Climate change

Climate models predict that Long Island Sound will rise 20 inches in the next 30 years. On the left, the image shows a typical flood plus 20 inches; on the right, a 100 year flood similar to Hurricane Sandy, plus 20 inches. The color scale shows the flood water level: green < 0.5 feet (0.5’), yellow is between 0.5’ and 1’, orange between 1’ and 2’, and red is flooding over 2’. Flooding at the 2’ level washes away cars and SUVs and undermines many structures.

For Future Flood Control, Cities Need Strategy

What we consider a 100-year event is a conservative version of a 10-year event plus 20 inches—what will be a normal flood in 2050

CIRCA scholars are working to help Connecticut policymakers and towns adapt best practices for climate resilience to the Nutmeg State.

Expanding Climate Resilience with Forward-Thinking Policy Initiatives

Looking to other states for best practices and adapting them for Connecticut's needs

Some 'hot spots' in Fairfield and New Haven counties have seen average temperatures climb by five to 10 degrees over the past two decades.

CIRCA Webinar Presents Changes to Land Surface Temperature, Land Use in New Haven, Fairfield Counties

'Heat islands' in urban areas have experienced a five-to-10-degree temperature increase over the past 20 years

A new method of calculating the flow of water through coastal areas like salt marshes can help residents and planners better prepare for sea level rise and major storms.

A Simple Simulation to Help Coastal Towns Plan for Rising Sea Levels

Knowing how water moves through coastal structures can yield important insights for residents and planners

Beach houses on Lake Michigan, lake erosion dangerously close to houses, half the beach is gone due to high water

Should We Stay or Should We Go? Shoreline Homes and Rising Sea Levels in Connecticut

How strategies to address rising sea levels could affect local taxes, home values, and other factors

Students gather on the Great Lawn to form an hour glass during the Climate Strike on Sept. 20, 2019. The Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation is hosting a series of webinars this summer to examine climate change and policy from a multitude of angles.

Hot, Wet, Connecticut Summer Webinar

The Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation is hosting a series of webinars on climate change and public policy

A cartoon showing a human pulling down a cloud labeled "CO2," illustrating the effort to improve carbon capture technology.

UConn Researchers Search for Scalable Carbon Capture Technology

Studying the promise of a technology that could help in the fight against climate change

Title of book along with the author and UConn Reads logo

A Letter to the UConn Community Regarding UConn Reads

UConn Reads unveils Spring 2021 signature events

UConn Anthropologist Alexia Smith posing in her lab.

For Ancient Farmers Facing Climate Change, More Grazing Meant More Resilience

How changing their lifestyle helped people in an ancient settlement adapt to a new reality

Brood X cicadas in Virginia in 2004.

Billions of Cicadas May Be Coming Soon to Trees Near You

After 17 years, the 'magic cicadas' of Brood X are back