Two Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) between the Bjerknes Centre and the University of Hawaii were recently signed.
With tropical research now increasing at the Bjerknes Centre, there have been discussions with the University of Hawaii (UH) to develop and finalize a research agreement, which will facilitate and hopefully motivate collaborative projects in the future.
Leaders in Pacific Ocean and Asia/Pacific climate research
The Meteorology and Oceanography Departments at UH are leaders in Pacific Ocean and Asia/Pacific climate research. Specific faculty expertise includes El Niño dynamics and water resource impacts, carbon cycle/climate interactions, paleo-oceanography, air–sea
interactions as well as statistical and dynamical downscaling.
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| The photos show the MoU-signing with Bin Wang, Richard Jenkins, Pao-Shin Chu, Axel Timmerman and Mathew Reeve |
This process has lead to two Memorandums of Understanding (MoU): one with the Department of Meteorology and one with the Department of Oceanography at UH.
Varied focus areas
On February 5th, the two Department Chairs, Prof Bin Wang (for Meteorology) and Prof Kelvin Richards (for Oceanography) signed the agreements at the Manoa campus on Oahu.
The MoUs have many varied focus areas but can be summarized as:
• Paleoclimate research including glacial terminations and interglacial variability
• Dynamical and statistical downscaling
• Climate/carbon cycle interactions
• El Niño dynamics and impacts at local scales
• Decadal to multi-decadal climate variability
• Training of next generation of climate scientists
• Exchange of scientific staff and students
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| Eystein Jansen, director at the Bjerknes Centre signed the MOU in Bergen. |
Over the past few years the Bjerknes Centre has become involved in an increasing number of projects based in tropical regions around the world.
At present, the Bjerknes Centre is involved in projects in Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, and Cuba, not to mention our CORDEX simulations over large regions of Asia and Africa.
The focus on the tropics in recent years is particularly justified, as the majority of the world’s climate-vulnerable poor live in these regions.