Synthesis of Expert Panel Assumptions about Climate Change in California
In 2012, the Resources Legacy Fund will convene an expert panel to develop general principles for guiding ecosystem adaptation in a changing climate. To inform its deliberations, the panel members will need to assemble and clearly articulate their shared underlying assumptions about how the state’s climate is likely to change over the next 10, 50, and 100 years. The panel also will need to explicitly “unpack” the sources of uncertainty in climate projections for the state, explain the significance of these uncertainties for implementing adaptation principles, and provide some general assessment of whether and when these uncertainties are likely to diminish as scientific understanding and tools advance.
The purpose of this project would be to develop and present a background synthesis that will assist the panel in performing these tasks. This synthesis will form the basis for a shorter summary that will be part of the report produced by the Expert Panel and Resources Legacy Fund.
Project Chief: Lorraine E. Flint
Phone: 916-278-3223
Email: lflint@usgs.gov
