Benjamin I. Cook | Lightnews

Benjamin Cook

@dustybowl.bsky.social

7.7K followers 300 following 150 posts

Climate scientist studying drought, land surface processes, climate extremes. https://www.drbenjamincook.net/

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Benjamin I. Cook is an American climatologist with a number of publications to his name. Along with the Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, for instance, he used paleorecords to reconstruct land cover in Mexico’s Yucatán and other Central American regions. .. more

Environmental science 57%

Geography 18%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Ed Hawkins, Benjamin I. Cook, Karen O’Donnell

Vikki Thompson @vikkithompson.bsky.social · 4d

Looking for a #PhD in #ClimateExtremes?
We are advertising a project attributing causes of recent #droughts using counter-factual storylines.
Based in #Edinburgh, working with Andrew Schurer, me, @gabihegerl.bsky.social, & @edhawkins.org
tinyurl.com/5n7b52fr

Droughts cause a wide range of impacts - this image shows a dry riverbed in France.

Reposted by Benjamin I. Cook

Wim Thiery @wimthiery.bsky.social · 4d

In our new study @natwater.nature.com led by Yi Yao @ethz.ch, we show that irrigation expansion in many regions substantially decreases the net water influx from the atmosphere to land, further aggravating the existing drying trends caused by climate change www.nature.com/articles/s44...

Irrigation-induced land water depletion aggravated by climate change - Nature Water

The rapid expansion of agricultural irrigation raises concerns about exacerbating water scarcity, but land–atmosphere interactions are often overlooked. This study isolates irrigation impacts from oth...

www.nature.com

Reposted by Jens‐Christian Svenning, Benjamin I. Cook

Jeff Dukes @dukesjeff.bsky.social · 5d

Just published this new paper, with a bunch of fantastic colleagues, with many suggestions for "Improving the representation of plant water stress and water use in Earth System Models." Access is free online. We have some great figures, thanks to Victor Leshyk. 🧪🌐🌳🌎

Reposted by Benjamin I. Cook

Mike Dettinger @mdettinger.bsky.social · 5d

A new Atmospheric-Rivers Historical Data Record, from @CW3EScripps, is now being hosted by NOAA's NCEI, w/data for analyses like discerning the difference betwn West Coast IVTs strong enough to "look" like ARs that are ARs vs those due to other conditions.

journals.ametsoc.org/view/journal...

Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, Adam H. Sobel, Benjamin I. Cook , and 4 more Richard S.J. Tol, Adam H. Sobel, Benjamin I. Cook, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, John Bistline, Clark Gray, Peter Jacobs

ClimateFran @climatefran.bsky.social · 7d

🚨The Moore Lab at UC Davis is hiring!🚨
Post-doc for a project with @adamsobel.bsky.social on the valuation of climate information for adaptation
Could be a good fit for an environmental economist or a climate scientist - flexible start date and location
Apply by Dec 1st: recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07346

Postdoctoral Scholar - Environmental Science & Policy

University of California, Davis is hiring. Apply now!

recruit.ucdavis.edu

Reposted by Sonia I. Seneviratne, Peter Thorne, Benjamin I. Cook

Wim Thiery @wimthiery.bsky.social · 10d

Future changes in irrigation will reduce dry-heat stress (without reversing GHG trend) and will substantially amplify moist-heat stress (strengthening GHG trend).

New study @natcomms.nature.com led by Yi Yao @hydr-vub.bsky.social and @usyseth.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Compounding future escalation of emissions- and irrigation-induced increases in humid-heat stress - Nature Communications

This study shows that future exposures to moist-heat increase more rapidly than those to dry-heat, and irrigation can further amplify moist-heat-related health risks. Improving irrigation efficiency a...

www.nature.com

Reposted by Katharine Hayhoe, Valerie M. Delmotte, Stefan Rahmstorf , and 7 more Katharine Hayhoe, Valerie M. Delmotte, Stefan Rahmstorf, Peter Thorne, Ed Hawkins, Benjamin I. Cook, Christoph Bertram, Richard Waite, Dawn J. Wright, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

Kate Marvel @drkatemarvel.bsky.social · 13d

Climate change DEFINITELY affects hurricane:

STRENGTH: Warmer water is hurricane food

RAINFALL: Warm air holds more water vapor

SURGE: Warmer water expands, warmer ice melts, sea levels rise

PREDICTION: hotter seas mean faster intensification

Benjamin Cook @dustybowl.bsky.social · 19d

don't tell everyone my nom de plume

Benjamin Cook @dustybowl.bsky.social · 19d

Also Ballerina: What if there was another cool assassin AND John Wick showed up

Reposted by Benjamin I. Cook

Faith Kearns, Ph.D. @fkearns.bsky.social · 24d

You'd think the Colorado River Basin dispute amounts to conflict between the upper and lower basin states based on most coverage, but Tribes and Mexico also have a big role here. We talked with Cora Tso and Sam Sandoval about these issues on Water Talk
www.watertalkpodcast.com/episodes/epi...

Episode 74: Tribal and Transboundary Issues in the Colorado River Basin — Water Talk

A conversation with Cora Tso (Senior Research Fellow, Tribal Water Policy, Kyl Center for Water Policy, Arizona State University) and Prof. Sam Sandoval (University of California Agriculture and Natur...

www.watertalkpodcast.com

Reposted by Monica G. Turner, Benjamin I. Cook, Kevin J. Anchukaitis , and 1 more Monica G. Turner, Benjamin I. Cook, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Darío Martin‐Benito

Jessica Tierney @leafwax.bsky.social · 26d

I am currently seeking a Lab Manager for our Organic Geochemistry Lab at the University of Arizona! Full time position with benefits. If you have a chemistry/biology/geology degree and like fixing things and working with students, this position could be for you! arizona.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...

Laboratory Coordinator I - Geosciences

Maintenance and repair of the Organic Geochemistry Laboratory equipment, including but not limited to gas chromatographs, liquid chromatographs & ...

arizona.csod.com

Reposted by Benjamin I. Cook, Delphine K. Farmer, Eric D. Maloney

CSU Department of Atmospheric Science @csuatmossci.bsky.social · 28d

We invite applications for two tenure-track faculty positions at the Assistant to Associate professor level: jobs.colostate.edu/postings/167...

Assistant/Associate Professor

The Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University invites applications for two tenure-track faculty positions at the Assistant to Associate professor level:1) Climate dynamics. We see...

jobs.colostate.edu

Reposted by Benjamin I. Cook

THE CITY @thecity.nyc · Oct 9

Among those who could benefit: Government workers furloughed without pay in the federal shutdown that has lasted a week so far.

Unemployed New Yorkers Get Benefit Boost

After years stuck at $504 per week, the maximum unemployment insurance payout set to hit $869 on Oct. 13 — helping more than half of those currently on the rolls.

buff.ly

Reposted by Scott C. Doney, Adam H. Sobel, Benjamin I. Cook , and 1 more Scott C. Doney, Adam H. Sobel, Benjamin I. Cook, Kevin J. Anchukaitis

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory @lamont.columbia.edu · Oct 7

📣 Postdoc opportunity alert! Join our dynamic community of Earth, environmental, and climate scientists as LDEO postdoctoral fellow. Principal criteria: scientific excellence + clear plan to investigate problems at forefront of Earth science. ➡️ Apply by Nov 7: lamont.columbia.edu/about/postdo...

LDEO postdocs traversing a volcanic dike on the Olomana Trail in Oahu. Credit: Brandon Shuck

Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, Graeme S. Cumming, Stefan Rahmstorf , and 9 more Richard S.J. Tol, Graeme S. Cumming, Stefan Rahmstorf, Peter Thorne, Benjamin I. Cook, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Juan Cole, Brian J. Harvey, Richard Davy, Anthony Burke, Ryan K. Brook, Angela E. Boag

Dr. Crystal A. Kolden @pyrogeog.bsky.social · Oct 2

Published today: our new paper showing a 44-year trend of increasing global wildfire disasters (fatalities and economic losses) due to climate change-induced extreme weather. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Climate-linked escalation of societally disastrous wildfires

Climate change and land mismanagement are creating increasingly fire-prone built and natural environments. However, despite worsening fire seasons, evidence is lacking globally for trends in socially ...

www.science.org

Reposted by Ben Bond‐Lamberty, Benjamin I. Cook, Kevin J. Anchukaitis , and 1 more Ben Bond‐Lamberty, Benjamin I. Cook, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Peter Jacobs

Tess Wei-Ping Jacobson @tessweiping.bsky.social · Oct 2

⚠️new(-ish) paper in Journal of Climate⚠️ i evaluated CMIP6 models' Pacific decadal SST variability and teleconnections... big takeaway is that models under-simulate temporal PDO/IPO variability on decadal timescales, likely affecting precip trends in the Southwest
journals.ametsoc.org/view/journal...

journals.ametsoc.org

Reposted by Benjamin I. Cook

Kevin Anchukaitis @thirstygecko.bsky.social · Oct 2

Very cool work (with a very sobering result) led by Andy Jones (a paleoCAMP alumnus!) in Science Advances: 'Glaciers in California’s Sierra Nevada are likely disappearing for the first time in the Holocene' www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Glaciers in California’s Sierra Nevada are likely disappearing for the first time in the Holocene

The projected loss of glaciers in California’s Sierra Nevada is likely unprecedented in at least the past 30,000 years.

www.science.org

Reposted by Mark Lubell, Benjamin I. Cook, Laura E. Dee

Zack Labe @zacklabe.com · Oct 2

📣 Check it out! Explore the new data viz on our homepage: www.climatecentral.org

@climatecentral.org just released a new tool to explore climate impacts in U.S. cities and states - making complex data easier to understand for your community.

🚨 What’s the biggest Fall climate threat where you live?

Example of the new climate tool from Climate Central. This is showing climate change in Pennsylvania which is seeing annually a change in precipitation of 3.2 inches since 1970 and a warming of 3.2°F. Fall threats include heat, heavy rainfall, and sea level rise. This is associated with impacts like increased cooling demand, more extreme rainfall, and changes to fall foliage.

Reposted by Benjamin I. Cook

Mike Dettinger @mdettinger.bsky.social · Sep 30

Just to cllose out the water year, here is my final wy2025 storage graphic for the Upper Colorado, along with the previous 9 yrs worth for context. @cw3escripps.bsky.social

Explanations at
cnap.ucsd.edu/water-storag...

Reposted by Benjamin I. Cook

Kevin Anchukaitis @thirstygecko.bsky.social · Sep 29

Disentangling climate and policy uncertainties for the Colorado River post-2026 operations www.nature.com/articles/s41... 'under existing policy, both reservoirs will face substantial risks (>80% likelihood) of reaching dead pool before 2060'

Disentangling climate and policy uncertainties for the Colorado River post-2026 operations - Nature Communications

Planning for the Colorado River is critical to secure water and hydropower for the western US under climate change. This study highlights how different policies may reduce but not eliminate the risk of losing water and energy supply altogether.

www.nature.com

Reposted by Gavin L. Foster, Benjamin I. Cook

Pallavi Anand (she/her) @anandpallavijha.bsky.social · Sep 29

#Lecturer position in #EarthSciences 👇🏼@openuniversity.bsky.social

Please apply, if interested 🙏🏼

Closing Date: 20 October 2025
Contract Type: #Permanent
Fixed Term Contract/End Date: Not Applicable

jobs.open.ac.uk/job/Lecturer...

Lecturer in Earth Sciences

jobs.open.ac.uk

Reposted by Benjamin I. Cook

Mathew Barlow @mathewabarlow.bsky.social · Sep 26

Here's an interactive web simulation of the Fujiwhara effect, using @visualpde.com: lnkd.in/eaWCpKHF

When two areas of rotating fluid - like hurricanes in the atmosphere - get close enough, they can influence each other (the 'Fujiwhara effect'). Click to add your own vortices and see what they do.

Reposted by Benjamin I. Cook

Climate Central @climatecentral.org · Sep 25

What @ariellemargot.bsky.social said.

We're hiring a Social Media and Digital Content Creator!
www.climatecentral.org/open-positio...

Reposted by Benjamin I. Cook, Neil Pederson

Kevin Anchukaitis @thirstygecko.bsky.social · Sep 25

Huge congratulations to Ed Cook for receiving the @agu.org Revelle Medal, which 'recognition of outstanding contributions in atmospheric sciences, atmosphere-ocean coupling, atmosphere-land coupling, biogeochemical cycles, climate or related aspects of the Earth system.'

Benjamin Cook @dustybowl.bsky.social · Sep 25

Thanks Diego!

Benjamin Cook @dustybowl.bsky.social · Sep 24

i just hope we'll still get a cup of ranch with a few carrot sticks in it this year

Benjamin Cook @dustybowl.bsky.social · Sep 24

Sacrificing server stability to keep the meeting affordable! Which is why member registration for AGU 2025 is now <<checks notes>> $794 ??!!!!1!!!

Reposted by Doerthe Tetzlaff, Colette L. Heald, Benjamin I. Cook

AGU (American Geophysical Union) @agu.org · Sep 24

🏆 AGU is excited to announce the recipients of the 2025 Union Medals, Awards and Prizes; Fellows; and Section Awards and Lectures. Honorees will be recognized this December in New Orleans, LA at #AGU25.

🎖️👉 View the 2025 Honorees: buff.ly/eQSk1xJ

Benjamin Cook @dustybowl.bsky.social · Sep 24

Thank you!

Benjamin Cook @dustybowl.bsky.social · Sep 24

Anyone know if ERA5 assimilates any satellite soil moisture observations? Finding some conflicting information online.

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