Kabir Rasouli, who is working towards his PhD at CH under the supervision of Prof. John Pomeroy, has been selected to participate in the 2016 DCMIP Workshop and Summer School at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) scheduled June 6^th – 17^th.

From the DCMIP website –

Over the past fifty years, Earth-system models have given us incredible insight into the influence of the changing climate on regional and global scales. A major component of these models is the atmospheric dynamical core, which is responsible for solving the equations of fluid motion within the atmosphere. Substantial investments are now being made in the development of new dynamical cores at modeling centers around the world, driven by the need for more accurate and efficient models, the call for more practicable climate data at the fine scales, and the rapid growth of supercomputing architectures. More attention has been directed at inaccuracies and biases that arise due to the relatively crude division between physical parameterizations and dynamics. To better understand these systems, the Dynamical Core Model Intercomparison Project (DCMIP) aims to intercompare cutting-edge dynamical cores and provide a forum to exchange ideas and advance education on dynamical core development.

DCMIP will fund approximately 35 students and postdoctoral participants. Lectures from experts in the field on select topics associated with atmospheric model theory, design and development. Hands-on sessions run by model leads where students will execute and explore the newest generation atmospheric models. Students will receive hands-on experience with these dynamical cores in small groups to simulate a baroclinic instability, tropical cyclone and supercell storm.

The Calgary Herald of 18th June 2016 included an extended article covering convergent strands of CH research relating to climate-change, watershed processes and the 2013 Alberta floods.

The story described in detail how CH’s studies on topics as diverse as major declines in glacier ice in the high Rockies, the relative importances of forest-cover and soil properties in modulating suface runoff, changes in prairie rainstorm patterns and the increasing occurrence of previously unusual (and in some cases unprecedented) weather events have all helped to improve understanding of how flood events are likely to develop under changing climatic conditions.

The article is available for online viewing here, or as an archived PDF.

Canmore’s Rocky Mountain Outlook has published an article describing interesting research by CH PhD candidate Nic Leroux and director Dr John Pomeroy. They have been exploring how rain which falls on late-season snowpack finds its way to the underlying surface, and their experiments have shown how this happens primarily along preferential flow paths or ‘flow fingers’. This holds great promise for improving understanding of the processes involved in rain-on-snow events, which have been occurring more frequently in the Alberta Rockies over recent years, and played a major role in the floods of 2013.

The article is available for online viewing here.