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Atmospheric rivers set to increase UK winter flooding

A new study finds that atmospheric rivers are projected to increase in frequency and intensity under future climate change scenarios, leading to more severe and frequent winter floods in the UK. The research suggests that thermodynamic changes in the atmosphere, rather than natural climate variability, are driving these changes.

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalEnvironmental Research Letters·DateJul 23, 2013

Urbanization and surface warming in eastern China

A recent study found that urbanization significantly affects surface warming in eastern China, particularly in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region. The study revealed a remarkable summer warming rate of 0.132-0.250°C per decade, accounting for 36%-68% of regional warming. In contrast, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region experienced...

SourceScience China Press·JournalChinese Science Bulletin·DateMay 13, 2013

Weather extremes provoked by trapping of giant waves in the atmosphere

A study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research suggests that man-made climate change traps giant waves in the atmosphere, leading to extreme weather events. The researchers found that prolonged periods of heat stress can occur when warm air is unable to escape, resulting in devastating consequences.

SourcePotsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 25, 2013

Macroweather is what you expect

A new kind of fluctuation analysis reveals three atmospheric regimes: weather, macroweather, and climate. Macroweather has different types of variability than both weather and climate, making climate modeling more precise. This recognition may open up new approaches for predicting the climate.

SourceMcGill University·JournalEos·DateFeb 25, 2013

Statistics help clear fog for better climate change picture

Researchers are using statistical approaches to analyze climate change risks, including the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Bayesian statistics is a key tool in quantifying uncertainty and predicting future events. Collaboration between disciplines is essential for advancing climate science and risk management.

Climatic effects of a solar minimum

Researchers found a direct solar-climate linkage on centennial timescales using sediment analysis from Lake Meerfelder Maar. The study suggests a mechanism explaining the relation between weak sun and climate change, with positive feedback effects.

SourceHelmholtz Association·JournalNature Geoscience·DateMay 6, 2012

Over 65 million years North American mammal evolution has tracked with climate change

Researchers identified six consecutive waves of mammal species diversity in North America, linked to climate change and temperature fluctuations. The study found correlations between species diversity and global paleotemperatures, shedding light on the impact of climate change on mammal evolution over millions of years.

SourceBrown University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 26, 2011

New interpretation of Antarctic ice cores

Researchers at Alfred Wegener Institute expand prevailing theory on climate history by showing local climate changes in southern hemisphere can trigger temperature fluctuations in Antarctica. The study, published in Nature, suggests alternative explanation for historical Earth climate data from Antarctica.

SourceHelmholtz Association·JournalNature·DateMar 2, 2011

Understanding past and future climate

Researchers found that the current interglacial period has lasted 2.0-2.5 millennia longer than predicted by dominant theory, raising questions about natural climate trends and human impact. The study suggests that orbital changes may still influence climate for another two thousand years or so.

SourceNational Oceanography Centre, UK·JournalEarth and Planetary Science Letters·DateFeb 5, 2010

Irrigation decreases, urbanization increases monsoon rains

Monsoon rainfall has decreased over the past 50 years in rural areas with increased irrigation in northern India, while urban areas have seen an increase in heavy rainfall. This shift is attributed to landscape changes and cooling effects on low-pressure systems necessary for monsoons to progress.

SourcePurdue University·JournalInternational Journal of Climatology·DateDec 15, 2009

Time to lift the geoengineering taboo

Experts Peter Cox and Hazel Jeffrey examine potential geoengineering initiatives, including carbon-dioxide removal and solar-radiation management, as a crucial alternative to common mitigation methods. The schemes have different benefits, costs, and risks associated, but may offer a better benefit-to-cost ratio than conventional methods.

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalPhysics World·DateSep 1, 2009

'Weather's Greatest Mysteries Solved!'

This book delves into the science of climate study and its impact on human societies, exploring how weather has influenced civilizations throughout history. The author uses a detective story approach to examine the role of weather in shaping human societies, from ancient Sahara to modern-day New York City.

Tracking down abrupt climate changes

Researchers discovered an extreme cooling event 12,700 years ago in Western Europe, with sediments revealing a short-term shift in atmospheric circulation. The findings suggest the climate system is not fully understood, with many puzzles remaining to be solved.

SourceHelmholtz Association·JournalNature Geoscience·DateAug 1, 2008

Climate change -- research suggests it is not a swindle

A new study published in Environmental Research Letters finds no correlation between cosmic rays and cloud cover, contradicting a 2007 TV program that suggested global warming is caused by a decrease in cosmic rays. The researchers from Lancaster and Durham Universities analyzed data and found no reliable connection between the two.

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalEnvironmental Research Letters·DateApr 3, 2008

At least part of climate change is man-made

A Bonn study calculates that greenhouse gases are responsible for just under half of global warming since 1880, with natural factors accounting for the remaining half. The researchers used 30 different climate models to reach this conclusion, which they believe will continue to worsen even after the Kyoto Protocol is implemented.

Hidden in plain sight

A new study challenges current climate change understanding by suggesting that aerosols may have a greater cooling effect than previously thought. This could alter projections of future climate change if high-magnitude negative aerosol forcing values are correct, potentially downplaying human activity's role in warming.

SourceUniversity of Washington·JournalScience·DateMay 15, 2003

Landcover changes may rival greenhouse gases as cause of climate change

A new NASA-funded study reveals that human-caused land-use changes significantly contribute to climate change, potentially more so than greenhouse gas emissions. The research proposes a method for comparing different climate change factors, highlighting the importance of land surface changes in redistributing heat and affecting regiona...

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·JournalPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London·DateOct 1, 2002