Presented on January 22, 2025, by

Dr. Jonathan H. Jiang
Senior Research Scientist
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
California Institute of Technology

ABSTRACT

This seminar will explore climate tipping points and the conditions under which global temperature changes become irreversible, utilizing advanced atmosphere-ocean-ice coupled models. Building on preliminary findings, our study highlights the threshold where surface temperature increases may become irreversible beyond 2-3°C above pre-industrial levels and examines other critical tipping elements like AMOC collapse and Greenland ice sheet loss. Additionally, we analyze global and regional surface temperature trends, focusing on the Arctic’s rapid warming, using CMIP6 models to project when critical temperature thresholds (1.5, 2.0, 2.5°C) will be reached. The seminar aims to inform climate science and policy, equipping policymakers with insights to avert catastrophic climate impacts.

BIO

Dr. Jonathan H. Jiang is a Senior Research Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, with over two decades of experience leading pioneering research in satellite remote sensing, climate science, astrophysics, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Dr. Jiang serves as the president of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Global Environmental Change section and editor-in-chief of AGU’s Earth and Space Science Open Archive. A recipient of three NASA Medals for Exceptional Scientific Achievement and a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society, Dr. Jiang is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee on Human Exploration of Mars.