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Project Code [07-CCRP-2.2.7b]
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Project title
Extreme weather, climate and natural disasters in Ireland.
Primary Funding Agency
Environmental Protection Agency
Co-Funding Organisation(s)
n/a
Lead Organisation
University College Cork (UCC)
Lead Applicant
Gerard Kiely
Project Abstract
Climate change will increase the frequency of extreme weather events such droughts and floods, leading to a greater risk of environmental and infrastructural damage impacting on public health. Notable recent occurrences include the Central Europe in 2002, the European heat wave of 2003, and the 2007 floods United Kingdom. In the late 20th century the frequency of observed extreme precipitation events in the west of Ireland has increased (Kiely, 1999). Ireland has some excellent digitised observational records going back about (e. g. weather variables from Met Eireann; riverflow from the OPW, EPA, ESB, addition, regular weather observational records in Ireland date back to 1794 (Hoskin, 1987). Before this time, proxies for precipitation and temperature are from tree rings, speleothems, pollens and peat cores. Furthermore, many references extreme events exist in early literature and historical records. This proposal will analyse these three disparate information sources and unified statistical analysis of the frequency of occurrence of extreme weather events their impacts over the last 10,000 years. A statistical treatment of data will provide magnitudes with return periods and change points, which will form the estimating future occurrences of extreme weather events and climatic shifts.
Grant Approved
�146,618.50
Research Hub
Climate Change
Research Theme
Ireland's Future Climate, its Impacts, and Adaptation Options
Initial Projected Completion Date
01/08/2009