Climatology

Climatology focuses on the long-term evolution of processes and phenomena within the atmosphere. The Section’s scope encompasses past (palaeo) and present-day climates, as well as future predictions (seasonal–decadal) and projections. The impact and attribution of external climate drivers, such as greenhouse gas forcing, including short-term climate forcers; solar variability, anthropogenic aerosol, and volcanic forcing; and the atmospheric response from near-surface forcing, including land-use change, cryosphere, and oceans, are examined. Regions of interest include the tropics, mid-latitudes, and the polar regions. Tropospheric phenomena, including Hadley, Walker, and monsoon circulations; sub-tropical mid-latitude jets; and atmospheric blocking are reviewed. Stratosphere and mesosphere processes and variability, including external influence from trace gas and GHG changes, e.g. stratospheric ozone, and phenomena including sudden stratospheric warmings, the quasi-biennial oscillation, and the Brewer–Dobson circulation are also areas of focus.