Environmental Science and Engineering Seminar

We know that the intensity of extreme precipitation events increases with climate warming from theory, models and observations. But the duration of precipitation events is also a key factor for impacts, as illustrated recently by Hurricane Harvey. In this talk, I will discuss changes in the duration of extreme precipitation events in the extratropics and whether the duration is affected by changes in the speed of the jetstream. I will also discuss the related question of what sets the spatial extent of ascent in extratropical cyclones and what can be learned from the theory of baroclinic instability in a moist atmosphere.