Marilyn N. Raphael is a Trinidadian climatologist, best known for her work on climate change and variability in the high latitude southern hemisphere. She is a professor and former chair of the Department of Geography at UCLA, has authored an award-winning text, and sits in leadership positions on a number of international polar research initiatives.[1][2]
Raphael's research interests are global climate change and variability, specifically climate dynamics in the middle and high latitude of the Southern Hemisphere and the interaction between Antarctic sea ice and the atmosphere.[1][6] Her research uses global climate models and also large-scale observational databases.[7]
Raphael has been teaching at UCLA since 1998 and spent time as departmental chair (2010-2013). Notable courses include: Climatology, Environmental Impact Analysis, Seminar - Environmental Studies, Tropical Climatology, and Issues in Geographical Inquiry.[1][4]
Growing up, education was of the utmost importance for Raphael. Her mother was one of the key driving factors for pushing an education because she saw that education was the key to advancing in life. Raphael's path to climatology specifically was internally driven; however, she had people in her life that served as role models and mentors. Her high school teacher as well as her undergraduate adviser were both very encouraging of her pursuits into the geosciences. Raphael's interest in the Southern Hemisphere specifically came about when she was pursuing her PhD in Geography.
Raphael, M.N. and Hobbs, W., 2014. The influence of the large‐scale atmospheric circulation on Antarctic sea ice during ice advance and retreat seasons. Geophysical Research Letters, 41(14): 5037-5045.
Raphael, M.N., 2007. The influence of atmospheric zonal wave three on Antarctic sea ice variability. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 112: D12.
Raphael, M. and Holland, M., 2006. Twentieth Century Simulation of the Southern Hemisphere Climate in Coupled Models. Part I: Large Scale Circulation Variability, Climate Dynamics, 26: 217-228
Holland, M.M and Raphael, M.N., 2006 Twentieth Century Simulation of the Southern Hemisphere Climate in Coupled Models. Part II: Sea Ice Conditions and Variability. Climate Dynamics, 26: 229-245
Raphael, M.N., 2004. A zonal wave 3 index for the Southern Hemisphere. Geophysical Research Letters, 31
Raphael, M. N., 2003. Impact of observed sea-ice concentration on the Southern Hemisphere extratropical atmospheric circulation in summer. J. Geophys. Res., 108 (D22): 4687
Raphael, M.N., 2003. Recent, Large-Scale Changes in the Extratropical Southern Hemisphere Atmospheric Circulation. J. Clim., 16 (17): 2915–2924.
Raphael, M.N., 2003. A possible influence of the tropical quasi-biennialoscillation on the variability of the extratropical circulation in the Southern Hemisphere. J. Geophys. Res., 108(D22).