Prominent Theory of Atmospheric Waves May Not Explain Extreme Weather Patterns
seas.harvard.edu
A landmark climate theory used to explain deadly heat waves and floods may be fundamentally flawed — and the implications for how we predict extreme weather are huge.
Quasiresonant Amplification (QRA) TheoryRossby Wave TheoryFalsificationismClimate Dynamics
Theory Briefing
- Researchers Linz and Mooring challenged QRA theory, which links atmospheric Rossby wave behavior to extreme weather events like heat waves and floods.
- Their analysis found that quasiresonant amplification may not actually cause the extreme weather patterns it has long been credited with explaining.
- If QRA theory falls short, climate scientists may need entirely new frameworks to predict and attribute dangerous weather extremes.