Half Dome in Yosemite National Park during the drought in California. DWR/2014
SAN DIEGO – The Department of Water Resources (DWR) presented its Climate Science Service Awards at a workshop this week sponsored by DWR and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography on sub-seasonal to seasonal climate forecasting. The purpose of the awards is to recognize ongoing assistance provided by researchers who have been working closely with DWR on climate science projects.
“DWR is pleased to acknowledge the innovative work of these scientists to improve long range forecasting to better manage droughts and floods,” said DWR Director Grant Davis. “We appreciate the partnerships with the research community as we jointly develop useful information that will help water agencies and others who need better forecasts.”
The award recipients are:
- Dr. Jason Cordeira, Plymouth State University, who developed an analytical tool for characterizing the forecasted probability of atmospheric river storms (a main source of California’s extreme precipitation) making landfall on the West Coast.
- Dr. David Meko, University of Arizona, who has reconstructed past droughts in the paleoclimate record using tree ring data to analyze the duration and severity of big droughts prior to California’s historical record.
- Dr. Duane Waliser, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, who is leading development of experimental forecasts of atmospheric storms at a subseasonal time scale, which would provide several weeks’ advance notice beyond the two-week period available from operational weather forecasts.
Contact:
Niki Woodard, Public Affairs Office, Department of Water Resources, (916) 653-4161,niki.woodard@water.ca.gov | Jeanine Jones, Interstate Resources Manager, Department of Water Resources (916) 653-8126