Harrisburg-area grad, scientist fuels buzz behind news that North Pole temps surged past freezing



One of the biggest news stories on Tuesday was that of the extraordinary thaw that swelled temperatures in the North Pole to the melting point.

One of the chief voices helping to provide buzz-worthiness to the story belongs to a Harrisburg-area native who got his start in climate science as a student at Central Dauphin High School.

Zack Labe, a climate scientist working on his PhD at the University of California at Irvine, confirmed the analyses that stunned the science world: that temperatures across the Arctic recently had risen more than 50 degrees (30 degrees Celsius) above normal.

Labe was first interviewed by The Washington Post, whose story featured some of his tweets, which further fueled interest in the story. 

Labe's phone was ringing off the hook on Tuesday as members from national and international media reached out to him for input for stories on the stunning findings.

"It's a little crazy," he said.

Labe is a little used to the attention, as a Central Dauphin student - class of 2011 - he garnered attention as of one of just 28 high school students who were accepted for membership in the American Meteorological Society.

Labe's passion for climate change goes back to those school days when he immersed himself in earth sciences and filled his bedroom state-of-the-art weather equipment. He even had an account with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that gave him information to interpret for a weather forecast.

His predictions were usually spot on.

On Tuesday he once again garnered attention and perhaps, more importantly, that of non-scientists, with analysis showing that  a "warm intrusion" had penetrated through the heart of the Central Arctic bringing temperatures to the entire region to the highest levels ever recorded in February.

Reached by telephone at UC Irvine, where he is completing his Phd in Arctic climate variability, Labe stressed that he is "only a graduate student" and not at all a leading expert, tipping his hat to the scores of veteran scientists working in this field.

Labe's specialty, though, is his knack for communicating complex scientific facts to the general public - particularly people who may not be scientifically minded. He is prolific on Twitter, posting complex but engaging graphics detailing climate change and, in particular, the recent temperature variability across the Arctic.

"I kinda find that there is an issue with science and academia. There is disconnect between communicating results with the public and hiding behind research and hot showing the implications," said Labe who graduated from Cornell University in 2015 with a degree in atmospheric sciences. "I'm hoping I can bridge the gap and improve science communication so they can see data and understand data and even find it for themselves."

http://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/02/harrisburg-area_scientist_is_b.html#incart_target2box_default_#incart_target2box_targeted_

Last edited by Goose (2/28/2018 6:09 am)