CCR Staff: Jeff Kiehl, Senior Scientist

Curriculum Vitae

  • CV (short version)
  • CV (long version)

Recent Publications

Recent Presentations

Personal Research Interests

Greenhouse Climates of the Deep Past

I am interested in understanding Earth’s warm greenhouse climates for deep past time periods ranging between 300 to 50 million years ago. Currently, my focus is on the Latest Permian and Early Triassic (~251 million years ago), which is a time Earth’s past where the largest extinction of marine and terrestrial life occurred. In collaboration with my colleague Christine Shields, we have carried out fully coupled climate simulations of Latest Permian with the Community Climate System Model. Our published findings can be found under recent publications.

Climate Feedback Processes

I am also carrying out research on understanding climate feedback processes in Earth’s climate system. Feedback processes can either enhance or dampen the climate response to various climate forcing agents (e.g. increases in greenhouse gases). Major feedback processes in the climate system include: changes in water vapor, changes in cloud properties, changes in surface properties, and ocean properties. Currently, I am focusing on cloud climate feedbacks. In collaboration with Cecile Hannay and Christine Shields, I am looking at how low clouds in the tropical regions respond to increased sea surface temperatures. We are also looking at the poleward transport of atmospheric and oceanic energy changes as the climate state changes.

Societal-Climate Interactions

Finally, I am carrying out research on exploring the boundaries between society and Nature. I am particularly interested in looking at the question of ‘why we treat Nature the way we do?’ from a psychological and philosophical perspective. I am currently organizing an Aspen Global Change Institute Workshop on this issue, where the focus will be on bringing members of various communities together to reflect on how we value Nature.