Noah Diffenbaugh

Noah Diffenbaugh
Born (1974-07-23)July 23, 1974
Santa Cruz County, California
Residence Stanford, CA
Alma mater B.S. Stanford University (Earth Systems, 1997), M.S. Stanford University (Earth Systems, 1997), Ph.D. University of California, Santa Cruz (Earth Sciences, 2003)
Known for climate change,science communication
Awards James R. Holton Award from the American Geophysical Union, CAREER award from the National Science Foundation
Scientific career
Fields Earth sciences, climatology
Institutions Stanford University, Purdue University, University of California, Santa Cruz
Thesis Global and regional controls on Holocene environments (2003)
Doctoral advisor Lisa C. Sloan
Other academic advisors Paul Koch, Patrick J. Bartlein
Doctoral students Moetasim Ashfaq, Christopher B. Skinner, Deepti Singh, Justin Mankin, Daniel Swain, Danielle Touma, Katerina Gonzales, Frances Davenport
Influences Kerry Emanuel, Christopher Field, Filippo Giorgi, Jane Lubchenco, Pamela Matson, Mario Molina, William Nordhaus, Stephen Schneider, Susan Solomon
Website Stanford Profile page

Noah S. Diffenbaugh is an American geoscientist at Stanford University, where he is the Kara J Foundation Professor of Earth System Science and Kimmelman Family Senior Fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, and an affiliate at the Precourt Institute for Energy.[1] He is also the editor-in-chief of Geophysical Research Letters. He is known for his research on the climate system,[2][3] including the effects of global warming on extreme weather and climate events such as the 2011-2017 California drought.[4][5]

Scientific Research

Diffenbaugh received his Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2003. His dissertation was entitled “Global and regional controls on Holocene environments”.[6] His dissertation focused on understanding regional climate change in both paleoclimate and modern periods. His dissertation introduced the hypothesis that as vegetation responds to changes in climate, those changes could impact coastal ocean systems by altering the atmospheric pressure patterns that drive coastal winds.[7]

In 2004, Diffenbaugh began a faculty position at Purdue University.[8] While at Purdue, he published first results of high-resolution regional climate simulations for large continental areas, including the United States, Europe and India, which enabled analysis of the role of fine-scale climate processes in extreme events.[9][10][11][12] These high-resolution climate model simulations also enabled analyses of potential impacts of climate change on a suite of systems, including premium winegrapes, corn pests, and snowmelt runoff.[13][14][15]

In 2009, Diffenbaugh moved to a faculty position at Stanford University.[16] He continued his work on the dynamics and impacts of fine-scale climate change,[17] and also began working in the emerging area of “extreme event attribution”.[18] This work culminated in the publication of a new, generalized framework for testing the influence of global warming on individual extreme weather and climate events.[19][20]

The extreme event for which Diffenbaugh is most well known is the 2011-2017 California drought.[21] From 2014-2016, Diffenbaugh’s research group published three widely-cited papers analyzing the drought and the role of global warming.[22][23][24] These studies analyzed the role of high temperature in amplifying the effects of low precipitation, as well as the role of the Ridiculously Resilient Ridge, a term coined by Diffenbaugh’s then-Ph.D. student Daniel Swain to describe the large area of persistently high atmospheric pressure that blocked many storms from reaching California for much of the drought.[25]

Science Communication

Diffenbaugh is active in science communication.[26] He has served on a number of government science panels, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,[27] the United States Climate Change Science Program,[28] and the California Climate-Safe Infrastructure Working Group.[29] He has provided testimony to the United States Congress[30] and the California State Assembly[31]. He was also a member of the What We Know panel of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.[32]

Diffenbaugh has written a number of opinion articles. These include op-eds in The New York Times about extreme climate events such as the 2011-2017 California drought[33] and Hurricane Harvey[34], and the process of climate science.[35] He has also written for the public on the importance of peer review, including a Top 10 list of reviewer comments that Diffenbaugh stated came from papers on which he was the first author. [36]

Diffenbaugh frequently speaks to the public about climate change.[37] In 2011, he was a Google Science Communication Fellow.[38] He was an early adopter of Hangouts On Air, through which he conducted open discussions about climate change with the public.[39][40]

In 2017, Diffenbaugh was the faculty moderator for Stanford University’s Three Books Program, in which all incoming first-year undergraduate students are sent three books over the summer, and the authors come to campus for a panel discussion during New Student Orientation.[41] Diffenbaugh selected the theme of “Sustainability and Equity”, and assigned Salvage The Bones by Jesmyn Ward, Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, and the The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert.[42] About choosing the books, Diffenbaugh said, "Once you begin to examine the relationship between people and the environment, it becomes clear that the big global challenges for this generation lie at the intersection of sustainability and equity – the two are inextricably linked."[43] At Stanford, he teaches a course called "The Global Warming Paradox" that examines this challenge.[44]

Personal Life

Diffenbaugh discussed his upbringing in a 2017 interview on the science podcast Forecast.[45] Diffenbaugh grew up at Mount Madonna Center, an intentional community in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California that was founded in 1978 by Diffenbaugh’s parents and other students of Baba Hari Dass. He attended Mount Madonna School from kindergarten through high school, graduating in 1992.[46][47]

Diffenbaugh attended college at Stanford University, where he was a member of the varsity men’s volleyball team.[48] After college, he returned to Mount Madonna Center for three years.[49] During that time, he taught high school science and coached volleyball at Mount Madonna School, before entering graduate school at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he describes struggling to find a sense of scientific confidence and direction.[50]

Diffenbaugh and his wife Polly Diffenbaugh live on the Stanford campus, and have three children. [51] He is the grandson of computer pioneer Erwin Tomash[52], and brother-in-law of novelist Vanessa Diffenbaugh.

Bibliography

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

Diffenbaugh has authored or co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, a complete list of which is available on his Google Scholar profile. Some of his most widely cited journal articles include:


Diffenbaugh, N.S., D. Singh, J.S. Mankin, D.E. Horton, D.L. Swain, D. Touma, A. Charland, Y. Liu, M. Haugen, M. Tsiang and B. Rajaratnam, Quantifying the influence of global warming on unprecedented extreme climate events, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(19), 4881–4886, 2017.

Diffenbaugh, N.S., D.L. Swain and D. Touma, Anthropogenic warming has increased drought risk in California, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(13), 3931-3936, 2015.

Diffenbaugh, N.S. and C.B. Field, Changes in ecologically-critical terrestrial climate conditions, Science, 341(6145), 486-492, 2013.

Diffenbaugh, N.S., M. Scherer and R.J. Trapp, Robust increases in severe thunderstorm environments in response to greenhouse forcing, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 11(41), 16361–16366, doi:10.1073/pnas.1307758110, 2013.

Diffenbaugh, N.S. and F. Giorgi, Climate change hotspots in the CMIP5 global climate model ensemble, Climatic Change Letters, 114 (3-4), 813-822, 2012.

Diffenbaugh, N.S. and M. Scherer, Observational and model evidence for global emergence of unprecedented heat in the 20th and 21st centuries, Climatic Change, 10.1007/s10584-011-0112-y, 2011.

Diffenbaugh, N.S. and M. Ashfaq, Intensification of hot extremes in the United States, Geophysical Research Letters, L15701, doi:10.1029/2010GL043888, 2010.

Diffenbaugh, N.S., J.S. Pal, F. Giorgi and X. Gao, Heat stress intensification in the Mediterranean climate change hotspot, Geophysical Research Letters, 34, L11706, doi:10.1029/2007GL030000, 2007.

Diffenbaugh, N.S., J.S. Pal, R.J. Trapp and F. Giorgi, Fine-scale processes regulate the response of extreme events to global climate change, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 102(44), 15774-15778, 2005.

Diffenbaugh, N.S., M.A. Snyder and L.C. Sloan, Could CO2-induced land cover feedbacks alter near-shore upwelling regimes?, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 101(1), 27-31, 2004.

Book Chapters

Field, C.B., N.R. Chiariello and N.S. Diffenbaugh, Climate-change impacts on California ecosystems, in E. Zavaletta and H. Mooney, (eds), Ecosystems of California, University of California Press, 1008 pp, 2016.

White, M.A., G.V. Jones and N.S. Diffenbaugh, Climate variability, climate change, and wine production in the western United States, in F.H. Wagner (ed.), Climate Change in Western North America: Evidence and Environmental Effects, University of Utah Press, 288 pp, 2009.

Reports and Assessments

Paying it forward: The Path Toward Climate-Safe Infrastructure in California. Report of the Climate-Safe Infrastructure Working Group to the California State Legislature and the Strategic Growth Council. Sacramento, CA: CNRA, Publication number: CNRA-CCA4-CSI-001, 2018.

Cross-chapter box on the regional climate summary figures. In: Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 137-141, 2014.

North America. In: Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part B: Regional Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 1439-1498, 2014.

What We Know: The Reality, Risks and Response to Climate Change, AAAS Climate Science Panel, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC, March 2014.

Effects of U.S. Tax Policy on Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Committee on the Effects of Provisions in the Internal Revenue Code on Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy; Policy and Global Affairs; National Research Council. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC. 181 pages, 2013.

Hydrological variability and change. In: Abrupt Climate Change. A Report by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research. U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA, pp. 143–257, 2008.

Selected Op-Ed Writings

Burke, M. and N.S. Diffenbaugh, Paris Agreement goals could save trillions in avoided climate damages, The Hill, May 27, 2018.

Diffenbaugh, N.S., How we know it was global warming, New York Times Op-Ed, December 29, 2017.

Diffenbaugh, N.S., Hurricane Harvey was no surprise, New York Times Op-Ed, August 28, 2017.

Diffenbaugh, N.S., Climate lessons from California, New York Times Op-Ed, August 17, 2017.

Diffenbaugh, N.S., What California’s dam crisis says about the changing climate, New York Times Op-Ed, February 14, 2017.

Diffenbaugh, N.S., Stuff My Reviewers Say, Eos – AGU Editors’ Vox, September 19, 2016.

Diffenbaugh, N.S. and C.B. Field, A wet winter won’t save California, The New York Times Op-Ed, September 18, 2015.

Diffenbaugh, N.S. and D.L. Swain, Climate change and the California drought, Brookings Institution PlanetPolicy blog, October 6, 2014.

Diffenbaugh, N.S., Testimony, ‪Forum on the Impacts of Climate Change, Safe Climate Caucus‬, U.S. House of Representatives, September 17, 2013.



References

  1. ↑ "Noah Diffenbaugh's Profile". profiles.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
  2. ↑ kate.callahan (2012-08-22). "Noah Diffenbaugh". Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
  3. ↑ "Noah Diffenbaugh's Profile". profiles.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
  4. ↑ Fagan, Kevin (2015-04-18). "'New normal': Scientists predict less rain from here on out". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
  5. ↑ Than, Ker (2017-04-24). "Stanford scientists test links between extreme weather and climate change". news.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
  6. ↑ "Global and regional controls on Holocene environments". Physics Abstract Service. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  7. ↑ "Could CO2-induced land-cover feedbacks alter near-shore upwelling regimes?". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  8. ↑ "Noah Diffenbaugh's Profile". profiles.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
  9. ↑ "Climate model forecasts dramatic changes in U.S." Purdue University News Service. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  10. ↑ "Reduced greenhouse gas emissions required to avoid dangerous increases in heat stress, researchers say". Purdue University News Service. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  11. ↑ "Purdue study projects weakened monsoon season in South Asia". Purdue University News Service. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  12. ↑ "Research forecasts increased chances for stormy weather". Purdue News Service. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  13. ↑ Kay, Jane. "Now's the time to cellar wine". SF Chronicle. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  14. ↑ "Purdue study suggests warmer temperatures could lead to a boom in corn pests". Purdue University News Service. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  15. ↑ "Study: Future snowmelt in West twice as early as expected; threatens ecosystems and water reserves". Purdue University News Service. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  16. ↑ "Noah Diffenbaugh's Profile". profiles.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
  17. ↑ "CAREER: Dynamics and Impacts of Fine-Scale Climate Change". National Science Foundation. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  18. ↑ "Explaining Extreme Events of 2012 from a Climate Perspective" (PDF). docs.house.gov. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  19. ↑ "Stanford scientists test links between extreme weather and climate change". Stanford News Service. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  20. ↑ "Quantifying the influence of global warming on unprecedented extreme climate events". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  21. ↑ Fagan, Kevin (2015-04-18). "'New normal': Scientists predict less rain from here on out". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
  22. ↑ "Causes of California drought linked to climate change, Stanford scientists say". Stanford News Service. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  23. ↑ "Anthropogenic warming has increased drought risk in California". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  24. ↑ "Trends in atmospheric patterns conducive to seasonal precipitation and temperature extremes in California". AAAS Science Advances. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  25. ↑ "The extraordinary California dry spell continues: 2013 will probably be the driest year on record". Weather West: The California Weather Blog. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  26. ↑ "Communicating Science Seminar at 2015 AAAS Annual Meeting". 2015 AAAS Annual Meeting. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  27. ↑ "Working Group II AR5 Author Teams". IPCC. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  28. ↑ "Noah Diffenbaugh's Profile". profiles.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
  29. ↑ "Climate-Safe Infrastructure Working Group". California Natural Resources Agency. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
  30. ↑ "H5574 Congressional Record September 17, 2013" (PDF). Congressional Record. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  31. ↑ "Assembly Select Committee on Water Consumption and Alternative Sources Hearing of 11-17-2015". California Digital Democracy. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  32. ↑ "What We Know". AAAS. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
  33. ↑ "A Wet Winter Won't Save California". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  34. ↑ "Hurricane Harvey Was No Surprise". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  35. ↑ "How We Know It Was Climate Change". The New York Times. 2017-12-29. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
  36. ↑ Diffenbaugh, Noah. "Stuff My Reviewers Say". eos.org. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
  37. ↑ "Noah Diffenbaugh's Profile". profiles.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
  38. ↑ "Making sense of science: introducing the Google Science Communication Fellows". google.org blog. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  39. ↑ "A Climate Scientist Braves the Wilds of YouTube". New York Times Dot Earth Blog. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  40. ↑ "Talking Climate, Online in Real Time". KQED Science. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  41. ↑ Kubota, Taylor (2017-06-22). "Stanford's Three Books program prompts students to think about sustainability and equity". news.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
  42. ↑ "Need Some Smart Summer Reading? Grab the 3 Books Stanford Is Having All Freshmen Read". Inc.com. 2017-06-22. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
  43. ↑ Kubota, Taylor (2017-06-22). "Stanford's Three Books program prompts students to think about sustainability and equity". news.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
  44. ↑ "The Global Warming Paradox". Introductory Seminars for First-Year Students. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  45. ↑ "Noah Diffenbaugh". Forecast Pod. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
  46. ↑ "Noah Diffenbaugh". Forecast Pod. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
  47. ↑ "The Connection 2012-2013" (PDF). Mount Madonna School. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
  48. ↑ "Noah Diffenbaugh". Volleyball Worldwide. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
  49. ↑ "Noah Diffenbaugh". Forecast Pod. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
  50. ↑ "Noah Diffenbaugh". Forecast Pod. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
  51. ↑ Fagan, Kevin (2015-04-18). "'New normal': Scientists predict less rain from here on out". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
  52. ↑ "The Connection 2012-2013" (PDF). Mount Madonna School. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
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