Joy Singarayer

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Joy Sargita Singarayer (born 23 September 1976) is a British climate scientist and Professor of Palaeoclimatology at the University of Reading, where she is joint Head of the Department of Meteorology. [1] She has made contributions to understanding past climate change (particularly the Quaternary) and has used that knowledge to constrain current and future environmental changes. Her work focuses on interactions between humans, land cover/use and climate, and future implications for agriculture and water resources.

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Education and research career

Singarayer completed a MSci in Physics at Imperial College London in 1998. She moved to the University of Oxford and completed a PhD in 2002 on "Linearly modulated optically stimulated luminescence of sedimentary quartz: physical mechanisms and implications for dating" [2] with Richard Bailey. Singarayer then moved to the School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, where she held a lecturer and later senior lecturer position. She moved to the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading in 2013. [3]

Singarayer's research can be broadly split into two main areas: the use of modelling approaches to help understand of the mechanisms of environmental changes, and land surface changes (anthropogenic and natural) and their interactions with climate. Her work on the catastrophic release of fresh water during the end of the last ice age showed how ocean circulation can be affected, which has implications for future loss of ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. [4] [5] [6] She has shown how sea ice has regulated Earth's past climate, both through reflection of sunlight and prevention of heat escaping from the warm ocean to the atmosphere. [7] [8] Using climate simulations, Singarayer demonstrated that methane emissions from last glacial cycle may be the result of Earth orbital changes, rather than human activity. [9] [10] Singarayer has also quantified the climate implications of changing land use by agriculture, including assessment of the bio-geoengineering benefits of switching to high reflectivity crops. [11] [12] [13] [14]

Media and presenting

Singarayer has been involved in a number of scientific public communication activities. In 2009 she acted in an advisory capacity [15] for the BBC's six-part "The Incredible Human Journey", exploring the evidence for the theory of early human migration out of Africa, presented by Alice Roberts. The same year, she presented four episodes of Channel 4's "Man on Earth" series, [16] alongside Tony Robinson and Jago Cooper. It looked at the effect of climate change over the 200,000 years of human history.

Singarayer also provides commentary on historical climate-related news stories. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earth</span> Third planet from the Sun

Earth is the third planet from the Sun and home to all known life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. Approximately 70.8% of Earth's surface is made up of the ocean, dwarfing Earth's polar ice, lakes, and rivers. The remaining 29.2% of Earth's surface is land, consisting of continents and islands. Earth's surface layer is formed of several slowly moving tectonic plates, which interact to produce mountain ranges, volcanoes, and earthquakes. Earth's liquid outer core generates the magnetic field that shapes the magnetosphere of Earth, deflecting destructive solar winds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eocene</span> Second epoch of the Paleogene Period

The Eocene Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name Eocene comes from the Ancient Greek ἠώς and καινός and refers to the "dawn" of modern ('new') fauna that appeared during the epoch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice age</span> Period of long-term reduction in temperature of Earths surface and atmosphere

An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and greenhouse periods, during which there are no glaciers on the planet. Earth is currently in the Quaternary glaciation. Individual pulses of cold climate within an ice age are termed glacial periods, and intermittent warm periods within an ice age are called interglacials or interstadials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arctic</span> Polar region of the Earths northern hemisphere

The Arctic is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada, Danish Realm (Greenland), northern Finland (Lapland), Iceland, northern Norway, Russia, northernmost Sweden and the United States (Alaska). Land within the Arctic region has seasonally varying snow and ice cover, with predominantly treeless permafrost containing tundra. Arctic seas contain seasonal sea ice in many places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate variability and change</span> Change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns for an extended period

Climate variability includes all the variations in the climate that last longer than individual weather events, whereas the term climate change only refers to those variations that persist for a longer period of time, typically decades or more. Climate change may refer to any time in Earth's history, but the term is now commonly used to describe contemporary climate change. Since the Industrial Revolution, the climate has increasingly been affected by human activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum</span> Global warming about 55 million years ago

The Paleocene–Eocene thermal maximum (PETM), alternatively "Eocene thermal maximum 1" (ETM1), and formerly known as the "Initial Eocene" or "Late Paleocene thermal maximum", was a time period with a more than 5–8 °C global average temperature rise across the event. This climate event occurred at the time boundary of the Paleocene and Eocene geological epochs. The exact age and duration of the event is uncertain but it is estimated to have occurred around 55.5 million years ago (Ma).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Global temperature record</span> Fluctuations of the Earths temperature over time

The global temperature record shows the fluctuations of the temperature of the atmosphere and the oceans through various spans of time. There are numerous estimates of temperatures since the end of the Pleistocene glaciation, particularly during the current Holocene epoch. Some temperature information is available through geologic evidence, going back millions of years. More recently, information from ice cores covers the period from 800,000 years before the present time until now. A study of the paleoclimate covers the time period from 12,000 years ago to the present. Tree rings and measurements from ice cores can give evidence about the global temperature from 1,000-2,000 years before the present until now. The most detailed information exists since 1850, when methodical thermometer-based records began.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ocean heat content</span> Thermal energy stored in ocean water

In oceanography and climatology, ocean heat content (OHC) is a term for the energy absorbed by the ocean, where it is stored for indefinite time periods as internal energy or enthalpy. The rise in OHC accounts for over 90% of Earth’s excess thermal energy from global heating between 1971 and 2018. It is extremely likely that anthropogenic forcing via rising greenhouse gas emissions was the main driver of this OHC increase. About one third of the added energy has propagated to depths below 700 meters as of 2020. As the vast majority (>90%) of the extra heat from increasing greenhouse gases is absorbed by the oceans, “global warming” is, in fact, mostly “ocean warming,” which makes ocean heat content and sea level rise the most vital indicators of climate change.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change in the Arctic</span> Impacts of climate change on the Arctic

Major environmental issues caused by contemporary climate change in the Arctic region range from the well-known, such as the loss of sea ice or melting of the Greenland ice sheet, to more obscure, but deeply significant issues, such as permafrost thaw, social consequences for locals and the geopolitical ramifications of these changes. The Arctic is likely to be especially affected by climate change because of the high projected rate of regional warming and associated impacts. Temperature projections for the Arctic region were assessed in 2007: These suggested already averaged warming of about 2 °C to 9 °C by the year 2100. The range reflects different projections made by different climate models, run with different forcing scenarios. Radiative forcing is a measure of the effect of natural and human activities on the climate. Different forcing scenarios reflect things such as different projections of future human greenhouse gas emissions.

This is a list of climate change topics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arctic methane emissions</span> Release of methane from seas and soils in permafrost regions of the Arctic

Arctic methane release is the release of methane from seas and soils in permafrost regions of the Arctic. While it is a long-term natural process, methane release is exacerbated by global warming. This results in a positive feedback cycle, as methane is itself a powerful greenhouse gas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar geoengineering</span> Reflection of sunlight to reduce global warming

Solar geoengineering, or solar radiation modification (SRM), is a type of climate engineering in which sunlight would be reflected back to outer space to limit or reverse human-caused climate change. It is not a substitute for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but would act as a temporary measure to limit warming while emissions of greenhouse gases are reduced and carbon dioxide is removed. The most studied methods of SRM are stratospheric aerosol injection and marine cloud brightening.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sea level rise</span> Current and projected rise in sea levels due to climate change

Between 1901 and 2018, the globally averaged sea level rose by 15–25 cm (6–10 in), or 1–2 mm per year on average. This rate is accelerating, and the sea levels are now rising by 3.7 mm per year. This is caused by human-induced climate change, as it continually heats the ocean and melts land-based ice sheets and glaciers. Over the period between 1993 and 2018, the thermal expansion of water contributed 42% to sea level rise ; melting of temperate glaciers, 21%; Greenland, 15%; and Antarctica, 8%. Because sea level rise lags changes in Earth temperature, it will continue to accelerate between now and 2050 purely in response to warming which has already occurred: whether it continues to accelerate after that is dependent on the human greenhouse gas emissions. Even if sea level rise does not accelerate, it will continue for a very long time: over the next 2000 years, it is projected to amount to 2–3 m (7–10 ft) if global warming is limited to 1.5 °C (2.7 °F), to 2–6 m (7–20 ft) if it peaks at 2 °C (3.6 °F) and to 19–22 metres (62–72 ft) if it peaks at 5 °C (9.0 °F).

Bio-geoengineering is a form of climate engineering which seeks to use or modify plants or other living things to modify the Earth's climate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenhouse gas</span> Gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range

A greenhouse gas (GHG or GhG) is a gas that absorbs and emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, causing the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere are water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and ozone (O3). Without greenhouse gases, the average temperature of Earth's surface would be about −18 °C (0 °F), rather than the present average of 15 °C (59 °F). The atmospheres of Venus, Mars and Titan also contain greenhouse gases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stratospheric aerosol injection</span> Putting particles in the stratosphere to reflect sunlight to limit global heating

Stratospheric aerosol injection is a proposed method of solar geoengineering to reduce global warming. This would introduce aerosols into the stratosphere to create a cooling effect via global dimming and increased albedo, which occurs naturally from volcanic eruptions. It appears that stratospheric aerosol injection, at a moderate intensity, could counter most changes to temperature and precipitation, take effect rapidly, have low direct implementation costs, and be reversible in its direct climatic effects. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concludes that it "is the most-researched [solar geoengineering] method, with high agreement that it could limit warming to below 1.5°C." However, like other solar geoengineering approaches, stratospheric aerosol injection would do so imperfectly and other effects are possible, particularly if used in a suboptimal manner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change feedback</span> Feedback related to climate change

Climate change feedbacks are important in the understanding of global warming because feedback processes amplify or diminish the effect of each climate forcing, and so play an important part in determining the climate sensitivity and future climate state. Feedback in general is the process in which changing one quantity changes a second quantity, and the change in the second quantity in turn changes the first. Positive feedback amplifies the change in the first quantity while negative feedback reduces it.

Space mirrors are satellites that are designed to change the amount of solar radiation that impacts the Earth as a form of climate engineering. Since the conception of the idea in the 1980s, space mirrors have mainly been theorized as a way to deflect sunlight to counter global warming and was seriously considered in the 2000s.

Deglaciation is the transition from full glacial conditions during ice ages, to warm interglacials, characterized by global warming and sea level rise due to change in continental ice volume. Thus, it refers to the retreat of a glacier, an ice sheet or frozen surface layer, and the resulting exposure of the Earth's surface. The decline of the cryosphere due to ablation can occur on any scale from global to localized to a particular glacier. After the Last Glacial Maximum, the last deglaciation begun, which lasted until the early Holocene. Around much of Earth, deglaciation during the last 100 years has been accelerating as a result of climate change, partly brought on by anthropogenic changes to greenhouse gases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change in Antarctica</span> Impacts of climate change on Antarctica

Temperature change due to climate change in Antarctica is not stable over the whole continent. West Antarctica is warming rapidly, while the inland regions are cooled by the winds in Antarctica. Water in the West Antarctic has warmed by 1 °C since year 1955. Further increase in temperature in water and on land will affect the climate, ice mass and life on the continent and have global implications. Present-day greenhouse gas concentrations are higher than ever according to ice cores from Antarctica, which indicates that warming on this continent is not part of a natural cycle and attributable to anthropogenic climate change.

References

  1. ↑ "University of Reading presented with Queen's Anniversary Prize for climate change work - Wokingham.Today". 2022-02-23. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  2. ↑ Singarayer, Joy Sargita (2003). Linearly modulated optically stimulated luminescence of sedimentary quartz : physical mechanisms and implications for dating (Ph.D. thesis). University of Oxford.
  3. ↑ "About". Joy Singarayer. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  4. ↑ Glasser, Neil F.; Jansson, Krister N.; Duller, Geoffrey A. T.; Singarayer, Joy; Holloway, Max; Harrison, Stephan (2016-02-12). "Glacial lake drainage in Patagonia (13-8 kyr) and response of the adjacent Pacific Ocean". Scientific Reports. 6 (1): 21064. Bibcode:2016NatSR...621064G. doi:10.1038/srep21064. ISSN   2045-2322. PMC   4751529 . PMID   26869235.
  5. ↑ "Catastrophic failure of South American Ice Age dam changed Pacific Ocean circulation and climate". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  6. ↑ Bristol, University of. "February: Catastrophic failure of ice age dam | News and features | University of Bristol". www.bristol.ac.uk. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  7. ↑ Survey, British Antarctic. "New Antarctic ice discovery aids future climate predictions". phys.org. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  8. ↑ Holloway, Max D.; Sime, Louise C.; Singarayer, Joy S.; Tindall, Julia C.; Bunch, Pete; Valdes, Paul J. (2016-08-16). "Antarctic last interglacial isotope peak in response to sea ice retreat not ice-sheet collapse". Nature Communications. 7 (1): 12293. Bibcode:2016NatCo...712293H. doi:10.1038/ncomms12293. ISSN   2041-1723. PMC   4990695 . PMID   27526639.
  9. ↑ Singarayer, Joy S.; Valdes, Paul J.; Friedlingstein, Pierre; Nelson, Sarah; Beerling, David J. (February 2011). "Late Holocene methane rise caused by orbitally controlled increase in tropical sources". Nature. 470 (7332): 82–85. Bibcode:2011Natur.470...82S. doi:10.1038/nature09739. ISSN   1476-4687. PMID   21293375. S2CID   4353095.
  10. ↑ "Orbital mechanics affect methane levels - ABC sydney - Australian Broadcasting Corporation". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  11. ↑ Singarayer, Joy S; Ridgwell, Andy; Irvine, Peter (October 2009). "Assessing the benefits of crop albedo bio-geoengineering". Environmental Research Letters. 4 (4): 045110. Bibcode:2009ERL.....4d5110S. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/4/4/045110 . ISSN   1748-9326. S2CID   3742686.
  12. ↑ "'Crops could keep Earth cool' say scientists". BBC News. 2010-11-11. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  13. ↑ "Cooling the world with crops | Royal Society". royalsociety.org. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  14. ↑ "Reflective Crops Could Cool the Planet". NBC News. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  15. ↑ Bristol, University of. "2009: The Incredible Human Journey | News and features | University of Bristol". www.bristol.ac.uk. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  16. ↑ Simon, Jane (2009-12-07). "Man on Earth". mirror. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  17. ↑ "COP26: Climate change graph 'needs more colours' as world gets hotter". BBC News. 2021-11-02. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
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