Applications of Data Analysis: Global Warming

Apr 24

Published Date: 04/20/2023 Author: Natan Aklilu

CU GeoData’s mission to design, build, and implement instrumentation to benefit life on Earth primarily revolves around data analysis. The numerous environmental monitoring devices including the Air Team’s Tethersonde Balloon and the Water Team’s Harmful Algal Bloom Sensor will collect data that is only useful if thorough analysis is conducted to make predictions and reach conclusions that will benefit countless lives. The power of data analytics is displayed when it comes to our project team’s efforts but it is emphasized even more when considering its scalability. The techniques being learned and utilized here at CU GeoData are the same principles that are applied to combat problems as large as global warming.

Climate research is a constantly expanding field that is becoming more and more relevant in today’s day and age. With record-high temperatures and rising sea levels, it is crucial to be able to understand and combat such phenomena that threaten the world’s ecosystem. Data analytics is an important tool used by scientists to create models and simulations based on various climate factors such as the rate of melting in the polar ice caps relative to historical data. These models allow for qualitative and quantitative tests that lead to more accurate predictions of the detrimental climate effects to come. For example, data analysis on past global temperature data helped Stanford and Arizona State University scientists identify warning signs of severe heat waves. These applications reveal how our actions can either accelerate or mitigate the imminent climate effects that we continue to see unfold.

While the difficulty with climate change seems to be how to produce a globally united front, data analytics earns its place as an objective tool to leverage in the conversation. The ability to analyze our carbon footprints, which is the total amount of greenhouse gases generated by our actions, is a strong skill. The goal is to reduce the human footprint as much as possible because the carbon emissions from companies around the world are the leading driver of climate change. Sustainable solutions can be applied and tested using detailed analysis of the resulting climate features. Furthermore, data analytics is undoubtedly the most important avenue for presenting solid evidence to convince the public of the threat of climate change. Communication with the general population is crucial in the scientific world when it comes to pushing international leadership to action. The logical nature of data analytics provides hope for convincing people to move toward a positive future. Its ability to connect the world about how we will share the severe effects brings climate change to the forefront of global priorities. Data analytics continues to prove its worth in this dialogue and its coordination with technological advancements will promote CU GeoData’s shared goal of a more sustainable future.

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