May 15, 2007
Bowling
Green, Ky. - Dr. Rezaul Mahmood, associate director of the Kentucky Mesonet Project and Kentucky Climate Center at Western Kentucky University, is the lead organizer for a climate workshop funded by the National Science Foundation.
“Detecting the Atmospheric Response to the Changing Face of the Earth: A Focus on Human-Caused Regional Climate Forcings, Land-Cover/Land-Use Change, and Data Monitoring” is scheduled for Aug. 27-29 the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo.
Prominent scientists from the atmospheric science, climate and ecology fields are expected to participate, Dr. Mahmood said. He also plans to take several WKU students to the workshop.
“We are hoping the workshop will bring out the latest issues in science related to this topic,” he said.
Dr. Mahmood has conducted research on how land-use changes have impacted local and regional climates.
The workshop will highlight the land-use/land-cover change factor and its impacts on climate and will address issues associated with using the national data archive to monitor climate changes.
“We plan to submit recommendations about what needs to be done in the near future and what direction we should take in doing the research,” said Dr. Mahmood, who is working with colleagues from the University of Colorado and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to organize the event.
“Workshop opportunities such as these are critical if scientists are to contribute to debates about developing appropriate policies to address climate change,” said Dr. David Keeling, Geography and Geology Department Head. “Geoscience students and faculty are becoming more involved in research that is contributing to this broader debate.”
More information on the workshop is available online at http://www.joss.ucar.edu/joss_psg/meetings/Meetings_2007/Detecting/Index.html
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
For information, contact Rezaul Mahmood at (270) 745-5979.
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