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Brandon Wolding
I have always loved the outdoors, but it wasn't until I moved to Hawaii for college that I became fascinated with the atmosphere and the ocean. A lifestyle centered around the ocean and winds provided endless hours of enjoyment, and motivated many hours of heated discussion between me and my friends as to why one thing or another had or hadn't occurred. Why hadn't a certain swell lived up to expectations, why had the current been so bad this morning, or why had the wind died just as we set sail? Gaining a broader understanding of the Earth and its various physical phenomena held the answers to these questions, and had very real and consequential impacts on our lives.
While I have moved from the oceans of Hawaii to the mountains of Colorado, my research remains in the Tropics. I currently study a large-scale tropical phenomenon called the "Madden-Julian Oscillation", which has a substantial impact on places like India, Australia, and even the United States. Despite these substantial impacts, the Madden-Julian Oscillation remains poorly understood, and stands as a primary example of how much remains to be learned about our planet.
Outside of work I spend my time adventuring with my girlfriend and dogs. Colorado really is an amazing place!
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