Research summary
The difference between the amount of energy that arrives on Earth from the sun and the amount that returns to space is a fundamental metric that helps scientists assess how well the world may respond to climate change. In fact, uncertainty about the Earth’s energy imbalance is one of the most urgent issues preventing scientists from accurately evaluating future climate change.
To close the knowledge gap, Dr. Hugo Beltrami, Canada Research Chair in Climate Dynamics, has been working to characterize the heat and mass transfer regime between the Earth’s lower atmosphere and the first few hundred metres of its crust. He and his research team hope to better understand the issues related to Earth’s energy inventory, air-ground modelling, permafrost stability, and land temperature and surface energy balance. Ultimately, their work will contribute to scientists’ ability to assess the accuracy of projections made by global climate models.