Tripti Bhattacharya, Thonis Family Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, was recently quoted by leading media outlets on the devastating California wildfires in January 2025.
In an SU News Article, Bhattacharya, whose work focuses on understanding the sensitivity of regional rainfall to global climate change, said, "It is a combination of several factors: one is drought, as Southern California has seen very little precipitation this winter, resulting in extremely dry vegetation and soils. On top of that, recent days have seen gusts of dry wind, typically known as ‘Santa Ana’ winds. These gusts have the ability to cause fire to propagate quickly."
Bhattacharya's insights were featured by the following news organizations: