David Keellings
Assistant Professor | University of Florida
Gainesville, FL, UNITED STATES
David Keellings focuses on climate extremes, driving physical mechanisms, and the influence of climate change versus natural variability.
Biography
David is a faculty in the Department of Geography and is affiliated with the School of Natural Resources and Environment, the Florida Climate Institute, and the UF Water Institute. His research focuses on understanding climate extremes like heat waves and drought. David enjoys working in interdisciplinary teams and his strengths lie in utilizing innovative methods including machine learning and extreme value theory to improve our understanding of climate extremes and better prepare society for their impacts. David teaches classes on climate change, statistical analysis, programming, and AI/ML.
Areas of Expertise (5)
AI
Drought
Climate Extremes
Heat Waves
Rainfall
Media Appearances (2)
Gators face most stubborn opponent yet: rising temperatures
The Alligator print
2023-04-17
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium has served as a formidable fortress for the Florida Gators football team over the years. The Swamp’s humid conditions have given UF an edge, as student-athletes from other teams aren’t as acclimated to the year-round heat.
How 'rapid intensification' fueled Hurricane Ida
NBC News tv
2021-08-31
Climate change is altering some of the atmospheric and ocean dynamics that power hurricanes. That doesn't mean more hurricanes — but it does mean more dangerous ones.
Articles (3)
It's getting hot in here: Spatial impact of humidity on heat wave severity in the U.S.
Science of The Total EnvironmentAnuska Narayanan, et. al
2025-02-01
Heat waves carry broad impacts to society, negatively impacting human health (Gasparrini et al., 2015; Khatana et al., 2022a; Khatana et al., 2022b; Oudin Åström et al., 2011), infrastructure (AASHTO, n.d.; Forzieri et al., 2018), economic, and environmental systems (Libonati et al., 2022). However, on humid days, heat waves become even more dangerous to populations by raising the apparent temperature, or the temperature perceived by the human body.
What is a heat wave: A survey and literature synthesis of heat wave definitions across the United States
PLOS ClimateErin L. Bunting, et. al
2024-09-05
Heat waves are the last extreme weather events without a formal, on the books, definition. Instead, across the U.S. those working on extreme heat event management, forecasting, and planning are using differing definitions in their work. With such differing definitions being used there are widespread impacts including some to human and environmental health, natural resource management, and long-term emergency management planning.
Understanding Public Attention to Heat Wave Information
Papers in Applied GeographyAngela O’Flanagan, et. al
2024-09-02
Excessive heat warnings issued by the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) were compared to their public attention using data provided by Google Trends. Results show that 50 percent of heat wave attention occurred while the excessive heat warning was active, rather than prior to the event.
