|
|||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||
 |
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Climatology UBC's tethered balloon system measures aerosols and carbon dioxide in Vancouver's urban boundary layer (Photographer: A. Christen). The Geography department has a strong climatology programme covering all scales. It has a emphasis on the atmospheric boundary layer, especially micro-, local and meso-scale aspects, but it also maintains interests in synoptic and global climates. Special interest has centered on micro-, topo-, urban and air pollution climatology. For example, there are ongoing studies on thermal microclimates, sea breeze and mountain wind systems. There is also work on the linkage between meso- and synoptic scale weather, especially in relation to air pollution, synoptic classification schemes and the likely impacts of global climate change. The group is also well known for its continuing interest in the physical basis of the climates of cities including the energy and water balances, heat islands, and remote sensing of city characteristics. Our work includes measurement, modelling (scale and numerical) and statistical studies. The Vancouver area provides easy access to a wide variety of surfaces and terrain (urban, water, ice, snow, forest, agricultural and alpine). We have also run field campaigns in the United States, Mexico and Europe. The group is amply equipped with instruments to measure most aspects of the atmospheric boundary layer, including turbulence, all the fluxes of heat mass and momentum, profiles of climatic and air pollution elements, soil moisture, stomatal resistance, etc. We also have several towers, data loggers and a very good network of PC and workstation computers. All climatologists in Geography are also part of the Atmospheric Science programme, which includes faculty from Earth and Ocean Sciences, Soil Science and other departments. The department is also part of a Collaborative Research and Training Experience on Atmospheric Aerosols (NSERC-CREATE–AAP). This is a unified training and fellowship-funding program designed to develop interdisciplinary skills for atmospheric aerosol researchers ranging from undergraduate students to post-doctoral fellows. Aerosols have important impacts on climate, air quality, and human health. The department is part of a Collaborative Research and Training Experience on communication of climate change and terrestrial ecosystem science (CREATE–TerreWeb). This network brings together the fields of natural sciences research, behavioural decision research and science communication. TerreWEB aims to answer questions and find solutions to why there has been so little change in public behaviour and government policy despite the challenges presented by global climate change. Students will learn to develop strategies for communicating global change science and solutions. Faculty working on Climatology
Andreas Christen, Associate ProfessorLand-atmosphere interactions, micrometeorology Diploma in Geography, University of Basel; Ph.D. in Meteorology, University of Basel "My research focuses on land-atmosphere interactions, carbon cycling, and atmospheric turbulence. I use experimental methods to investigate and measure physical and chemical processes relevant in land-atmosphere exchange in forest and urban ecosystems. Current research projects include basic turbulence and dispersion studies (exchange processes in forest canopies, urban dispersion processes) and applied approaches that link greenhouse gas exchange to ecosystem management practices. Our lab is equipped with several eddy covariance systems, a tunable diode laser absorption spectrometer for carbon and oxygen isotopes, a sonic array, autonomous meteorological stations, radiation instruments, and towers."
Website: www.geog.ubc.ca/~achristn Email Contact: andreas.christen@ubc.ca Office Phone: 604-822-6620 Lab Phone: 604-827-4520 Room Number: GEOG 132 Lab Number: GEOG 249, MCML 136 
Simon Donner, Associate ProfessorClimate variability and climate change B.A.Sc., McMaster University; M.E.M., Duke University; Ph.D. (2002), University of Wisconsin-Madison "Why does climate matter? This question is the basis of a broad program of modelling and field research examining how changes in the climate over time affect biogeochemical cycling and the function of marine ecosystems like coral reefs. This research provides insight into the causes and effects of human-induced climate change, the efficacy of policy and mitigation options, and the consequences for human welfare. Current areas of research include the climate change and coral reefs in the central equatorial Pacific; the obstacles to public education about climate change; the effect of climate and agriculture on nutrient loading to large river systems; and trade-offs between food, feed and fuel production."
Website: www.simondonner.com/ Website: www.geog.ubc.ca/~sdonner Email Contact: simon.donner@ubc.ca Office Phone: 604-822-6959 Room Number: GEOG 133 
Ian McKendry, ProfessorAir pollution climatology B.Sc. Honours, Ph.D. (1985), University of Canterbury "Long-term research goals have been primarily directed at understanding meteorological phenomena that develop in regions of complex, urbanized terrain. An important applied focus of this work has been the investigation of the role such phenomena (e.g. land sea breezes, slope winds and urban effects) have on the transport and dispersion of pollutants. Although much of this research has been site-specific (e.g. the Lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia) the findings are of general interest. Considerable progress has been made in understanding the processes contributing to, and the three-dimensional distribution of, air pollution in regions of complex terrain. This observational program has provided important information for development, initialization and validation of numerical models designed to forecast air quality and test pollutant abatement strategies. Recently, this research thrust has broadened to consider the impact of long-range transport of burgeoning pollutant emissions and crustal dust from Eurasia to North America. A central part of this work has been the installation of a state-of-the-art lidar facility at UBC in collaboration with Environment Canada."
Website: www.geog.ubc.ca/~ian Email Contact: ian.mckendry@geog.ubc.ca Office Phone: 604-822-4929 Room Number: GEOG 250 
Tim Oke, Professor EmeritusB.Sc. Honours, University of Bristol; M.A., Ph.D. (1967), McMaster University "Research interests focus on urban climate and the energy and water balances of cities."
Former Head of the Department (1991-1996).
Honours: Order of Canada; Fellow of The Royal Society of Canada Website: www.geog.ubc.ca/~toke Email Contact: tim.oke@geog.ubc.ca Office Phone: 604-822-2900 Room Number: GEOG 234 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||
|
Department of Geography - Faculty of Arts - The University of British Columbia |
|||||||||||||
