, especially estuaries of the Mid-Atlantic Region of the U.S.  A recent study is a literature review that focuses on climate change impacts on the Chesapeake Bay.  I am particularly interested in how climate change, through changing streamflow patterns, and sea-level rise, alters the salinity of estuaries.  I've also become interested in evaluating the skill of global climate models at regional scales, which is highlighted in two recent studies:  one is about watersheds of the Mid-Atlantic and the other is part of an assessment of climate change impacts on Pennsylvania.

Long term trend of extreme events like hail occurrences and size based on the current climate change