Research Highlight
Identifying source of predictability for vapor pressure deficit variability in the southwestern United States
May 6, 2025 – Fire hazards can have catastrophic effects on human society and ecosystems, posing a pronounced threat to public health, food security, infrastructure, assets, and natural resources. Over the past few decades, fire events have been increasing in size and severity worldwide. Atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD) measures the difference between saturation vapor pressure and actual vapor pressure, and its variability is closely related to fire activity in the Western U.S.
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GFDL’s Legacy of Awards and Honors
March 18, 2025 – GFDL has a rich legacy of excellence and innovation, which is reflected in the exceptional achievements of our scientists and the recognition they have received. The lab has been creating opportunities for exploration and collaboration for more than 65 years and our scientists are among the most influential and decorated in climate science. We are proud to be home to dozens of recipients of prestigious awards, including the Nobel Prize and the Crafoord Prize, as well as members of the National Academy of Sciences. Scientists listed here performed their award-winning work at GFDL.
Research Highlight
Predictable Patterns of Seasonal Atmospheric River Variability Over North America during Winter
April 17, 2025 – Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are long and narrow atmospheric weather systems that carry large amounts of water vapor. ARs typically cover areas larger than 300,000 km2 and accompany significant precipitation changes over the U.S. They present both societal risks, such as flooding and extreme precipitation, and benefits – including contributions to water resources and snowpack.
Award
John Dunne Receives High Citation Recognition for Paper in JAMES
March 28, 2025 – A paper co-authored by John Dunne, head of GFDL’s Earth System Processes and Interactions Division, was recognized as one of the top 10 most cited papers in 2023 by the Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Geophysical Union.
Research Highlight
What Are the Finger-like Clouds in the Hurricane Inner-core Region?
February 10, 2025 – The inner core region of hurricanes harbors complex dynamical features, including small-scale clouds characterized by finger-like appearances pointing toward the hurricane eye. These features have been frequently observed in intense hurricanes. However, many basic aspects of these features remain unknown, particularly regarding what controls their occurrence, location, and spatial distribution.
Research Highlight
Effect of Regional Anthropogenic Aerosols on Tropical Cyclone Frequency of Occurrence
November 1, 2024 – Assessing the impact of anthropogenic climate changes on tropical cyclone activity is of notable scientific and public interest. Since 1980, human-made aerosol emissions have decreased in Europe and the U.S. but increased in China and India. This study used SPEAR, a climate model developed at GFDL, to explore how regional aerosol changes affect global tropical cyclones.
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GFDL a Partner in NOAA’s Changing Ecosystems and Fisheries Initiative
November 20, 2024 – From warming waters and rising seas to melting sea ice and changing ocean pH, climate change is having major impacts on the nation’s marine and Great Lakes resources. In order to effectively prepare for and combat the effects of climate change, policymakers need robust historical simulations, as well as forecasts and projections, about how ocean and Great Lakes fisheries and ecosystems have changed and could change in the future.
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John Dunne Recognized as a 2024 Highly Cited Researcher
December 10, 2024 – John Dunne, supervisory research oceanographer and head of GFDL’s Earth System Processes and Interactions Division, has been named to Clarivate’s 2024 list of Highly Cited Researchers. This recognition identifies scientists whose published work over the past decade ranks among the top 1% of citations in the Web of Science, reflecting the widespread influence and impact of their research on advancing scientific knowledge.
Award
2024 AGU Robert E. Horton Medal Awarded to P.C.D. (Chris) Milly
October 8, 2024 – P.C.D. (Chris) Milly, a leading expert in physical hydrology, hydrological modeling, and climate science, has been awarded the 2024 Robert E. Horton Medal by the American Geophysical Union (AGU). Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Milly led the development of the hydrological component of GFDL’s climate models, significantly advancing the integration of hydrological processes into global climate models.
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Nadir Jeevanjee Honored with the 2025 AMS Henry G. Houghton Award
October 1, 2024 – Congratulations to Nadir Jeevanjee, recipient of the 2025 Henry G. Houghton Award from the American Meteorological Society (AMS). This prestigious award recognizes Dr. Jeevanjee for “providing robust and comprehensive theoretical frameworks to illuminate complex phenomena in climate physics.”
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Lucas Harris Receives the 2024 AGU Atmospheric Sciences Ascent Award
September 25, 2024 – Lucas Harris, Deputy Division Leader of the Weather and Climate Dynamics Division at GFDL, has been honored with the 2024 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Atmospheric Sciences Ascent Award. This award recognizes his outstanding research and leadership in high-resolution atmospheric model development and its applications for weather and climate predictions.