The Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (COAPS) is a center of excellence performing interdisciplinary research in ocean-atmosphere-land-ice interactions to increase our understanding of the physical, social, and economic consequences of climate variability. COAPS scientists and students come from a wide range of disciplines, including meteorology, physical oceanography, statistics, and the computer and information sciences.
In the News:
COAPS and Florida State Join the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
November 2009: Under the initiative of COAPS, The Florida State University has joined the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (GC-CESU). The GC-CESU is part of a national organization which facilitates collaborative research, education and technical assistance pertaining to the human and natural environment, within and beyond the region, among federal and state agencies, universities and non-governmental organizations. The federal agencies who are participants in the CESU include Bureau of Land Management, Department of Defense, NASA, NOAA, National Park Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Geological Survey - Biological Resources Division. Members of the GC-CESU are afforded streamlined processes for funding, purchase / work orders, overhead and cost sharing. In particular, participation in the CESU will allow COAPS to develop stronger ties with the National Park Service's Southeast Archeological Center, which is collocated in the R.M. Johnson Building.
October Climate Summary for Florida
November 2009: The Florida Climate Center has released its October Climate Summary for Florida. The report shows that temperatures were above normal while rainfall totals were generally near or below normal during October.
Florida CoCoRaHS November Newsletter
November 2009: The latest issue of the Florida Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) newsletter is now available. This newsletter is created by Melissa Griffin, Assistant State Climatologist at COAPS, and provides information for volunteers who collect rain gauge measurements across the state.
Florida CoCoRaHS November 2009 Newsletter (PDF, 1.5 MB)
Sea Level Rise Research Continues to Draw Attention
November 2009: Research conducted by COAPS scientist Jianjun Yin on sea level rise is continuing to attract attention from a variety of media and research organizations. Yin was recently quoted in a Miami Herald article on the lack of concern among Floridians for sea level rise issues, saying, "The public needs to understand that it's a real threat that sea levels will rise a meter by the end of this century." Yin's research was also referenced in the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Magazine in an article on regional sea level rise projections. Last spring, Yin published a study on sea level rise in Nature Geoscience showing that regional sea level along the northeastern coast of the U.S., particularly near New York, is expected to rise almost twice as fast as global sea levels during the twenty-first century.
COAPS PhD Student Wins High Performance Computing Competition
November 2009: Henry Winterbottom, COAPS PhD student in meteorology, recently won the Florida State University High Performance Computing (HPC) student competition for best research research paper. Henry's paper, titled "Using High-Performance Computing at FSU for Coupled Atmosphere-Ocean Models," demonstrated efficient utilization of the HPC and a novel computational approach, among other selection criteria. As winner, Henry is receiving an expense paid trip to the SC09 supercomputing conference in Portland, Oregon.
El Niño's Effect on Winter Weather
Fall 2009: David Zierden, Florida State Climatologist and Associate in Research at COAPS, was recently consulted by several news outlets about the effects of the current El Niño on winter weather. El Niño occurs when sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean are warmer than normal and, according to Zierden, this could mean more rainfall and colder temperatures this winter in Florida and surrounding states. El Niño's "actually good for a lot of crops here in Florida and South Georgia," said Zierden, since many fruits grown in the region require a certain number of chill hours in order to flower properly.
COAPS Fall Newsletter
Fall 2009: The fall COAPS newsletter is now available! The newsletter includes educational articles about current research efforts at COAPS, as well as alumni and student profiles. It will be passed out to the public at outreach events, and emailed to alumni and other supporters.
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