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thirstygecko.bsky.social
Climate scientist, paleoclimatologist, dendrochronologist, Professor of Earth Systems Geography, University of Arizona | https://kanchukaitis.github.io/ | Opinions are mine and not that of my employer
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Prolific Poster

My latest feature is out: As the world has warmed, the regional flaws of climate models have grown apparent. Meanwhile, methods to localize the results of models have proliferated. It all leads to lots of uncertainty -- within a very certain global trend. And cities need answers now.

Come do a postdoc with our group at Dartmouth, documenting and projecting climate impacts! Applications will be evaluated until the position is filled. Salary, benefits, and other details here: apply.interfolio.com/168708 Reach out to me ([email protected]) with questions.

Don't hate the player, hate the game, etc. etc.

How it started, How it’s going (Judd et al. 2024 now in the Smithsonian, @leafwax.bsky.social !) www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

I've got some expanded thoughts on yesterday's State of the Science event.

How it started, How it’s going (Judd et al. 2024 now in the Smithsonian, @leafwax.bsky.social !) www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

I spoke to @katearonoff.bsky.social about Trump climate research cuts and the insurance industry's ability to price risk: “We can’t expect the private sector to step up and replace global climate data”

The USGS ecosystems research program doesn't just study wildlife. Its researchers work on rangelands and forests, fisheries and aquaculture, and critically, wildfire. Trump's proposed budget eliminates this program entirely, allocating $0 for 2026. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/31/c...

Imagine this thread, with added volcanoes, and you've got a decent idea of what my job feels like nowadays. I'm either depressed or angry, unable to plan, constantly on edge. Utterly maddening when all I want to do is help people.

The 'Contributed by [Fellow who is also a co/author on the paper in question]' thing in PNAS still kinda blows my mind

You, too, should be very excited at the opportunities presented by there being no money to do science anymore.

There is some pretty odd stuff here

National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt is navigating a tense situation as the organization faces unprecedented contract losses and layoffs. scim.ag/4kiY82l

Argh. The P4CLIMATE program solicitation will be archived (the program website itself hasn't been updated) www.nsf.gov/geo/updates/...

Argh. The P4CLIMATE program solicitation will be archived (the program website itself hasn't been updated) www.nsf.gov/geo/updates/...

What is Past is Prologue: #Paleoclimate constraints on #ECS #ClimateSensitivity #GreenhouseGas sensitivity of Earth's #Climate First of 3 papers this summer. Next two will rule out some ECS using Data Assimilation of past climate archives essopenarchive.org/users/921675... @ccolose.bsky.social

'The [Ecosystems Mission Area] is also a core part of federal climate research. The Trump administration has sharply reduced or eliminated funds for climate science across federal agencies, calling the study of climate change part of “social agenda” research' www.nytimes.com/2025/05/31/c...

This proposed budget is a policy statement, not an appropriation. There are still a lot of steps and potential changes ahead before it becomes one. This is not a time to sit quietly, team. Let's go.

Tracing Oxygen and Hydrogen Isotope Signals From Water Sources to Tree‐Ring Compounds - Diao et al. - Plant, Cell & Environment onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...

Last day at the GISS building (Wed. May 28th). 🥲

Trump's Budget is out. For NOAA, it's exactly what the previous passback document showed. Trump administration eliminations NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research in its ongoing fight against science and reality. www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/...

This is exactly right - these cuts ripple out past their immediate impact on laboratories and universities, into suppliers and industries, independent and service labs, contractors, communities ... a whole ecosystem of the larger scientific enterprise in the US and even beyond

Trump administration cuts to NSF will result in more than 200,000 FEWER people per year involved in basic science, training, and education - what should have been the next generation of US scientists. This isn't even eating your seed corn, it is setting your seed corn on fire and salting the earth.

NSF budget proposal guts GRFP by 55%, kills the NRT (Research and Training Fellowship) program, and completely zeros out (yes, $0) nearly all postdoctoral fellowship programs, including Geosciences.

#climaterisk job -- the insurer USAA is searching for a senior climate scientist with expertise in climate modeling and weather perils: www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/42... fully remote in the continental US

The whole things is a bloodbath and would signal the end of basic science research in the US as we know it. A few specific numbers: NCAR takes a ~40% cut, the Geosciences Directorate (not including OPP) receives a -63% cut. Polar infrastructure is spared.

“We are currently facing an attempt to wipe out the scientific and technological sector as a generator of knowledge and a source of support for public policies”, says Carolina Vera, a climate researcher at the University of Buenos Aires. 🌍😎 www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Oligocene atmospheric CO2 drawdown linked to increased land surface weatherability www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Elon's legacy ranges from gutting cancer research to setting in motion millions of deaths from starvation or disease. I'll be pushing for Congress to hold Elon & DOGE accountable—for every act of corruption, every disastrous consequence, and every law they have broken.

More than 1,000 scientists took to the streets yesterday in Buenos Aires and other cities in Argentina wearing gas masks to protest the collapse of science in the country, which they say was initiated by their government. https://go.nature.com/43QWX4f

Scientists saved lives. The village was evacuated a week ago. www.bbc.com/news/article...

'By incorporating observational constraints, we conclude that the AMOC will experience limited weakening of about 3–6 Sv (about 18–43%) by the end of this century, regardless of emissions scenario.' www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Seeing Blatten buried again and again, from every angle... Properly staggering! 😮😱

The fact that "climate is always changing" should not bring us comfort! @hausfath.bsky.social and I break down common climate denier arguments on @pbs.org Weathered www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP2l... Feat. temp and CO2 reconstructions from our lab and @mudwaterclimate.bsky.social

We often hear folks skeptical of climate change claim that "the climate is always changing" or "temperatures rise before CO2" or "its the sun". In a new episode of PBS's Weathered, @leafwax.bsky.social and I try and address these questions: www.youtube.com/watc...

*US ORDERS HALT TO STUDENT VISA INTERVIEWS: POLITICO

. @jsmankin.bsky.social et al. Nonlinear carbon feedbacks in CMIP6 and their impacts on future freshwater availability journals.ametsoc.org/view/journal...

Two junior professor chair positions are currently open at CEREGE, with a third position coming soon ! 🔬🌍 To learn more and apply, please visit our careers page: www.cerege.fr/en/le-cerege... #PaleoEnvironment #GlobalChanges #SocioEcosystems

An example of fauxtomation where the supposed benefits of AI instead mean work is passed on to the person who isn’t being paid for it (the customer/user). (Sadly not at all surprised to see academic publishing doing this -it’s a model already built on exploitation)

Varying climate signals embedded in latewood blue intensity along an elevational gradient: A multi-species case study from the Great Basin, Nevada, USA www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

"American archaeologists face a diminished, uncertain future. Government support for research, preservation and museums has been largely scaled back. Archaeology and cultural heritage staff have been fired, federal agencies have been gutted..." #archaeology #anthropology 🏺

'This indicates that the 2023–2024 El Niño primarily arose from oceanic processes, independent of the classic positive Bjerknes feedback mechanism. Due to the strong ocean memory, this event was highly predictable at long time leads.' www.nature.com/articles/s41...