Rutgers University's Marine and Coastal Sciences Department is regarded among the top programs in the world for monitoring the impact of climate change.
Two of its leading researchers, Scott M. Glenn and Benjamin P. Horton, held an event Thursday night at the Franklin Institute to discuss the future of the global climate.
Together with their departmental colleague Jennifer A. Francis, Glenn and Horton recently met with Rutgers alumni to share their environmental research,
Rutgers Today reports.
There was lots of talk of Hurricane Sandy among the panel, and Horton agreed the devastating storm illustrates the impact of climate change. “In a landmark paper that we published at Rutgers University last year, we stated that Hurricane Sandy – presently thought of as a 100-year-event – by the mid-part of this century, if we do nothing to mitigate against climate change – will occur every single decade.” He estimated that 100,000 people in New Jersey and New York were flooded by Hurricane Sandy because of sea-level rise.
The panel emphasized taking a scientific viewpoint before rushing to politicize the research.
Glenn has more than 35 years of experience in ocean science and engineering research. His work has focused on developing ocean observation technologies, forecasting models for extreme environments and events, and improving our understanding of storms and hurricanes.
Horton's work examines the mechanisms that have determined sea-level change in the past, in order to better predict how future changes will unfold. His research was referenced in a slide on the White House web site during a livestream of President Obama's State of the Union Address on Jan. 20.
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