R. Saravanan
@sarava.net
Climate scientist, Professor, and Dept Head at Texas A&M University. Author: ClimateDemon.com Now-and-then-blogger: https://Metamodel.blog Bio: https://r.saravanan.us/about
Pinned
R. Saravanan
@sarava.net
· May 28
I'll be speaking tomorrow, Thurs., May 29th, at 9:30AM Eastern Time in the Weather & Climate Livestream
www.youtube.com/@wclivestream
Topic: Using climate models to predict solar and wind power droughts, i.e., periods when it is Dark & Still
(agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....)
www.youtube.com/@wclivestream
Topic: Using climate models to predict solar and wind power droughts, i.e., periods when it is Dark & Still
(agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....)
Reposted by R. Saravanan
TX Hill Country floods have been in the news as more victims' families file lawsuits. I've had a lot of opportunity to examine this event - including visiting Kerrville - and share my perspectives on what I've learned & what we can do to keep this from happening again. https://tinyurl.com/2yyzza2y
BalancedWx Special: Revisiting the Texas Hill Country flash flood catastrophe
Recent New York Times article provides details about events at Camp Mystic
tinyurl.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:35 PM
TX Hill Country floods have been in the news as more victims' families file lawsuits. I've had a lot of opportunity to examine this event - including visiting Kerrville - and share my perspectives on what I've learned & what we can do to keep this from happening again. https://tinyurl.com/2yyzza2y
Reposted by R. Saravanan
Nano Banana Pro, released this morning, is clearly the best image generation model. Superb instruction following, plus it can generate full infographics (with correct spelling and properly rendered text!) from a short prompt based on running extra searches simonwillison.net/2025/Nov/20/...
Nano Banana Pro aka gemini-3-pro-image-preview is the best available image generation model
Hot on the heels of Tuesday’s Gemini 3 Pro release, today it’s Nano Banana Pro, also known as Gemini 3 Pro Image. I’ve had a few days of preview access …
simonwillison.net
November 20, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Nano Banana Pro, released this morning, is clearly the best image generation model. Superb instruction following, plus it can generate full infographics (with correct spelling and properly rendered text!) from a short prompt based on running extra searches simonwillison.net/2025/Nov/20/...
Reposted by R. Saravanan
My latest for @science.org: A remarkable set of high-resolution climate model runs, computed over 900 (!) days of supercomputing time, are revealing how warming-induced changes to Earth's wind patterns due can prime huge spikes in extreme rainfall.
But the MESACLIP runs also do much more than that.
But the MESACLIP runs also do much more than that.
High-resolution climate model forecasts a wet, turbulent future
With details as fine as short-term weather forecasts, model achieves newfound accuracy
www.science.org
November 18, 2025 at 2:35 PM
My latest for @science.org: A remarkable set of high-resolution climate model runs, computed over 900 (!) days of supercomputing time, are revealing how warming-induced changes to Earth's wind patterns due can prime huge spikes in extreme rainfall.
But the MESACLIP runs also do much more than that.
But the MESACLIP runs also do much more than that.
Reposted by R. Saravanan
FWIW, here's the scientifically bankrupt image provided by ChatGPT when prompted by the session name... 🫣
November 18, 2025 at 6:28 PM
FWIW, here's the scientifically bankrupt image provided by ChatGPT when prompted by the session name... 🫣
Reposted by R. Saravanan
Some of the country's highest home insurance prices are in the central U.S., a region generally considered to be protected from climate-driven disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes.
Why home insurance is unaffordable, even in places without wildfires or hurricanes
Some of the country's highest home insurance prices are in the central U.S., a region generally considered to be protected from climate-driven disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes.
n.pr
November 16, 2025 at 2:38 AM
Some of the country's highest home insurance prices are in the central U.S., a region generally considered to be protected from climate-driven disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes.
Reposted by R. Saravanan
You know how ChatGPT 5 is meant to fix stupid mistakes in maths? Not so much. Even when asked about stupid mistakes in maths.
November 5, 2025 at 5:49 PM
You know how ChatGPT 5 is meant to fix stupid mistakes in maths? Not so much. Even when asked about stupid mistakes in maths.
Reposted by R. Saravanan
Reposted by R. Saravanan
Have you wondered about trends & ENSO variability in Atlantic TC intensity/intensification? @scamargo.bsky.social and I did.
journals.ametsoc.org/view/journal...
journals.ametsoc.org/view/journal...
journals.ametsoc.org
November 5, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Have you wondered about trends & ENSO variability in Atlantic TC intensity/intensification? @scamargo.bsky.social and I did.
journals.ametsoc.org/view/journal...
journals.ametsoc.org/view/journal...
Reposted by R. Saravanan
In this article and the broader discourse about a possible “cat 6,” I’m fascinated by the dichotomy between the climate-centric scientists who are largely in favor of a cat-6 and the tropical cyclone-centric scientists who largely aren’t. (1/3)
As climate change super-sizes our storms, should our categories reflect that?
Thoughtful comments and discussion (all too rare today) from @weatherprof.bsky.social, @michaelemann.bsky.social, myself and others.
Check it out and LMK - what do YOU think?
Thoughtful comments and discussion (all too rare today) from @weatherprof.bsky.social, @michaelemann.bsky.social, myself and others.
Check it out and LMK - what do YOU think?
Category 6 is the new hurricane normal, say scientists
Human-caused climate change is making major hurricanes like Melissa much stronger, faster and ultimately more life-threatening
www.independent.co.uk
November 3, 2025 at 1:28 AM
In this article and the broader discourse about a possible “cat 6,” I’m fascinated by the dichotomy between the climate-centric scientists who are largely in favor of a cat-6 and the tropical cyclone-centric scientists who largely aren’t. (1/3)
Reposted by R. Saravanan
Here’s something really graphic for Halloween:
October 31, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Here’s something really graphic for Halloween:
Reposted by R. Saravanan
This 150M cat bond for Jamaica has a trigger design that uses hurricane central pressure and location.
That data is being collected by NOAA Hurricane Hunters who are currently working without pay.
www.artemis.bm/news/jamaica...
That data is being collected by NOAA Hurricane Hunters who are currently working without pay.
www.artemis.bm/news/jamaica...
October 27, 2025 at 4:26 PM
This 150M cat bond for Jamaica has a trigger design that uses hurricane central pressure and location.
That data is being collected by NOAA Hurricane Hunters who are currently working without pay.
www.artemis.bm/news/jamaica...
That data is being collected by NOAA Hurricane Hunters who are currently working without pay.
www.artemis.bm/news/jamaica...
Reposted by R. Saravanan
Absolutely fantastic study comparing anonymized outputs of climate analytics models.
Everyone loves to bag on flood (rightly so), but can we talk about how the spread here is "30mph breeze to Cat 5 hurricane" www.fca.org.uk/publication/... HT @ruarirhodes.bsky.social
Everyone loves to bag on flood (rightly so), but can we talk about how the spread here is "30mph breeze to Cat 5 hurricane" www.fca.org.uk/publication/... HT @ruarirhodes.bsky.social
October 24, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Absolutely fantastic study comparing anonymized outputs of climate analytics models.
Everyone loves to bag on flood (rightly so), but can we talk about how the spread here is "30mph breeze to Cat 5 hurricane" www.fca.org.uk/publication/... HT @ruarirhodes.bsky.social
Everyone loves to bag on flood (rightly so), but can we talk about how the spread here is "30mph breeze to Cat 5 hurricane" www.fca.org.uk/publication/... HT @ruarirhodes.bsky.social
Reposted by R. Saravanan
when giving a talk at Texas A&M, always start your talk with Howdy!
October 23, 2025 at 2:12 PM
when giving a talk at Texas A&M, always start your talk with Howdy!
Reposted by R. Saravanan
How is the Google DeepMind model doing so far this Atlantic hurricane season?
My *preliminary* homogeneous verification shows that the DeepMind ensemble mean "GDMN" is dominating in both track and intensity, beating the revered "HCCA" consensus and the NHC ("OFCL") at all/most lead times.
[1/2]
My *preliminary* homogeneous verification shows that the DeepMind ensemble mean "GDMN" is dominating in both track and intensity, beating the revered "HCCA" consensus and the NHC ("OFCL") at all/most lead times.
[1/2]
October 22, 2025 at 5:50 PM
How is the Google DeepMind model doing so far this Atlantic hurricane season?
My *preliminary* homogeneous verification shows that the DeepMind ensemble mean "GDMN" is dominating in both track and intensity, beating the revered "HCCA" consensus and the NHC ("OFCL") at all/most lead times.
[1/2]
My *preliminary* homogeneous verification shows that the DeepMind ensemble mean "GDMN" is dominating in both track and intensity, beating the revered "HCCA" consensus and the NHC ("OFCL") at all/most lead times.
[1/2]
Reposted by R. Saravanan
I've not seen a pattern like this before in sea waves. Nice!
When two wave systems collide, they can form square patterns, like the ones shown here. Researchers want to understand the math underlying the strange phenomena that ripple through ocean waters. www.quantamagazine.org/the-hidden-m...
October 22, 2025 at 5:35 PM
I've not seen a pattern like this before in sea waves. Nice!
Reposted by R. Saravanan
I often find myself confused by some app forecasts where the icon is rain, but the stated probability of precipitation is small (e.g., 30%). So it's more likely to be dry but... the expectation is (somehow) rain? Or is the icon just flagging a risk? Do non-meteorologists actually think about this?
October 22, 2025 at 2:21 PM
I often find myself confused by some app forecasts where the icon is rain, but the stated probability of precipitation is small (e.g., 30%). So it's more likely to be dry but... the expectation is (somehow) rain? Or is the icon just flagging a risk? Do non-meteorologists actually think about this?
Reposted by R. Saravanan
I've started a substack newsletter. If you've liked my podcast or media articles, you might like this too. In the short term, mostly about my late uncle, artist Sumner Crane. But eventually, climate, life, politics etc. First post is just saying hi, real content soon. substack.com/home/post/p-...
Hello World
If you’re reading this, you probably already know me.
substack.com
October 21, 2025 at 2:52 PM
I've started a substack newsletter. If you've liked my podcast or media articles, you might like this too. In the short term, mostly about my late uncle, artist Sumner Crane. But eventually, climate, life, politics etc. First post is just saying hi, real content soon. substack.com/home/post/p-...
Reposted by R. Saravanan
My latest for @climateconnections.bsky.social
October 17, 2025 at 3:03 PM
My latest for @climateconnections.bsky.social
Reposted by R. Saravanan
An atmospheric general circulation model you can run on a Python Jupyter notebook?! Heck yeah! Check out this project- both an educational tool for undergraduates/graduate students, and a research tool for scientists interested in idealized climate modeling.
journals.ametsoc.org/view/journal...
journals.ametsoc.org/view/journal...
journals.ametsoc.org
October 13, 2025 at 7:35 PM
An atmospheric general circulation model you can run on a Python Jupyter notebook?! Heck yeah! Check out this project- both an educational tool for undergraduates/graduate students, and a research tool for scientists interested in idealized climate modeling.
journals.ametsoc.org/view/journal...
journals.ametsoc.org/view/journal...
Reposted by R. Saravanan
This two-parter below is exactly why it's hard to make clothes in the United States.
Let's look at how much it costs to produce a button-up shirt in the US. 🧵
Let's look at how much it costs to produce a button-up shirt in the US. 🧵
October 12, 2025 at 9:38 PM
This two-parter below is exactly why it's hard to make clothes in the United States.
Let's look at how much it costs to produce a button-up shirt in the US. 🧵
Let's look at how much it costs to produce a button-up shirt in the US. 🧵
Reposted by R. Saravanan
New from me at Cato: I go through the numerous and massive First Amendment and academic-freedom violations of Trump's proffered "compact" with universities and then talk about the mechanism by which it would be enforced, by way of what I describe as a "retroactive push-button guillotine."
Universities Must Defend Their Independence by Rejecting Trump's "Compact"
The Trump administration has proffered a “compact” to universities that would require them to surrender their independence and academic freedom. How many First Amendment violations can we identify in ...
www.cato.org
October 11, 2025 at 2:08 AM
New from me at Cato: I go through the numerous and massive First Amendment and academic-freedom violations of Trump's proffered "compact" with universities and then talk about the mechanism by which it would be enforced, by way of what I describe as a "retroactive push-button guillotine."
Reposted by R. Saravanan
David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro (NPR)
October 9, 2025 at 4:42 AM
David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro (NPR)
Reposted by R. Saravanan
While I’m at the UCAR Member’s meeting, I’m reminding everyone of the internships, workshops, and other student opportunities that they have available! www.ucar.edu/exhibit/stud...
Exhibit resources | University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
www.ucar.edu
October 8, 2025 at 12:48 PM
While I’m at the UCAR Member’s meeting, I’m reminding everyone of the internships, workshops, and other student opportunities that they have available! www.ucar.edu/exhibit/stud...