Dr. Rosa Compagnucci (University of Buenos Aires)
Dr. Rosa Compagnucci is a specialist in climatology, with extensive experience in climate, climate variability, climate change, and paleoclimate, as well as in the application of statistical methods to the analysis of atmospheric and oceanic time series. Her work integrates observational and quantitative approaches to understand the dynamics of the climate system at different temporal scales, from interannual variability to long-term changes.
She is currently a Full Professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences at the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), where she conducts teaching and research. In this academic setting, she has contributed to the training of human resources and to advancing knowledge on climate variability and climate change, providing analytical tools for interpreting regional and global climatic processes.
Abstract
Over the last 2000 years, significant climatic variations have been recorded, including the warming of the Medieval Warm Period and the subsequent cooling of the Little Ice Age, characterized by three main climatic deterioration pulses. This interval is supported by a large amount of relatively high-resolution proxy data, allowing for a more detailed analysis of climate evolution at historical and subhistorical scales.
It is also a period during which tectonics and Milankovitch cycles can be ruled out as the primary forcing mechanisms. Instead, other factors become particularly relevant, such as solar variability, volcanism, the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and internal interactions within the climate system itself. In addition, since 1850, the impacts of population growth and industrialization have led to rising atmospheric CO₂ concentrations and other anthropogenic effects on the climate.
This lecture will analyze proxy data, instrumental records, and the various factors involved in recent climate variability, as well as the main scientific positions and debates regarding their relative influence.
