Alexander Borowiak

PhD Details

This thesis aims to explore the evolution and detectability of the climate change signal in both observations and model output. This detectability includes when does a climate change emerge from natural background variability and when does this signal disappear after we reach net zero.

Increasing levels of anthropogenic greenhouse gases has caused our climate to emerge into a new state. The timing of this emergence can be estimated using several statistical metrics to see when the climate has become different in a statistical sense from its natural state. In my research, we are comparing the time of emergence of climate change using different statistical methods. We find the time of emergence quite consistent for the global average, with the global average temperature emerging in the late 1930s. However, on the local level, the statistical tool used can have a small impact on the time when the local range of temperatures is different to what it previously was.

Q & A

Why did you decide to do a PhD?
I love research and teaching. A PhD is the way to stay in Academia.

What do you enjoy reading?
I enjoy reading everything. My favourite book of all time is "If on Winter's Night a Traveller" by Italo Calvino. The book is about you trying to read "If on Winter's Night a Traveller" , but the book is constantly full of errors and you dive into a quest to find the correct version.

What do you enjoy doing when you're not working on your PhD?
Being active. I enjoy cycling, running, rock climbing, hiking, and swimming. I also enjoy reading and painting.

Name one fun fact about you.
I have chipped part of my spine off when falling off the back of a skateboard ramp (Note: I have not had lasting impacts).