Phil Harris

Dr Phil Harris

Climate and Land Surface Modeller

Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Maclean Building
Benson Lane
Crowmarsh Gifford
Wallingford
Oxfordshire
OX10 8BB
Tel: +44 (0)1491 838800
Fax: + 44 (0)1491 692424
E-mail: Dr Phil Harris
 

Background

Before joining CEH in Wallingford in 2000, I studied at Reading University (MSc. Weather, Climate and Modelling) and Southampton University (BSc. Maths and Physics). At CEH, my research has previously concentrated on the role of Amazon forest in the climate system; in particular the representation of Amazon forest in climate models and the mechanisms involved in South American future climate change.

Current research

My overall research interests are in tropical meteorology and the role of the tropical land-surface in the climate system. I am currently working on AMMA, an international project to increase understanding and prediction of the West African monsoon. My aims within this project are,

  • to improve the representation of land-atmosphere interactions over West Africa in climate models
  • to quantify the seasonal and spatial variation in land-surface state and surface energy fluxes that influence the West African monsoon

This will be achieved through the development of novel techniques to combine land-surface models, in-situ surface flux observations and remotely sensed (Meteosat, MSG-1) near-surface data to reduce model sensitivity to poorly simulated and diagnosed monsoon rainfall.

 

Recent Publications

Harris, P.P. (2005) Modelling South American Climate and Climate Change.  Ph.D. thesis, University of Reading.

Harris, P.P., Huntingford, C., Gash, J.H.C., Hodnett, M.G., Cox, P.M., Malhi, Y., and Araujo, A. (2004) Calibration of a land-surface model using data from primary forest sites in Amazonia. Theoretical Appl. Climatol., 78(1-3), 27-46, doi:10.1007/s00704-004-0042-y.

Cox, P.M., Betts, R.A., Collins, M., Harris, P.P., Huntingford, C., and Jones, C.D. (2004) Amazon dieback under climate-carbon cycle projections for the 21st century. Theoretical Appl. Climatol., 78(1-3), 137-156.

Betts, R.A., Cox, P.M., Collins, M., Harris, P.P., Huntingford, C., and Jones, C.D. (2004) The role of ecosystem-atmosphere interactions in simulated Amazonian precipitation decrease and forest dieback under global climate warming. Theoretical Appl. Climatol., 78(1-3), 157-176.

Huntingford, C., Harris, P.P., Gedney, N., Cox, P.M., Betts, R.A., Marengo, J.A., and Gash, J.H.C. (2004) Using a GCM analogue model to investigate the potential for Amazonian forest dieback. Theoretical Appl. Climatol., 78(1-3), 177-186, doi:10.1007/s00704-004-0051-x.

Gash, J.H.C., Huntingford, C., Marengo, J.A., Betts, R.A., Cox, P.M., Fisch, G., Fu, R., Gandu, A.W., Harris, P.P., Machado, L.A.T., von Randow, C., and Silva Dias, M.A.(2004) Amazonian climate: results and future research Theoretical Appl. Climatol., 78(1-3), 187-192.

Harris, P.P., Huntingford, C., Gash, J.H.C., Malhi, Y., and Cox, P.M. (2003) Effect of soil moisture on canopy conductance of primary forest in Amazonia. Agric. For. Met., 122(3-4), 215-227, oi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2003.09.006