Improving Societal Welfare in the Context of Changing Weather and Climate.
RAL carries out interdisciplinary research on social, economic, and health activities related to climate and weather at local, regional and global scales. Our research areas include natural resource governance, dynamics of urban systems, weather climate and health, GIS and regional climate for adaptation. RAL scientists address adaptation to climate change by generating scenarios of projected climate change, developing scientific tools and methods for analyzing current and future vulnerability, and conducting integrated analyses of climate change impacts and adaptation. An important component of this program is the integration of decision-makers and users of climate information into our societal research activities.
Focus Areas of Research
![Alpine lake and snowy mountain in high altitude near Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, off of Beartooth Highway between Red Lodge and Yellowstone National Park.](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/iStock-1283217035.jpg?itok=bXPo-U9A)
Climate Analysis
Climate projections and their uncertainties
![iStock_000002235993Medium_sm.jpg iStock_000002235993Medium_sm.jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/public/iStock_000002235993Medium_sm.jpg?itok=mJW9TGin)
Climate and Weather Impacts on Human Health
Modeling the Impact of Climate on Infectious Disease Transmission and Human Health
![Smoke from the 2022 North Waugh prescribed fire near Canon City, Colorado. Photo by Damon Kurtz, BLM](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/52530238331_2346bd8aeb_c.jpg?itok=ut9Qaagu)
Climate and Wildfire
Decision support and planning for future scenarios of wildland fire
![NASA image of the continental snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere during the winter of 2001-02.](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/nasa_NorthAmerica.jpeg?itok=-S2ySz6S)
Climate Downscaling Methodology
The ongoing need for high-resolution regional climate models
![cropped to this section.png cropped to this section.png](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/public/images/focus_areas/cropped%20to%20this%20section.png?itok=Iq0Zh6qS)
Climate Modeling and Downscaling
Climate modeling and downscaling for better utilization of climate information for impact assessments
![map_temp.png map_temp.png](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/public/map_temp.png?itok=HCtaKA_n)
Geographic Information Systems - GIS
Global Assessment of urban heat island effects and future heat waves
![High-Resolution Climate Projections & Dataset Development](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/UQAM-CRCM5%2BCCCma-CanESM2_44_2040-2069_SON_tas_rcp45_absdiff.png?itok=U1gsiCZR)
High-Resolution Climate Projections and Dataset Development
Providing climate change information for impacts, decision-making, and climate science
![iStock_000000904384Medium.jpg iStock_000000904384Medium.jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/public/iStock_000000904384Medium.jpg?itok=u66Sn-rH)
Institutional Aspects of Vulnerability and Adaptation
Scientific Efforts to Improve the Ability to Monitor and Predict the Status of Natural Resources
![NASA Cloud Fraction map shows what fraction of an area was cloudy on average each month.](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/nasa_MODAL2_M_CLD_FR_2000-02.jpeg?itok=CIfLHRLR)
International Climate Activities
Climate research and planning on the regional and global scale
![iStock_81955963_LARGE_crop.jpg iStock_81955963_LARGE_crop.jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/public/images/focus_areas/iStock_81955963_LARGE_crop.jpg?itok=BUEuH16r)
Regional Climate for Adaptation
Deliver climate science to decision-makers to promote sustainability and reduce vulnerabilites to impacts
![iStock_000014112061Large.jpg iStock_000014112061Large.jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/public/iStock_000014112061Large.jpg?itok=T0651g3u)
Seasonal Forecasting
Promoting economic and societal preparedness for next season’s weather
![iStock_000004066680Medium.jpg iStock_000004066680Medium.jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/public/iStock_000004066680Medium.jpg?itok=JhKh67gy)
Urban Futures
Exploring Crucial Intersections Between Urban Development and the Environment
![iStock_000002544652Medium.jpg iStock_000002544652Medium.jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/public/iStock_000002544652Medium.jpg?itok=lfxiEuZb)
Water Resources and Climate
Climate Variability and Change Impacts on Water