Articles tagged with Storms
Global tropical cyclone activity has been drifting closer to land over the past four decades, according to researchers Shuai Wang and Ralf Toumi. The distance between storms and land has decreased by roughly 30 kilometers per decade, increasing the risk of coastal populations.
High aerosol concentrations increase environmental humidity by producing more clouds, which can mix condensed water into the surrounding air. This humidification enhances updraft speeds, intensifying thunderstorms.
Researchers found that urban landscapes and human-caused aerosols can start storms sooner and pull them towards cities. In Kansas City, urban land and aerosols amplified large hail by 20%, while in Houston, they led to longer-lasting rainfall that developed earlier.
Declining biodiversity is putting nature's contributions to people at risk, impacting crop yields and soil productivity. The degradation of environmental conditions also increases exposure to floods and storms, affecting human well-being and prosperity.
A study reconstructs 5,800 years of seabird population dynamics on Grand Colombier Island, linking European settlement to a significant decline in the Leach's Storm petrel population. Paleoecological approaches can help determine current ecological loss and protect critical habitat.
Researchers develop AI algorithms to optimize flight networks for resilience against storms, reducing delays and improving safety. The project aims to create a flight planning software that can automatically react to storms and recover the system.
Researchers decoded the origin of love waves, generated by ocean storms, which travel through the solid Earth. Stanford University geophysicist Lucia Gualtieri's study suggests that Love waves originate within the Earth itself, not on the seafloor.
Researchers discovered a large amount of water in the upper atmosphere of Mars, rapidly destroyed by ions, explaining part of the planet's mysterious dryness. This process contradicts the classical picture of water escape from Mars, suggesting it is incomplete and influenced by seasonal and dust storms.
A supermagnetized stellar remnant, magnetar SGR 1935+2154 produced a mix of X-ray and radio signals, including the first fast radio burst (FRB) observed from within our Milky Way galaxy. The event suggests that magnetars in other galaxies may produce similar signals.
A study by Dr Lise Storm from the University of Exeter found that former rebel groups adopting political parties become more moderate in democratic nations. However, their tactics and policies remained unchanged if the issue driving support continued to remain relevant.
Financial problems in UK medical schools could significantly affect student education. The sector's debts have risen over the past year, making institutions vulnerable to insolvency. Charity funded research is also expected to fall, resulting in a projected reduction in medical research investment.
Tropical cyclone Noul is characterized by hundreds of thunderstorms, with infrared data revealing the strongest storms are located at high altitudes. NASA's MODIS instrument detected cold cloud top temperatures as low as minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit near Noul's center.
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured a crisp new image of Jupiter's storms, revealing a bright white plume traveling around the planet at 350 miles per hour. The Great Red Spot, currently an exceptionally rich red color, is shrinking in size and appears to be interacting with surrounding clouds.
Researchers created a map of global mangrove habitat changes between 2000 and 2016, revealing that human causes like farming and aquaculture led to more rapid losses than natural causes. The study's findings highlight the importance of addressing both human and natural threats in conservation efforts.
A new study by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology found that land surface conditions can affect mesoscale convective systems, allowing for more accurate forecasts and up to six hours' warning. This will inform alert systems for communities across Africa, enabling them to better prepare for severe flooding.
A new method was developed to study fast Coronal Mass Ejections and predict the most extreme space weather events. These events can cause strong geomagnetic storms that affect space and Earth-based engineering systems.
Researchers analyzed atmospheric and lightning data to study the relationship between thunderstorms and increased emergency department visits for respiratory illnesses among older adults. The study found that vulnerable groups may be susceptible to atmospheric changes caused by thunderstorms, leading to higher emergency visit rates.
Researchers have matched seismic signals with aurora displays in Alaska, offering a new way to study magnetic fluctuations. By combining data from all-sky cameras and seismometers, scientists can better understand the link between solar winds and the Earth's magnetic field.
Historic floods have shown salt marshes' ability to confine breach depth, reducing flood damage by lowering inundation depths. This natural defense can greatly enhance coastal safety, even in areas where preserving or developing marshes is not possible.
The Suomi NPP satellite analyzed the expansive Saharan dust plume, which extended over 5,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean and impacted air quality in North and South America. The aerosol particles have significant effects on human health, weather, and climate, including cooling or warming the earth.
A computer science researcher has developed an algorithm called Orchestra that reduces spikes in resource demands in cloud computing, allowing companies to maintain smooth operations despite increased work-from-home usage. The solution uses lightweight monitoring and performance-based models to adjust cloud resources in real-time.
New research from Washington University in St. Louis finds that electrostatic discharge during Martian dust storms generates highly reactive chlorine compounds, driving the surface-to-atmosphere cycle of chlorine. The ongoing chlorine cycle may impact the detection of biomarkers on Mars.
Research in Curonian Spit beaches reveals significant macro waste pollution in isolated spots, while microplastic is evenly distributed due to sea storms, affecting the environment and nearby port city Klaipeda with massive industrial activity
Tropical Depression Cristobal is generating large amounts of rainfall while heading towards the Great Lakes region. Forecasters expect Cristobal to produce storm total rainfall accumulations of 2-4 inches with local amounts up to 6 inches, potentially leading to flash flooding.
Tropical Depression 03L is expected to generate heavy rainfall in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. NASA's Aqua satellite detected coldest cloud top temperatures as cold as minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit, indicating strong storms in the region.
Researchers at KAUST found that Jeddah's urban heat island effect enhances storm energy and blocks passage, leading to 26% more rainfall. The study suggests improved forecasting capabilities to mitigate damage from severe weather events.
Researchers at the Naval Research Laboratory created a new type of electronic component that surpasses the speed of 5G networks. The gallium nitride-based resonant tunneling diode displays record current outputs and switching speeds, enabling applications in millimeter-wave region and terahertz frequencies.
A recent storm in Argentina produced hailstones up to 9.3 inches across, potentially setting a new world record. Researchers suggest classifying such large hailstones as 'gargantuan' and emphasize the need for more awareness and data collection to better understand these extreme events.
Researchers found a significant knowledge gap in how lakes respond to extreme storms, with inconsistent findings across studies. The team calls for a collaborative effort to develop a research framework to better predict phytoplankton responses to storm-induced changes.
A new machine-learning computer model accurately predicts damaging radiation storms caused by the Van Allen belts two days prior to the storm. The PreMevE 2.0 model improves forecasts by incorporating upstream solar wind speeds and can be applied to predict more energetic electrons.
A new study found that gray whales are more likely to strand themselves on days with high sunspot counts, suggesting a disruption to their magnetoreceptive sensor. This suggests that solar storms may cause whales to become disoriented and lose their magnetic sense.
Scientists are developing new ways to mitigate climate change while enabling people and ecosystems to survive and thrive. Researchers are reengineering crops to increase yield and resist disease, modifying coral DNA to make reefs more resilient, and creating innovative solutions for cities to protect infrastructure from extreme weather.
A $500,000 NSF grant funds a national Research Coordination Network to synthesize insights from existing coastal resiliency projects. The Estuarine CoPe RCN aims to propose bold new strategies integrating ecosystem enhancement and recovery to protect coastal communities and infrastructure.
A new study by the University of Warwick and British Antarctic Survey analyzed magnetic field records to detect super-storms over the last 150 years. The analysis shows that 'severe' magnetic storms occurred in 42 out of 150 years, and 'great' super-storms occurred in 6 years out of 150.
A Chinese research team has developed a new technique that enables super-resolution microscopy of living cells with unprecedented speeds and resolutions. The approach, which combines ghost imaging and compressive imaging, can capture processes in living cells on millisecond time-scales with spatial resolution of tens of nanometers.
A University of Washington atmospheric scientist will lead a NASA field campaign to fly through major snowstorms along the East Coast, observing snow as it forms in clouds to help with satellite monitoring. The goal is to understand how snow distributes unevenly across the storm and improve forecasts.
Researchers found that sediment and particulate nutrient impacts to the Bay occur mostly during high-flow events like major storms, but the Bay is resilient in the long run. Sediment delivery to the mid-Bay region is relatively small, minimizing potential impacts on water quality.
A team of researchers analyzed data on large nearshore waves to provide insights that could help design coastal structures better withstand destructive waves. The study found that the extreme waves in shallow waters tend to be smaller than rogue waves in deep water but have similar characteristics.
Researchers have discovered a complex storm system in Saturn's north polar atmosphere, with features suggesting they are caused by convection in deep water clouds. The storms were found to be long-lived and high-intensity, unlike those on Earth, and appear to have formed at a rate of one every 30-60 years.
Strong winter dust storms and a prolonged cold winter season likely contributed to the collapse of the Akkadian Empire in Mesopotamia. The empire's settlements were suddenly abandoned around 4,200 years ago due to agricultural failures and social instability caused by frequent shamals and dry spells.
A research team at the University of Tsukuba studied ancient cuneiform tablets and matched them with tree-ring radioisotope data to identify three possible magnetic storms that occurred around 679-655 BCE. This work may help modern astronomers predict future solar flares or coronal mass ejections.
The study found that removing invasive mice from the Farallon Islands would reduce the presence of overwintering burrowing owls, which in turn would decrease mortality rates among ashy storm-petrels. The researchers project a stable or increasing population trend for the threatened bird species.
NASA's Terra satellite captured a visible image of newly formed Tropical Depression 11 over the western Gulf of Mexico on Sept. 17. The storm briefly strengthened into Tropical Storm Imelda, making landfall near Freeport, Texas, and triggering a Tropical Storm Warning.
Research found that people experiencing storm and flood damage are about 50% more likely to experience poorer mental health, even when the damage is minor. The study suggests that climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of storms and floods in the UK, highlighting the need for mental health support.
Tropical Storm Podul is expected to make landfall on August 29 in central and north Vietnam. The storm is currently located about 108 nautical miles north of Da Nang, Vietnam, with maximum sustained winds of 35 knots.
Tropical Depression Erin's strong northwesterly vertical wind shear pushed most of its clouds and thunderstorms southeast, weakening the storm. The cyclone strengthened into a tropical storm despite the wind shear, but weakened back to a depression by 11 a.m. EDT.
A centuries-old Italian winemaking tradition is under threat from shifting rainfall patterns, leading to earlier grape harvests and reduced flavor complexity. Intense precipitation events are exacerbating the effects of global warming on premium wines.
A new model forecasts dusty conditions with 63% accuracy over the southwestern US and 71% in the Great Plains. High levels of airborne dust can affect health, transportation, and agriculture.
Scientists trained a deep learning model to recognize features of individual storms that affect hail formation and size, improving prediction accuracy by up to 10%. The study highlights the importance of considering a storm's entire structure in hail forecasting.
A Finnish research team developed a machine learning approach to predict storm severity, using data from power outages and storm characteristics. The algorithm achieved promising results in predicting class 0 no-damage storms and class 3 damaging storms, with plans to refine the model for winter storms.
A new study finds that US water management systems use outdated design guidelines, leading to more frequent and severe flooding. The researchers analyzed data from over 900 weather stations and found that extreme rainstorms are happening 85% more often in the eastern US than in 1950.
Monsoon rain storms have become more intense in the southwestern United States, with a 6-11% increase in rainfall intensity since the 1970s. Climate change is attributed to these changes, as temperatures in the region have risen by 0.4 degrees F per decade.
A UTA professor is working on a new classification system for geomagnetic storms based on overall storm energy, focusing on storms with large amounts of power that dissipate in the ionosphere. This research could lead to better understanding of how space weather affects satellites and ultimately life on Earth.
A recent study published in Frontiers in Earth Science suggests that intense storms may contribute to the breakup of Antarctic ice sheets. Researchers deployed underwater sensors to record 'icequakes' indicating fracturing of the Nansen Ice Shelf, which calved into two giant icebergs during a massive storm system.
Tropical Storm Danas was detected by NASA's Aqua satellite as it moved north and away from the Philippines. The storm is forecast to pass near Ishigakijima island on July 18 and is expected to strengthen over the next couple of days.
NASA's ARIA team created a flood proxy map using satellite data from the ALOS-2 satellite, depicting areas of Louisiana likely flooded due to heavy rain and Tropical storm Barry. The map can be used as guidance to identify potentially flooded areas, but its reliability is limited over urban and vegetated regions.
Researchers found that auroral crackling sounds are generated by magnetic storms and Schumann resonances, which activate sound waves in the atmosphere. The study used data from 25 sound events measured in Southern Finland during active Northern Lights displays.
Researchers found that solar storms become more complex as the Sun's 11-year activity cycle reaches its maximum. The study could help improve forecasting of potentially hazardous space weather events with devastating consequences for modern technologies.
A recent study published in Nature Communications found that human activities contribute significantly to iron pollution in the North Atlantic Ocean. The research used isotope ratios of iron to 'fingerprint' its source and revealed that human-derived iron was present in dust samples, contradicting previous assumptions.
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have developed a conceptual model that explains how thunderstorm clouds form dense clusters, influenced by solar irradiation and ocean temperatures. This phenomenon can impact climate change predictions and extreme weather events.