ANN ARBOR—July 2012 was the hottest month on record in the continental United States, and the first seven months of this year were the warmest ever recorded, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Several University of Michigan experts are available to discuss the significance and implications of these climate milestones.

They include:

Henry Pollack, professor emeritus of earth and environmental sciences, can discuss how 2012 fits the pattern of the last 20 years, in which most years have been among the hottest on record. Pollack was one of the U-M scientists who contributed to the climate reports issued by the United Nations-sponsored panel that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore. He is also a scientific adviser to Gore’s Climate Reality Project. Pollack can be reached at (734) 763-0084 or at [email protected].

Joyce Penner, professor of atmospheric science, studies clouds, aerosols and their effects on climate change. She can discuss how this record year is a sign that we are experiencing more of the extreme events that climate models have predicted would occur with climate change, such as higher-than-normal temperatures, more drought in drought-prone regions, and more wildfires. Penner contributed to the 2007 climate change report that shared the Nobel Peace Prize that year with former Vice President Al Gore. Reach Penner at [email protected] or (734) 936-0519.

Ricky Rood, professor of atmospheric, oceanic and space sciences, teaches a class on climate change problem solving. He has studied the role of human-caused climate change on the extreme events of 2011. Rood blogs at Weather Underground and in June authored a post in which he said he said June was the 327th consecutive month that has been above the 20th century average. Read his blog at http://www.wunderground.com/blog/RickyRood/show.html?entrynum=232 . Reach him at [email protected].

Perry Samson, professor of atmospheric, oceanic and space sciences, and co-founder of Weather Underground, studies the intersection of weather and climate. He is the author of the 2012 textbook Extreme Weather and Climate. Samson can be reached at (734) 763-6213 or [email protected].

U-M Sustainability fosters a more sustainable world through collaborations across campus and beyond aimed at educating students, generating new knowledge, and minimizing our environmental footprint. Learn more at sustainability.umich.edu.