• Phone: 970-491-3338
• Fax: 970-491-8449
• Email: davet (at) atmos.colostate.edu
• Annular Modes Website
• CV

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Education

• Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science - 2000 - University of Washington - Seattle, WA
• M.S. in Atmospheric Science - 1998 - University of Washington - Seattle, WA
• B.S. in Aerospace Engineering - 1994 - University of Colorado - Boulder, CO

Research Interests

My current research focuses on improving our understanding of global climate variability using observational data. My interests include large-scale atmospheric dynamics, the interpretation of observed climate change, stratosphere/troposphere coupling, ocean/atmosphere interaction, decadal climate variability, and the climate impacts of large-scale atmospheric phenomena. My publications are all available in PDF format below. Please also visit the Arctic Oscillation/Annular Modes web site.

Classes Taught

• AT350 - Weather and Climate
• AT606 - Introduction to Climate
• AT655 - Objective Analysis in the Atmospheric Sciences
• AT750 - Analysis and Diagnosis of Climate Variability

Current Students

• Amy Hawes (Ph.D.)
• Kevin Grise (Ph.D.)
• Katie Argo (M.S.)
• Kate Mullin (M.S.)

Papers in Review

2009:

• Roff, G., Thompson, D.W.J., and H. Hendon, 2009: Does Increasing Model Stratospheric Resolution Improve Extended-Range Forecast Skill? Geophys. Res. Letts., submitted.
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• Grise, K.M., D.W.J. Thompson, and T. Birner, 2009: A Global Survey of Static Stability. J. Climate, submitted.
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• Butler, A.H., D.W.J. Thompson, and R. Heikes, 2009: The Atmospheric Response to Climate Change-Like Thermal Forcings in a Simple General Circulation Model. Part One: Steady-State Experiments. J. Climate, submitted.
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Publications in Print

2009:

• Thompson, D.W.J, J.M. Wallace, P.D. Jones, and J.J. Kennedy, 2009: Identifying signatures of natural climate variability in time series of global-mean surface temperature: Methodology and Insights. J. Climate, 22, 6120-6141.
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  Link to Data
• Baldwin, M.P., and Thompson, D.W.J, 2009: A critical comparison of stratosphere-troposphere coupling indices. Quart. J. Roy. Met. Soc., 135, 1661-1672.
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• Ciasto, L.M., and D.W.J. Thompson, 2009: Observational Evidence of Reemergence in the Extratropical Southern Hemisphere. J. Climate, 22, 1446-1453, doi:10.1175/2008JCLI2545.1.
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• Grise, K.M., D.W.J. Thompson, and P.M. Forster, 2009: On the Role of Radiative Processes in Stratosphere-Troposphere Coupling. J. Climate, 22, 4154, doi:10.1175/2009JCLI2756.1.
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• Randel, W.J., K.P.Shine, J. Austin, J. Barnett, C. Claud, N.P. Gillett, P. Keckhut, U. Langematz, R. Lin, C. Long, C. Mears, A. Miller, J. Nash, D.J. Seidel, D.W.J. Thompson, F. Wu, and S. Yoden, 2009: An update of observed stratospheric temperature trends.J. Geophys. Res., 114, D02107, doi:10.1029/2008JD010421.
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• Thompson, D.W.J., and S. Solomon, 2009: Understanding Recent Stratospheric Climate Change.J. Climate, 22, 1934-1943.
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2008:

• Thompson, D.W.J., J.J. Kennedy, J.M. Wallace, and P.D. Jones, 2008: A large discontinuity in the mid-twentieth century in observed global-mean surface temperature. Nature, 453(29), doi:10.1038/nature06982.
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• Ciasto, L.M., and D.W.J. Thompson, 2008: Observations of large-scale ocean-atmosphere interaction in the Southern Hemisphere. J. Climate, 21(6), 1244-1259.
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2007:

• Keeley, S.P.E., N.P. Gillett, D.W.J. Thompson, S. Solomon, and P.M. Forster, 2007: Is Antarctic climate most sensitive to ozone depletion in the middle or lower stratosphere?Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L22812, doi:10.1029/2007GL031238.
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• Forster, P.M., G. Bodeker, R. Schofield, S. Solomon, and D.W.J. Thompson, 2007: Effects of ozone cooling in the tropical lower stratosphere and upper troposphere.Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L23813, doi:10.1029/2007GL031994.
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• Butler, A.H., D.W.J. Thompson, and K.R. Gurney, 2007: Observed Relationships between the Southern Annular Mode and Atmpospheric Carbon Dioxide.Glob. Bio. Cycles, 21, GB4014, doi:10.1029/2006GB002796.
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• Hendon, H.H., D.W.J. Thompson, and M.C. Wheeler, 2007: Australian rainfall and surface temperature variations associated with the Southern Hemisphere annular mode.J. Climate, 20(11), 2452-2467.
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• Solomon, S., R.W. Portman, and D.W.J. Thompson, 2007: Contrasts between Antarctic and Arctic Ozone Depletion. Proc. Nat. Academy of Sciences, 104, 445-449.
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2006:

• Solomon, S., R.W. Portmann, T. Sasaki, D.J. Hofman, and D.W.J. Thompson, 2006: Four decades of ozonesone measurements over Antarctica.J. Geophys. Res., 110, D21311, doi:10.1029/2005JD005917.
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• Thompson, D.W.J., J.C. Furtado, and T.G. Shepherd, 2006: On the Tropospheric Response to Anomalous Stratospheric Wave Drag and Radiative Heating.J. Atmos. Sci., 63(10), 2616-2629.
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• L'Heureux, M.L., and D.W.J. Thompson, 2006: Observed relationships between the El-Nino/Southern Oscillation and the extratropical zonal-mean circulation.J. Climate,19, 276-287.
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2005:

• Limpasuvan, V., D.L. Hartman, D.W.J. Thompson, K. Jeev, and Y.L. Young, 2005: Stratosphere-troposphere evolution during polar vortex intensification.J. Geophys. Res., 110, D24101, doi:10.1029/2005JD006302.
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• Thompson, D.W.J., M.P. Baldwin, and S. Solomon, 2005: Stratosphere-troposphere coupling in the Southern Hemisphere.J. Atmos. Sci., 62(3), 708-715.
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• Hall, A., A. Clement, D.W.J. Thompson, A. Broccoli, and C. Jackson, 2005: The importance of atmospheric dynamics in Northern Hemisphere wintertime climate response to changes in the Earth's orbit.J. Climate, 18, 1315-1325.
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• Limpasuvan, V., D.W.J. Thompson, and D.L. Hartman, 2005: Reply.J. Climate, 18, 2778-2780.
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• Thompson, D.W.J., and S. Solomon, 2005: Recent stratospheric climate trends as evidenced in radiosonde data: Global structure and tropospheric linkages.J. Climate, 18, 4785-4795.
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• Solomon, S., D.W.J. Thompson, R.W. Portmann, S.J. Oltmans, and A.M. Thompson, 2005: On the distribution and variability of ozone in the tropical upper troposphere: Implications for tropical deep convection and chemical-dynamical coupling.Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L23813, 10.1029/2005GL024323.
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2004:

• Limpasuvan, V., D.W.J. Thompson, and D.L. Hartmann, 2004: On the Life Cycle of sudden stratospheric warmings.J. Climate, 17(13), 2584-2596.
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• Thompson, D.W.J., and D.J. Lorenz, 2004: The signature of the annular modes in the tropical troposphere.J. Climate, 17(22), 4330-4342.
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• Ciasto, L., D.W.J. Thompson, 2004: North Atlantic atmosphere ocean interaction on intraseasonal timescales.J. Climate, 17(8), 1617-1621.
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2003:

• Baldwin, M.P., D.B. Stephenson, D. W. J. Thompson, T. J. Dunkerton, A. J. Charlton, and A. O'Neill, 2003: Stratospheric memory and skill of extended-range weather forecasts.Science, 301, 636-640.
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• Gillett, N., and D.W.J. Thompson, 2003: Simulation of recent Southern Hemisphere climate change.Science, 302, 273-275
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2002:

• Wallace, J.M. and D.W.J. Thompson, 2002: The Pacific Center of Action of the Northern Hemisphere Annular Mode: Real or Artifact?J. Climate, 15, 1987-1991.
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• Thompson, D.W.J., M.P. Baldwin, and J. M. Wallace, 2002: Stratospheric connection to Northern Hemisphere wintertime weather: Implications for prediction.J. Climate, 15, 1421-1428.
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• Thompson, D.W.J., and S. Solomon, 2002: Interpretation of recent Southern Hemisphere climate change.Science, 296, 895-899.
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• Thompson, D.W.J., S. Lee, and M.P. Baldwin, 2002: Atmospheric Processes Governing the Northern Hemisphere Annular Mode/North Atlantic Oscillation. From the AGU monograph on the North Atlantic Oscillation, 293, 85-89.
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2001:

• Wallace, J.M., and D.W.J. Thompson, 2001: Annular Modes and Climate Prediction.Physics Today, 55, 28-33.
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• Thompson, D.W.J., and J.M. Wallace, 2001: Regional Climate Impacts of the Northern Hemisphere Annular Mode.Science, 293, 85-89.
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2000:

• Thompson, D.W.J., and J.M. Wallace, 2000: Annular modes in the extratropical circulation. Part I: Month-to-month variability.J. Climate, 13, 1000-1016.
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• Thompson, D.W.J.,J.M. Wallace, and G. C. Hegerl, 2000: Annular modes in the extratropical circulation: Part II: Trends.J. Climate, 13, 1018-1036.
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• Hartmann, D.L., J.M. Wallace, V. Limpasuvan, D.W.J. Thompson, and J.R. Holton, 2000: Can Ozone Depletion and Greenhouse Warming Interact to Produce Rapid Climate Change?Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 97, 1412-1417.
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• Wallace, J.M., D.W.J. Thompson, and Z. Fang, 2000: Comments on "Northern Hemisphere teleconnection patterns during extreme phases of the zonal-mean circulation.J. Climate, 13, 1037-1039.
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1998:

• Thompson, D.W.J., and J.M. Wallace, 1998: The Arctic Oscillation signature in the wintertime geopotential height and temperature fields.Geophys. Res. Lett., 25, 1297-1300.
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