Download - “Supporting research and education in the sciences of our solid, fluid, and living Earth.”
“Supporting research and education in the sciences of our solid, fluid, and living Earth.”
ERI’s Academic Emphases
Academic EmphasesEarth System Science
Earth's subsystems and their interactions
Earth Evolution Rate and causes of change in Earth tectonics, climate & biota
Natural Hazards Impacts of Earth processes on society: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, floods, drought, etc.
Human Impacts Impacts of mankind on the Earth: pollution assessment & remediation to biodiversity conservation & resource management to anthropogenic climate change
120 active PI’s
ERI Participants
*Other: CCBER, Chem/Chem Eng., Computer Science, Economics, Environmental Studies, Library, Physics
Awards / Requests
16 year average award increase through 2010, 7.62%. 2010 awards were 45.6% above 2005 level. Present YTD = $5.8M
2010/2011 Was Our Biggest Year Ever
Recent Awards to ERI Participants
Doug BurbankNAS Member 2010
Brad Hacker AGU Fellow 2010
John MelackAGU Fellow 2011
Ralph ArchuletaAGU Fellow 2011
ERI’s Academic Emphases
Regional Hydrology, Water Supply, Use, and Management
Probabilistic Forecasts of Extreme Events and Weather Hazards over the U.SCharles Jones1, Leila M. V. Carvalho1,2 and Jon Gottschalk3
1ERI, 2Department of Geography, University of California Santa Barbara3Climate Prediction Center, NOAA / NCEP
Heavy precipitation events are among the most devastating weather phenomena. They increase the likelihood of flash floods and landslides, which
increase the potential of human fatalities, injuries and property losses
The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) significantly modulates forecast skills of extreme precipitation in the United States during winter. Skillful forecasts extend to week-2. Relative value in the forecasts is significantly higher when the MJO is active.
Maximum relative value of deterministic forecasts of extreme precipitation in the CONUS. Curves indicate maximum value when the MJO is active and in four specific phases; dashed line shows maximum value when the MJO is inactive.
Jones, C., L. M. V. Carvalho, J. Gottschalck and W. Higgins, 2011: The Madden-Julian Oscillation and the relative value of deterministic forecasts of extreme precipitation in the contiguous United States. Journal of Climate, 24, 2421-2428.
Snow water equivalent, 2005 Sierra Nevada, 3 methods
Jeff Dozier
More than 65% of the monsoon-influenced glaciers that we observed are retreating, but heavily debris-covered glaciers with stagnant low-gradient terminus regions typically have stable fronts.
5x5 km2
30x30 km2
Himalayan Glacial Retreat and Advance
Scherler, Bookhagen, Strecker, 2011 – nature geoscience
Predicting River Discharge in the Himalaya – Rainfall and Snowmelt
Contribution
Bookhagen and Burbank, 2010 – JGR Earth Surface
• Discharge is calculated by accounting for rainfall, snowmelt, and evapotranspiration • Validated with 13 daily river-gauge stations throughout the Himalaya (Nash-Sutcliffe coefficients
between 0.7 and 0.9)
Discharge in the pre-monsoon season (March-May) for all Himalayan catchments significantly depends on transiently stored moisture (snow- and glacial melting,
permafrost and soil moisture)!
MIS camp visualized at edge Ross Ice Shelf• Evolution of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in a high
CO2 world > 35 million years ago (> 600 ppmv)
• West Antarctic geography since > 35 million years ago to constrain ice sheet models
ANDRILL international Coulman High Project, Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica
Bruce Luyendyk, Doug Wilson UCSB and others
Earthquake Engineering Research Program at ERISoil Response, Liquefaction, and Soil-Structure Interaction
Jamie Steidl PI
~5x
incr
ease
!
Biomagnification of CdSe Quantum Dots in Food Webs
Werlin, et al. 2011, Nature Nanotechnology
NSF: DBI-0830117
Black CdSe QD – White CdAcetate Control
Trish Holden’s Group
C, N, and P fluxes through urban ecosystemsJoe McFadden and Jennifer King
Carbon Nitrogen Phosphorus
Household flux calculatorFissore et al. (2011) Ecological Applications
Vernon and Mary Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration
(CCBER)Jennifer Thorsch, Katherine Esau
DirectorCarla D’Antonio, Faculty Director
Mission Statement:To provide support for:1. Education2. Research3. Biological collections
management4. Ecosystem management,
restoration and conservation5. K-12 Academic Preparation and
community education programs 6. Public service and professional
advising
Thank for your attention!!