annual meeting, aberfoyle, 17-19 th september 2008 sages scottish alliance for geoscience,...

Annual Meeting,Aberfoyle, 17-19th September 2008

SAGES Scottish Alliance for Geoscience, Environment & Society

Atmosphere, Oceans and Climate

Sandy Tudhope: University of Edinburgh

Mark Inall: Scottish Association for Marine Science/UHI

SAGES Theme 3: Atmosphere, Oceans & Climate

Original Proposal: three overarching questions:

• (i) What are the mechanisms and drivers of abrupt regional and global climate change?

• (ii) In the context of future global climate change, how can we predict the manifestations and impacts of such change at regional level?

• (iii) What is the climatological and environmental significance of variability in transport of warm and saline Atlantic Water to NW Europe and Scandinavia?

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SAGES Theme 3: Atmosphere, Oceans & Climate

Activities in past 12 months:

• Theme Meeting: Dundee; 25th September 2007

• Mark Inall, SAMS, as co-leader

• PhD Studentships

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Refreezing and runoff at the surface of the Greenland Ice Sheet

Richard MorrisSupervisors: Doug Mair (Aberdeen); Pete Nienow (Edinburgh)

Linking recent variability in Atlantic Ocean circulation and glacier mass balance in Greenland and Norway

Glacial mass balance and Atlantic Water summer temperatures

Marie PorterSupervisors: Toby Sherwin (SAMS); Brice Rea and Doug Mair (Aberdeen University)

Extending the marine instrumental climate record for European waters using the long-lived marine bivalve:

Arctica islandica

Keziah StottSupervisors: Bill Austin and Rob Wilson (St Andrews); Mark Inall (SAMS)

Secrets from a Deep Reef: Structure, Biogeography and Palaeoclimate Reconstruction from Mingulay Reef

Complex Sediment Cores.

Mélanie Douarin Supervisors: Dan Sinclair (SAMS), David Long (BGS), Mary Elliot (Edinburgh), Murray Roberts (SAMS)

Palaeoclimate reconstructions from Arctic and Nordic shelf seas

Heiko MoosenSupervisors: James Bendle (Glasgow); Finlo Cottier (SAMS), Bill Austin (St Andrews) and John Howe (SAMS)

SAGES Theme 3: Atmosphere, Oceans & Climate

Future Opportunities:1. Strengthen interactions in SAGES, e.g.,

– oceanography-climate modelling-glaciology(example: Simon Tett and Toby Sherwin UK NERC RAPID bid)

– climate dynamics/modelling-extreme events-societal impacts (Society)

– palaeoclimate-climate dynamics/modelling– marine biogeochemical cycles-terrestrial carbon

cycle-climate (Theme 2)– climate-landscape interactions (Theme 1; CESD)

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SAGES Theme 3: Atmosphere, Oceans & Climate

2. Develop relationships beyond SAGES:– Potential links to Marine Science Scotland

pooling initiative– Possible engagement with DIFD’s new Climate

Change and Development initiatives– Interaction with NERC’s Thematic Programmes

3. Consider opportunities for a SAGES II

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SAGES Theme 3: Atmosphere, Oceans & Climate

Mechanisms:• THEME 3 Sponsored Meetings:

– Annual Theme meeting– Focussed workshops to develop collaborations and

proposals; potential for co-sponsoring with other Themes and the Society and CESD integrative initiatives

– Modest facilitation budget (to be approved)

• Contributions to SAGES News

• Other ideas

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