Dynamics, Predictability, and Impacts of ENSO Diversity in Past, Present, and Future Climates

Prof. Christina Karamperidou

Department of Atmospheric Sciences

University of Hawaiʻi

Monday November 27, 2023, 2 PM ET

Abstract:

Understanding the diversity in the strength and pattern of sea surface temperature anomalies during El Niño events and its response to external climate forcings is not only critical for accurate prediction of global El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) impacts but can also be used as a tool to constrain future global climate projections. Considering model skill in simulating ENSO diversity can reduce model uncertainty in both ENSO response and the mean state of the tropical Pacific, as well as the associated impacts on precipitation patterns, tropical cyclones, extratropical circulation, etc. However, groundtruthing model simulations of ENSO diversity is challenged by the short length of the instrumental record, which necessitates using paleoclimate proxy records from across the Pacific and interpreting them within the context of ENSO diversity. In this talk, I will present a series of studies that explore the dynamics of ENSO flavors across climates, including coastal El Nino events, and their impacts on extreme hydroclimate and weather phenomena. These studies use a multi-resolution and hierarchical approach, and combine dynamical with statistical and machine learning approaches for improving understanding of past and future ENSO behavior, predictability, and the complexity of its global impacts.

Biosketch:

Christina Karamperidou is an Associate Professor and the Associate Chair of Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. With a background in Civil and Environmental Engineering, she has evolved her direction toward atmospheric and climate sciences. Her current research is focused on tropical Pacific climate change, the dynamics and predictability of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, and the role of tropical-extratropical interactions in driving extreme weather and hydroclimate events. In her work, she leverages paleoclimate proxy-model synthesis, hierarchical modeling, and machine learning methods to improve our understanding of the dynamics of climate and reduce the uncertainties surrounding its response to natural or anthropogenic climate change. Prof. Karamperidou received the Early Career Scientist Award from the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) in 2023, for “significant contributions to understanding El Niño spatiotemporal diversity and associated impacts, from paleoclimate to modern times through multidisciplinary international collaborations”. She received her PhD in Earth and Environmental Engineering in 2012 from Columbia University.

Webinar:

Event site: https://go.umd.edu/karamperidou

Zoom Webinar: https://go.umd.edu/karamperidouwebinar

Zoom Meeting ID: 948 1069 4885

Zoom password: essic

US Toll: +13017158592
Global call-in numbers: https://umd.zoom.us/u/aMElEpvNu

For IT assistance:
Cazzy Medley: cazzy@umd.edu

Resources:

Seminar schedule & archive: https://go.umd.edu/essicseminar

Seminar Google calendar: https://go.umd.edu/essicseminarcalendar

Seminar recordings on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ESSICUMD