A new study projects a significant increase in tropical cyclones affecting Hawaii, with conditions becoming more favorable for hurricane formation due to global warming. The study suggests that despite potential decreases in tropical cyclones globally, Hawaii may experience a rise in near-shore storms.
Cyclone Zane is a disorganized storm with strongest rain northwest of the center. NASA's TRMM satellite measured light to moderate rainfall within the storm, with an area northwest of the center showing a high rainfall rate of around 2 inches/50 mm per hour.
A new metric called Track Integrated Kinetic Energy (TIKE) measures the destructive potential of hurricanes by considering storm size, duration, and intensity. TIKE provides a more accurate picture of hurricane activity than existing metrics, which could help emergency managers and businesses prepare for storms.
Researchers found that high ozone levels interfere with pollinators finding flowers and predator insects finding host plants. Insects rely on volatile organic compounds to detect odors, but ozone degrades these compounds, leading to confusion.
The Northern Hemisphere monsoon has intensified, with a 9.5% increase in rainfall, due to natural climate swings rather than global warming alone. Natural long-term climate swings, such as the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, contribute significantly more to this intensification.
The remnants of ex-cyclone Tim are drifting west towards the Queensland coast, causing rough to very rough seas and moderate south to southeasterly swell. NASA's infrared satellite imagery shows the weakening storm with significantly warmed cloud top temperatures and strongest thunderstorms appearing in a small area offshore.
Cyclone Rusty intensified as it approached landfall in Western Australia, with NASA satellites observing increased power and cloud height. The storm's slow movement meant more rainfall, flooding potential, and rough surf along the Pilbara coast.
Cyclone Rusty is a large tropical cyclone approaching Western Australia, causing warnings and alerts for residents. The storm's slow movement will result in higher than usual rainfall and flooding, as well as very rough surf and coastal erosion.
Researchers at NCAR are creating a prototype system to forecast sunlight and resulting power every 15 minutes, enabling utilities to continuously anticipate available solar energy. The project aims to improve cloud prediction accuracy, helping utilities tap into solar energy more effectively and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Researchers found that hourly temperature data provides a more accurate estimate of malaria parasite development rate than mean monthly temperatures. This approach has implications for understanding and predicting malaria transmission risk in different climates and regions.
A study published in BioMed Central's open access journal Carbon Balance and Management suggests that afforestation can lead to cooler summers and wetter conditions in regions like Europe. Planting trees can provide localized benefits by making the surrounding air moister and cooler, sequestering carbon and protecting biodiversity.
A new study reveals that ozone depletion has a greater impact on the jet stream's southward shift than increasing greenhouse gases. Researchers analyzed wind patterns over a 10-day period and found that ozone depletion was associated with a poleward shift of westerlies, while greenhouse gases were linked to an equatorward shift.
A new study reveals that global warming from greenhouse gases has a weaker impact on global precipitation compared to solar heating. The researchers found that the global rainfall rate increased by about 40% less during the present-day warming period than during past warming phases, despite higher temperatures.
Researchers discover that urban heat generated by metropolitan areas can cause continental-scale surface warming in high latitudes, leading to remote temperature changes. The study suggests that the influence of energy consumption should be considered in computer models to predict future climate change.
Cyclone Oswald's remnants continue to bring heavy rainfall and gusty winds to eastern Queensland, Australia. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology reports rainfall totals exceeding 700 mm in less than 2 days, leading to rapid river rises.
NASA's satellite imagery reveals a powerful band of thunderstorms east of Oswald's center, with temperatures as cold as -63 Fahrenheit (-52 Celsius). The low-level circulation center has become well-defined, triggering severe weather warnings for destructive winds and heavy rainfall across parts of Australia.
Tropical Storm Peta formed off the coast of Port Hedland, Australia on January 22, 2013, with rain rates reaching up to 94 mm per hour. The storm strengthened into a tropical depression before making landfall and dissipating over land, weakening its structure.
Tropical Storm Narelle is weakening as it moves south along Western Australia's coast, according to NASA. The storm's rainfall rates have decreased, and its eye has become cloud-filled.
Tropical Cyclone Narelle is gaining strength as it approaches the northern coast of Western Australia, with NASA tracking its movement and expected impact. The cyclone is predicted to bring heavy rainfall and rough seas, posing a threat to coastal communities and causing erosion and flooding.
Tropical Cyclone Narelle is intensifying as it moves southwest paralleling the Western Australian coastline, according to NASA satellite imagery. The cyclone is expected to strengthen over the next two days, bringing gales with gusts of up to 100 kph and heavy rainfall along the Pilbara coastline.
USC/CHLA researchers have found that air pollution is associated with a higher risk of developing autism in young children. Exposure to traffic-related and regional air pollution during pregnancy and early childhood may increase the risk by more than two-fold.
The University of Oklahoma has received nearly $2 million in National Science Foundation grants to enhance its research capabilities in meteorology, high energy physics, and bioengineering. The grants will enable OU faculty and students to conduct cutting-edge research with state-of-the-art equipment.
A University of Innsbruck team assessed glacier contribution to sea level rise from 1902 to 2009, finding that melting glaciers caused about 11 cm of sea level increase. Glaciers' melt rates were surprisingly constant over time, with brief warm episodes leading to Arctic glacier retreat.
Scientists at the University of Hawaii found a significant decrease in northeast trade wind days from 291 to 210 per year. This change is linked to an increase in eastern trade winds and may impact climate patterns, including droughts in Hawaii.
A $11.9 million NSF award supports a multi-institution research network on sustainable climate risk management strategies at Penn State and nine additional universities. The network aims to develop improved analysis frameworks, mentor diverse researchers, and inform climate-related risk management decisions.
A University of Utah study found that periodic changes in winds 15 to 30 miles high in the stratosphere influence deep-sea circulation patterns, affecting Earth's climate. The research revealed the North Atlantic as a sensitive area where warming or cooling from the troposphere can trigger downwelling events.
Warming temperatures have rendered the new USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map obsolete, shifting cold-weather zones northward. Dr. Nir Krakauer's analysis found that over one-third of the country has shifted half-zones and over one-fifth has shifted full zones, allowing for more frequent updates to gardening plans.
Research using satellite data found convective precipitation is more common over dry regions, suggesting a different mechanism than previously thought. The study's findings challenge existing computer models and highlight the need for further research to understand this phenomenon.
Researchers at Yale University have discovered that diseased trees in forests can produce massive amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The estimated emission rate from an upland site is equivalent to burning 40 gallons of gasoline per hectare of forest per year.
The University of Miami's Rosenstiel School awarded over $11,000 to five graduate students pursuing research projects on marine conservation and climate change. Christine Beggs will study invasive lionfish in the Florida Keys, while Katinka Bellomo will investigate cloud radiative forcing at the Max-Planck Institute. Dominique Lazarre ...
Research from Carnegie Institution shows pre-industrial era's clearing of land and forests contribute to atmospheric carbon dioxide, affecting global warming. Accounting for these emissions shifts attribution of global temperature from industrialized nations to developing nations.
Iowa State University engineers are building a strong expertise in wind energy through various initiatives, including grants, research projects and partnerships. The goal is to increase wind energy production by at least 10 times over the next 18 years to reach 20% of electrical energy from wind by 2030.
Researchers used tree ring data from the US Pacific Northwest and oxygen isotope analysis of lake sediments to clarify ancient climate regimes. The study suggests that drought patterns in the American West may have varied across different regions, with some areas experiencing wetter winters than expected.
A new study using Cassini images shows that turbulent jet streams on Saturn are powered by internal heat from the planet. The condensation of water vapor in mid-latitudes creates temperature differences, leading to eddies that accelerate the jets like rotating gears.
A review of recent research articles found that the South Asian summer monsoon is expected to experience more variability in rainfall due to climate change. However, regional projections for devastating droughts and floods remain uncertain due to inconsistent observations and complex thermodynamic processes.
Scientists are targeting thunderstorms in Alabama, Colorado, and Oklahoma to discover the influence of thunderstorms on air just beneath the stratosphere. The Deep Convective Clouds & Chemistry (DC3) Experiment will explore how thunderstorms affect climate by forming upper-atmosphere ozone, a greenhouse gas with a strong warming effect.
Researchers developed a novel method to distinguish sea-level fingerprints from various processes, allowing for more accurate estimation of individual ice sheets' contributions to rising global sea levels. The new approach may help estimate the current rate of sea level rise and rates of ice sheet melting simultaneously.
Cyclone Lua brought intense winds and heavy rainfall to northern Australia, with NASA satellites tracking rainfall totals. The storm generated up to 20 inches of rain just off the coast before making landfall, with amounts dropping drastically after the cyclone hit.
Cyclone Lua is consolidating and has tightly-curved bands of thunderstorms wrapping into its center. The storm is expected to continue strengthening to as much as 95 knots (109 mph/ 176 kph) before making landfall in the vicinity of Port Hedland on March 17 around mid-day local time.
Bellomo's study reveals potential to quantify the role of clouds in driving climate change using observational datasets. Climate models struggle to simulate this effect, but observations could help improve simulations.
Climate researchers found that tree-ring reconstructions of temperature change may underestimate the climate response to past volcanic eruptions. The study compared tree-ring temperature reconstructions with model simulations and found a significant discrepancy in the response to three large tropical eruptions.
Tropical Depression Iggy is being battered by wind shear, causing its strongest thunderstorms to be pushed away from the center. This leads to the storm's collapse, as convection must be stacked like a haystack to maintain the cyclone's structure.
Tropical Cyclone Iggy is expected to strengthen as it approaches the Australian coastline due to low wind shear and warm waters. The cyclone has already triggered warnings and watches along coastal areas, with a Blue Alert posted for communities in Western Australia.
Tropical storm Iggy is growing in strength due to cloud top temperatures over -63F (-51.7C), indicating heavy rainfall and gusty winds along Western Australia's coast. Iggy is forecast to reach cyclone strength before moving south, with sea surface temperatures supporting further development.
The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project has been renamed Suomi NPP in recognition of Verner Suomi's contributions to weather forecasting and climate change research. The new name reflects the mission's objective of advancing scientific knowledge of Earth and improving weather forecasts.
NASA's Aqua and TRMM satellites provided critical data on Tropical Storm Heidi's temperature, cloud heights and rainfall, enabling forecasters to predict its strengthening before landfall. The data revealed warm sea surface temperatures, intensifying rainfall, and high cloud heights, all indicative of a tropical storm gaining strength.
Tropical Storm Heidi is forecast to make landfall today along Western Australia's Pilbara coast, bringing heavy rainfall and gusty winds. The storm's center is still north of the coast, with maximum sustained winds increasing to 63 mph.
The report presents the most comprehensive scientific analysis of climate change in the Pacific region, indicating warmer temperatures, ocean acidification, and increased extreme weather events. Future projections suggest decreased droughts and tropical cyclone frequencies, but increased extreme rainfall and sea-level rise.
Wyngaard and Thompson are honored for their contributions to understanding atmospheric turbulence and ozone dynamics. They received the Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal and Verner E. Suomi Award, respectively.
A Yale-led team found that deforestation in northern latitudes has a net cooling effect due to increased albedo from snow cover and reduced absorption of solar radiation. Temperatures decrease by an average of 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit north of Minnesota.
A study published in Nature found that forests are warmer than open areas north of 45 degrees latitude due to higher nighttime temperatures and sunlight absorption, but cooler south of 35 degrees latitude. Forests also have climatic benefits for maintaining or increasing forest cover in southern latitudes.
Researchers discovered a surprising link between deforestation and temperature changes, finding that areas north of 45 degrees latitude experience cooling effects due to increased albedo. However, this effect is not observed at lower latitudes, where deforestation may actually contribute to warming.
Michael Mann, renowned climatologist, will receive the Hans Oeschger Medal from the European Geosciences Union. The award recognizes his groundbreaking work on Earth's climate system, including the 'hockey stick' chart and advocacy for climate action.
Professor Lynn Shay has been elected a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) for his outstanding contributions to atmospheric and oceanic sciences. His research focuses on upper ocean impacts on hurricane intensity changes, and he has published over 85 papers in peer-reviewed journals.
Scientists have confirmed the existence of triple rainbows using photographic evidence and a new meteorological model. The discovery was made possible by a professor's guidelines that showed how to find tertiary rainbows, which are rare because they require specific conditions to appear.
Researchers reveal new insight into global photosynthesis, estimating a 25% increase in the chemical process governing CO2 absorption and release. The study provides a benchmark for models simulating carbon cycling through plants.
A new study from CSIRO Australia has found that Australia's average wind speed is increasing, contrary to recent international studies showing a decrease. The research provides valuable insights into the causes of variations in near-surface wind and long-term wind speed trends over Australia.
A new analysis suggests that Earth's deep oceans can absorb enough heat to flatten the rate of global warming for periods of up to a decade. The study used computer simulations and found that ocean layers deeper than 1,000 feet are the main location of the 'missing heat' during these periods.
A new study suggests that the planet's deep oceans can absorb enough heat to flatten the rate of global warming for periods of up to a decade. The research, based on computer simulations of global climate, points to ocean layers deeper than 1,000 feet as the main location of the 'missing heat'.
Researchers analyzed 61 years of tropical storm data to find correlations between hurricane tracks and climate patterns. They discovered that El Niño seasons tend to produce fewer storms, while those that do form are less likely to make landfall due to changes in atmospheric steering currents.