Climate Scientist Benjamin Horton Warns of Unpredictable Weather Volatility
Quick Look
- Benjamin Horton, recipient of the Axford Medal, warns that Earth's climate volatility makes historical weather patterns unreliable for future risk assessment.
- He notes the planet is at a boundary, prone to unpredictable extremes, citing typhoons like Bavi that rapidly intensify due to warm oceans.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Benjamin Horton, a recipient of the Axford Medal, states that historical weather patterns are no longer reliable guides to future risk due to Earth's increasing climate volatility.
For Benjamin Horton, the newly minted recipient of the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society Axford Medal – the most prestigious honour in Asian climate and earth science – the world has entered a period of volatility in which historical weather patterns are no longer a reliable guide to future risk.
“The Earth is incredibly sensitive,” he added. “It has a planetary boundary, and we are right at the edge of it. That means that the system is prone to extremes, which we find very hard to predict exactly where and when.”
Typhoons like Bavi that undergo rapid intensification pose severe forecasting challenges. Within just a day or two, a relatively modest threat can escalate into a major hazard as maximum sustained winds surge abruptly, often fuelled by exceptionally warm ocean waters and favourable atmospheric conditions.
Open Questions
- What specific measures can be taken to adapt to unpredictable weather extremes?
- How will this volatility impact global infrastructure and economies?
