Re:Launch HN: Silurian (YC S24) – Simulate the Earth
by yorwba on Monday September 16, 2024 @03:23PM
(#41559564)
Given 50 states and independent weather in each state, on average one state would experience each "once every 500 years" extreme weather event every decade. Of course in reality weather is not independent across political borders, but there are also many more locations where flood levels can be measured than just one per state. So depending on the details "once every 500 years" may not be as rare as it sounds, even without deviation from historical patterns.
Notably forecast skill is quantifiable, so we'd need to see a whole lot of forecast predictions using what is essentially the stochastic modelling (historical data) approach. Given the climate is steadily warming with all that implies in terms of water vapor feedback etc., it's reasonable to assume that historical data isn't that great a guide to future behavior, e.g. when you start having 'once every 500 year' floods every decade, that means the past is not a good guide to the future.