Publications Published in Science

1. Abrupt climate change. Alley, R. B.; Marotzke, J.; Nordhaus, W. D.; Overpeck, J. T.; Peteet, D. M.; Pielke, R. A.; Pierrehumbert, R. T.; Rhines, P. B.; Stocker, T. F.; Talley, L. D.; Wallace, J. M..
   Science: 2003
   Notes
   Large, abrupt, and widespread climate changes with major impacts have occurred repeatedly in the past, when the Earth system was forced across thresholds. Although abrupt climate changes can occur for many reasons, it is conceivable that human forcing of climate change is increasing the probability of large, abrupt events. Were such an event to recur, the economic and ecological impacts could be large and potentially serious. Unpredictability exhibited near climate thresholds in simple models shows that some uncertainty will always be associated with projections. In light of these uncertainties, policy-makers should consider expanding research into abrupt climate change, improving monitoring systems, and taking actions designed to enhance the adaptability and resilience of ecosystems and economies.
   
   
   
2. Accelerated Sea-Level Rise from West Antarctica. Thomas, R.; Rignot, E.; Casassa, G.; Kanagaratnam, P.; Acuna, C.; Akins, T.; Brecher, H.; Frederick, E..
   Science: 2004
   DOI: 10.1126/science.1099650
   Notes
   Recent aircraft and satellite laser altimeter surveys of the Amundsen Sea sector of West Antarctica show that local glaciers are discharging about 250 cubic kilometers of ice per year to the ocean, almost 60% more than is accumulated within their catchment basins. This discharge is sufficient to raise sea level by more than 0.2 millimeters per year. Glacier thinning rates near the coast during 2002-2003 are much larger than those observed during the 1990s. Most of these glaciers flow into floating ice shelves over bedrock up to hundreds of meters deeper than previous estimates, providing exit routes for ice from further inland if ice-sheet collapse is under way.
   
   
   
3. Acclimation capacity underlies susceptibility to climate change. Stillman, Jonathan H.
   Science: 2003
   Notes
   Recent reports have presented meta-analyses of global biological impacts of climate change. However, there is debate as to the level of confidence ascribed to the certainty that global climate change has caused the observed biological changes. Two important considerations in the assessment of how climate change will impact organisms are how close organisms are to their thermal limits in nature and an understanding of how organisms respond to increasing habitat temperatures, especially the degree to which organisms are able to adjust, or acclimatize, their thermal sensitivity. The effects of thermal acclimation on thermal limits of cardiac function in four congeneric species of marine invertebrates from different thermal habitats are described. Thus, by understanding the biological bases that underlie the responses of organisms to increasing habitat temperature, we can increase our certainty of the direct impacts that climate change has on life in nature.
   
   
   
4. A Combined Mitigation/Geoengineering Approach to Climate Stabilization. Wigley, T. M. L..
   Science: 2006
   DOI: 10.1126/science.1131728
   Notes
   Projected anthropogenic warming and CO2 concentration increases present a two-fold threat: both from the climate changes, and from CO2 directly through increasing acidity of the oceans. Future climate change may be reduced through mitigation (greenhouse-gas emissions reductions) or through geoengineering. Most geoengineering approaches, however, do not address the problem of increasing ocean acidity. A combined mitigation/geoengineering strategy could remove this deficiency. We consider here the deliberate injection of sulfate aerosol precursors into the stratosphere. This can significantly offset future warming and provide additional time to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and so stabilize CO2 concentrations cost-effectively at an acceptable level.
   
   
   
5. Advanced technology paths to global climate stability: Energy for a greenhouse planet. Hoffert, M.I.; Caldeira, K.; Benford, G.; Criswell, D.R.; Green, C.; Herzog, H.; Jain, A.K.; Kheshgi, H.S.; Lackner, K.S.; Lewis, J.S.; Lightfoot, H.D.; Manheimer, W.; Mankins, J.C.; Mauel, M.E.; Perkins, L.J.; Schlesinger, M.E.; Volk, T.; Wigley, T.M.L..
   Science: 2002
   Notes
   Stabilizing the carbon dioxide induced component of climate change is an energy problem. Establishment of a course toward such stabilization will require the development within the coming decades of primary energy sources that do not emit carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, in addition to efforts to reduce end-use energy demand. Mid-century primary power requirements that are free of carbon dioxide emissions could be several times what we now derive from fossil fuels (similar to10(13) watts), even with improvements in energy efficiency. Here we survey possible future energy sources, evaluated for their capability to supply massive amounts of carbon emission free energy and for their potential for large-scale commercialization. Possible candidates for primary energy sources include terrestrial solar and wind energy, solar power satellites, biomass, nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, fission-fusion hybrids, and fossil fuels from which carbon has been sequestered.
   
   
   
6. A guide to CO2 sequestration. Lackner, K. S..
   Science: 2003
   Notes
   Climate change concerns may soon force drastic reductions in CO
   
   
   
7. Air pollution and climate-forcing impacts of a global hydrogen economy. Schultz, M. G.; Diehl, T.; Brasseur, G. P.; Zittel, W..
   Science: 2003
   Notes
   If today's surface traffic fleet were powered entirely by hydrogen fuel cell technology, anthropogenic emissions of the ozone precursors nitrogen oxide (NOx) and carbon monoxide could be reduced by up to 50%, leading to significant improvements in air quality throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Model simulations of such a scenario predict a decrease in global OH and an increased lifetime of methane, caused primarily by the reduction of the NOx emissions. The sign of the change in climate forcing caused by carbon dioxide and methane depends on the technology used to generate the molecular hydrogen. A possible rise in atmospheric hydrogen concentrations is unlikely to cause significant perturbations of the climate system.
   
   
   
8. All downhill from here?. Krajick, Kevin.
   Science: 2004
   
   
9. A new recipe for cooking up a 'mini solar system'. Kerr, Richard A.
   Science: 2003
   Notes
   Focuses on the opinion of various scientists on the formation of Jupiter and its satellites collectively called as the jovian system. Points offered by the conventional view on the formation; Information gathered by spacecraft Galileo on the nature of jovian satellites; Contributions of research of planetary dynamicists, Robin Canup and William Ward.
   
   
   
10. An ice sheet remembers. Ackert, R. P..
    Science: 2003
    Notes
    Dancing cheek to cheek. The life cycle of the social slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum, showing the cooperative streaming of single amoeboid cells during times of starvation. The streaming cells form a mobile aggregate or slug, which metamorphoses into a fruiting body whose spores become dispersed and then develop into single amoebae. During cooperative streaming, the homophilic green-beard adhesion protein gp80 binds to gp80 molecules expressed by other cells. (Green-beard genes are those that are able to recognize and aid copies of themselves.) In this way, green- beard cells, but not knockout cells deficient in gp80, are disproportionately represented in the mobile slug and fruiting body.