Dr. Jeremy Diem, Associate Professor of Geography at Georgia State University, is available to discuss why severe storms are a common phenomenon in the spring.

Diem received his bachelor of science degree in Earth Sciences from The Pennsylvania State University and his master's and Ph.D. degrees in Geography from The University of Arizona.

Quote from Diem:"We almost always get severe storms in the Southeast in the spring. They're associated with cold fronts, and it's all because of the geographical location of the Southeast and the Southern Midwest. It's where the cold air masses collide with warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. I've been warning my students about this for months. In March, April and May, we expect a severe storm season and tornadoes. It happens every year around this time. It's a climatological phenomenon," Diem said.

Diem’s research focuses primarily on climatology, and his main research areas are (1) precipitation variability in the southeastern United States; (2) urban effects on precipitation; (3) climate literacy; (4) air pollution; (5) the North American monsoon; and (6) rainfall in eastern equatorial Africa. For more information about Diem, visit http://geosciences.gsu.edu/5082.html.

Diem can be reached at:Office: 404-413-5770Cell: 678-362-7158E-mail: [email protected]