As a part of its Indian Ocean Current programming, the McMullen Museum welcomes scientists Sujata Murty and Caroline Ummenhofer from the Department of Physical Oceanography at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for an overview of how the Indian Ocean affects climate in surrounding countries. This virtual webinar will focus on rainfall and extreme events such as droughts and floods. Murty and Ummenhofer will discuss changes over recent decades in the Indian Ocean with particular attention paid to the role of corals as natural climate archives that can provide a long-term context for recent unusual ocean conditions. Their lecture will showcase key oceanographic and climate research methods that will help to address future changes expected in a warming Indian Ocean climate.

The Indian Ocean basin and its surrounding regions that are home to more than a third of the world’s population are particularly vulnerable to human-induced climate change. Yet the Indian Ocean remains one of the great frontiers of oceanography: few long-term measurements of Indian Ocean conditions exist; this severely limits our ability to predict future changes in a warming world.

RSVP here to join us virtually on Zoom at 3:30 pm on Wednesday, May 27.

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://bccte.zoom.us/j/95443026890

Or iPhone one-tap :
US: +16468769923,,95443026890# or +13017158592,,95443026890#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 646 876 9923 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 253 215 8782
Webinar ID: 954 4302 6890
International numbers available: https://bccte.zoom.us/u/akB9EmfHS

Sujata A. Murty received a BA in Geology and Biology from Oberlin College and a PhD in Oceanography from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She now holds a postdoctoral fellowship at Woods Hole. Sujata’s research uses coral climate archives and high-resolution ocean model simulations to examine past changes in climate and ocean systems throughout the Indo-Pacific, a region of the world particularly vulnerable to future climate change.

Caroline C. Ummenhofer received a BS in Marine Biology and Physical Oceanography from Bangor University and a PhD in Applied Mathematics, specializing in climate modeling, from the University of New South Wales. Since 2012, she has held a faculty position at Woods Hole. She won several awards, including the Eureka Prize for Water Research and Innovation by the Australian Museum, and the AGU James B. Macelwane Medal. Caroline’s research focuses on the water cycle and extreme events, such as droughts and floods, and their impact on human and natural systems around the Indian Ocean.

Please contact Rachel Chamberlain at rachel.chamberlain@bc.edu with any questions.