This BRIDGE seminar will be given by Dr Charlie JR Wil.liams, BA DPhil FRGS who is a Research Fellow (University of Bristol) & Senior Visiting Research Fellow (University of Reading).

Abstract

The purpose of this scientific (yet semi-light-hearted) overview is for the author to introduce himself to the BRIDGE group, and to summarise his background and future work.  Charlie officially joined the University of Bristol in May 2018, having spent the past 12 years working in NCAS-Climate at the University of Reading and concentrating primarily on present-day and future climate change, with a focus on rainfall variability across Africa.  The talk will start with a short introduction to Charlie himself (including work and play interests), before giving a short overview of his background and some of his more recent work on present-day climate variability.  We will then jump in our DeLorean, and travel back to the early- and mid-Holocene (~9 and 6 kya, respectively), where Charlie will give an overview of his most recent paper looking at river discharge across Africa under idealised mid-Holocene conditions.  Next, Charlie will present some early results from the official CMIP6/PMIP4 mid-Holocene simulation: firstly to assess whether its spin-up phase is approaching equilibrium; and secondly to give a preliminary analysis of whether the simulation (in combination with the early Holocene simulation and preindustrial control) is indeed reproducing the early- and mid-Holocene conditions that we would expect.  Lastly, we will jump back into our DeLorean and travel back even further to the Eocene (~50 mya), which will be the primary period of interest for Charlie over the next few years - hence, in this talk, we will be travelling back to the future.

Note: This event is only open to University of Bristol staff and students. No booking required.