Climate Change from Space: JPL and Caltech's Unique Role

While the early 21st century has seen dramatic changes in climate, it has also been the golden age of satellite observations of the Earth's climate. During this period, we have been able to observe climate from space with revolutionary detail, allowing us to monitor climate change in unprecedented ways. In this presentation, some of the most significant aspects of global climate in the 21st century will be discussed, with a focus on the dramatic changes that we have witnessed over the past two decades. From tracking changes in the atmosphere to assessing impact in the polar regions, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has played a unique role in this major endeavor. Joao Teixeira will lead this presentation highlighting JPL's critical contributions in monitoring our planet's climate and analyzing recent efforts to guarantee the continuity of these essential measurements.

João Teixeira is the Co-Director of the Center for Climate Sciences and the AIRS instrument Science Team Leader at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology. He is also a Visiting Associate at Caltech and a Visiting Scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles. His main research interests are in the interactions between the Earth's climate system and small-scale processes, such as turbulence, convection and clouds.

Join us for refreshments at 5:30 pm prior to the talk beginning at 6.