It’s widely thought that climate change will increase the prevalence or intensity of extreme weather events such as hurricanes, heavy precipitation, floods, and heat waves.  Some studies have evaluated climate change's contribution to specific weather events several months or longer after an event occurred, but certain groups hope to develop a rapid attribution system that could conceivably complete such an analysis within a few days.

A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee will hold a two-day public workshop [1] to examine the science of attributing specific extreme weather events to human-caused climate change or to natural variability.  The workshop will inform a consensus study, expected in early 2016, that will assess current scientific capabilities and identify future research priorities.

DETAILS:

The workshop will take place from 1 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Oct. 21, and from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EDT Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Academies’ Keck Center, 500 Fifth Street N.W., Washington, D.C.  Space is limited.  Reporters who wish to attend should register in advance with the Office of News and Public Information; tel. 202-334-2138 [2] or email news@nas.edu [3].  Those who cannot attend in person may watch a live video webcast at www.national-academies.org [4].