Geographisches Kolloquium

Extreme precipitation events can be incredibly destructive to life and property. It is therefore essential that we better understand where and when the severity of these events are projected to increase in a warming climate. The Clausius-Clapeyron (C-C) relationship defines the expected change in moisture availability in a column of air as a function of the air temperature.

The C-C scaling rate states that with each degree of warming, the air can potentially hold another ~7% more moisture, and hence precipitation extremes can experience comparable increases. Some researchers argue that sub-daily to daily C-C scaling rates turn negative at higher temperatures, while others claim instances in which the precipitation scaling rates exceed C-C. This talk discusses some of the diffi culties associated with interpreting C-C scaling rates. By improving our understanding of precipitation extremes in a warming world, we can better predict natural hazard events such as hurricanes and floods.