Source: BBC Radio 4 PM
URL: N/A
Date: 18/06/2013
Event: Richard Betts talks about this morning's Met Office discussions
Credit: BBC Radio 4
People:
Eddie Mair: This morning, on Radio 4's Today, we heard about a meeting being held, at which some of the UK's top climate scientists would gather at Met Office headquarters to discuss Britain's unusual weather patterns. Were there specific factors that caused the heavy snow in the winter of 2010-11, the long wet summer of 2012, the spring of 2013, which was the coldest on record, in many years? Well, Professor Richard Betts, the Head of Climate Impact at the Met Office, was at the meeting. Thanks for taking the time to join us, afterwards. What was decided?
Richard Betts: Well, there wasn't any decision, and you wouldn't expect any decision, because this was a research meeting. It's basically the scientific community coming together to discuss what we know and what we don't know, and where we should be going next, really.
Eddie Mair: So, amidst all the discussions, what were the main things you ruminated on?
Richard Betts: So, as you say, we were looking at three particular seasons, the cold winter of 2010-2011, the wet summer of 2012 and the cold March of this year. And looking at what the causes of these may have been, and of course there's a variety of factors that may be working together to affect these, such as sea ice in the Arctic, which has been, on the whole, in decline in recent years. That can affect the wind flow around the Arctic Ocean, affecting northern Europe and the UK. Also the way in which the atmosphere and the oceans exchange heat is important as well, and trying to understand the processes involved there. And also changes in the sun, that there is an eleven-year cycle in output from the sun, which can affect the weather as well. So all these things together, trying to establish which of these are playing a role, when, and so we can improve our understanding, for the future.
Eddie Mair: And is the plan to further investigate all three of those possible factors?
Richard Betts: Yes, indeed, yeah, and in particular trying to bring together the observations and data we've got, and computer models. It's very important to observe the real world, of course, but data by itself doesn't tell you anything - you need to understand the data and try and test your theories, test your hypotheses, and that's where the computer models come in. Er, so we can - our theory of the atmosphere is represented in these computer models, so looking at that and comparing it with the data helps to understand the data, helps us to understand the mechanisms.
Eddie Mair: And what was the conference like, for you, today? I imagine, I mean, this is bread and butter to you, I imagine it was quite fun, although these are serious things to be talking about - when you've got a bunch of experts together it must be quite invigorating.
Richard Betts: Oh yes, it was brilliant. Yeah, really exciting discussion, I mean, very technical, and it's great to have the top people and also the up and coming researchers as well, getting together and sharing ideas, and thinking about what we understand and what we need to investigate next. So it's a great piece of scientific activity that we do quite routinely.
Eddie Mair: Well, good luck with it - thanks for taking the time. Professor Richard Betts, the Head of Climate Impact at the Met Office.