http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/severe_weather/ Severe weather research news. Learn how a storm, tornado, hurricane, or cyclone develop. What causes El Nino, La Nina or a drought? What do meterologist predict for the coming season? en-us Sun, 07 Sep 2008 17:05:01 EDT Sun, 07 Sep 2008 17:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/severe_weather/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080905153847.htm Researchers show how sheep on a remote island off the west coast of Scotland respond to two consequences of climate change: altered food availability and the unpredictability of winter storms. When times are good, lambs contribute almost twice as much to population size. The oldest sheep contribute most to population growth when conditions are harsh. New mathematical breakthroughs have made it possible to learn how individuals affect population dynamics in rapidly changing environments. Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080905153847.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080905153801.htm It appears that aerosol effects on clouds can induce large changes in precipitation patterns, which in turn may change not only regional water resources, but also may change the regional and global circulation systems that constitute the Earth's climate. A group of scientists have proposed a new framework to account more accurately for the effects of aerosols on precipitation in climate models. Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080905153801.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080905072122.htm The development and path of Hurricane Gustav is shown via a sequence of satellite images acquired by Envisat's Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) instrument on 25 August, 28 August, 30 August and 1 September 2008 (from right to left). Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080905072122.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903134323.htm The theory that global warming may be contributing to stronger hurricanes in the Atlantic over the past 30 years is bolstered by a new study. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903134323.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080904102747.htm Computer scientists are generating new "petascale" computer models depicting detailed climate dynamics, which will build the foundation for the next generation of complex climate models. The project offers a golden opportunity for climate simulation and prediction scientists to dramatically advance Earth system science and help to improve quality of life on the planet. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080904102747.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903075614.htm Half the residents of New Orleans were suffering from poor mental and physical health more than a year after their homes and community were devastated by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, according to new research. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903075614.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902171149.htm New research shows that black and white Americans responded differently when exposed to a video presentation that described Hurricane Katrina and then blamed the botched relief efforts on one of two causes: either government incompetence or racism, because the majority of Katrina's victims were black. Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902171149.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080829104949.htm Shortly after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the US, engineers studied damage done to offshore drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. If tropical storm Gustav strengthens into a Category 3 hurricane, as forecasters are predicting, the damage could be extensive. Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080829104949.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080828120320.htm Hundreds of lives and hundreds of millions of dollars could potentially be saved if emergency managers could make better and more timely critical decisions when faced with an approaching hurricane. Now, an MIT graduate student has developed a computer model that could help do just that. Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080828120320.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080826080759.htm A new LIDAR measurement system -- unique in the world -- will provide continuous data on atmospheric humidity for Western Switzerland's weather forecasting headquarters. Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080826080759.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080826115906.htm Cane toads weren't allowed to compete in the Olympics, but scientists have raced cane toads in the laboratory and calculated that they would not be able to invade Melbourne, Adelaide or Hobart and are unlikely to do well in Perth or Sydney, even with climate change. Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080826115906.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080825201731.htm Imagine adding a thermometer to Google Earth. That's the vision of Agricultural Research Service scientists Martha Anderson and Bill Kustas, who see the need for high-resolution thermal infrared imaging tools -- such as those aboard the aging Landsat satellites -- as vital to monitoring earth's health. Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080825201731.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080825210415.htm An aerial survey by government scientists in Alaska's Chukchi Sea this week found at least nine polar bears swimming in open water -- with one at least 60 miles from shore -- raising concern among wildlife experts about their survival. Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080825210415.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080825175041.htm At the end of the day, drought tolerance in corn has to equate to good yields and good quality, not just good looks, said a Texas AgriLife Research scientist. Corn breeders are working with crosses between temperate and tropically adapted varieties of corn to find a drought-tolerant plant that performs well under reduced irrigation. Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080825175041.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080825103529.htm This week, inaugural tests at The University of Western Ontario's 'Three Little Pigs' project at the Insurance Research Lab for Better Homes will get underway. This facility is the first of its kind in the world to subject full-scale houses to pressures that simulate the effects of winds as strong as a category 5 hurricane -- or 200 mph -- all within a controlled environment. Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080825103529.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080819082600.htm Human-driven changes in the westerly winds are bringing hotter and drier springs to the American Southwest, according to new research from the University of Arizona in Tucson. Since the 1970s the winter storm track in the western US has been shifting north, particularly in the late winter. As a result, fewer winter storms bring rain and snow to Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, western Colorado and western New Mexico. Sat, 23 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080819082600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080819092017.htm A stalagmite in a West Virginia cave has yielded the most detailed geological record to date on climate cycles in eastern North America over the past 7,000 years. The new study confirms that during periods when Earth received less solar radiation, the Atlantic Ocean cooled, icebergs increased and precipitation fell, creating a series of century-long droughts. Sat, 23 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080819092017.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821164304.htm Some international-security experts say that climate-change-related damage to global ecosystems and the resulting competition for natural resources may increasingly serve as triggers for wars and other conflicts in the future. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821164304.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821163903.htm Air circulates above the Earth in four distinct cells, with two either side of the equator, say researchers. A new observational study describes how air rises and falls in the atmosphere above the Earth's surface, creating the world's weather. This process of atmospheric circulation creates weather patterns and influences the climate of the planet. It is important to understand these processes in order to predict weather events, and to improve and test climate models. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821163903.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080818184428.htm A new analysis of environmental conditions over the Atlantic Ocean shows that hot, dry air associated with dust outbreaks from the Sahara desert was a likely contributor to the quieter-than-expected 2007 hurricane season. Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080818184428.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080814163554.htm Using a novel theoretical approach, researchers from NASA and other institutions have identified the common thread that determines how aerosols from human activity, like the particles from burning of vegetation and forests, influence cloud cover and ultimately affect climate. The study improves researchers' ability to predict whether aerosols will increase or decrease cloud cover. Tue, 19 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080814163554.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813164644.htm Common tree species in the Amazon will survive even grim scenarios of deforestation and road-building, but rare trees could suffer extinction rates of up to 50 percent, predict scientists in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813164644.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812160619.htm Dramatic year-to-year temperature swings and a century-long warming trend across West Antarctica are linked to conditions in the tropical Pacific, according to an analysis of ice cores. The findings show the connection of the world's coldest continent to global warming, as well as to events such as El Niño. Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812160619.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813095724.htm The prospect of climate change sparking food and water shortages in the Middle East is less likely than previously thought, with new research by an Australian climate scientist suggesting that rainfall will be significantly higher in key parts of the region. Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813095724.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812160615.htm Scientists have described a new method for evaluating the frequency of hurricane formation in present and future tropical climates. Compared to other global models currently in use, the new approach uses computer models that provide much more accurate representations of the processes that lead to hurricane formation. Wed, 13 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812160615.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811200337.htm Old female elephants and perhaps their memories of distant, life-sustaining sources of food and water may be the key to survival during the worst of times. Tue, 12 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811200337.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080808114131.htm In the August update to the Atlantic hurricane season outlook, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center has increased the likelihood of an above-normal hurricane season and has raised the total number of named storms and hurricanes that may form. Forecasters attribute this adjustment to atmospheric and oceanic conditions across the Atlantic Basin that favor storm development - combined with the strong early season activity. Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080808114131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807144240.htm Climate models have long predicted that global warming will increase the intensity of "extreme" precipitation events. A new study provides the first observational evidence to confirm the link between a warmer climate and more powerful rainstorms. Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807144240.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080806113316.htm Ecologist are studying how woody vines, or lianas, are affecting tropical forests and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Through a comprehensive community-level study on liana-tree interactions in Panama, researchers are untangling how lianas survive -- and whether they are really threatening trees. Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080806113316.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804100143.htm Scientists have long pointed to physical changes in the Earth and its atmosphere as indicators of global climate change. But changes in climate can wreak havoc in more subtle ways, such as the loss of habitat for plant and animal species. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804100143.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804123147.htm A revised outlook for the Arctic 2008 summer sea ice minimum shows ice extent will be below the 2005 level but not likely to beat the 2007 record. DAMOCLES will dispatch eleven research missions into the Arctic this autumn to better understand the future of the sea ice. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804123147.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080730175524.htm A new high-resolution storm surge modeling system will better be able to predict flood levels and when flooding will occur in the New York metropolitan area, information crucial to emergency managers when planning for impending storms. Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080730175524.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080729234302.htm Rare southern species of birds are on the increase in the British Isles as a result of climatic change, researchers report. Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080729234302.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723134455.htm A new survey finds the top worries of respondents threatened or hit by Hurricane Katrina are that they would not have enough fresh water to drink (42 percent very worried) and that they would not be able to get needed medical care (41 percent very worried). Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723134455.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080724084745.htm A single typhoon in Taiwan buries as much carbon in the ocean -- in the form of sediment -- as all the other rains in that country all year long combined. Mon, 28 Jul 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080724084745.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080721153737.htm For humans in the path of destructive hurricanes and tsunamis, an accurate warning of the pending event is critical for damage control and survival. Such warnings, however, require a solid base of scientific observations, and a new satellite is ready for the job. The Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM)/Jason 2 adds to the number of eyes in the sky measuring sea surface and wave heights across Earth's oceans. The increased coverage will help researchers improve current models for practical use in predicting hurricane intensity, while providing valuable data that can be used to improve tsunami warning models. Sun, 27 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080721153737.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080721152002.htm Geoscientists have come up with a new explanation for the formation of monsoons, proposing an overhaul of a theory about the cause of the seasonal pattern of heavy winds and rainfall that essentially had held firm for more than 300 years. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080721152002.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080722152609.htm A researcher has proposed a microgrid-based power plant with its own local power sources and independent control as a more dependable, efficient, and cost effective system than traditional telecom power systems. Microgrids would also be a quick and inexpensive way to include renewable energy sources for both existing and developing systems. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080722152609.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715152306.htm Several snowmobiles navigated speedily over arctic ice and snow in Alaska's outback in late June. This scene might seem ordinary except that the recently unveiled snowmobiles are unmanned, autonomous, toy-size robots called SnoMotes -- the first prototype network of their kind envisioned to rove treacherous areas of the Arctic and Antarctic capturing more accurate measurements that will help scientists better understand what is causing the well-documented melting of ice in those regions. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715152306.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715083835.htm Imagine the lives that could be saved from flash floods and drought, the millions of dollars in fuel costs that could be avoided for fishing vessels, and the homes that could be spared from the effects of coastline erosion if only scientists could more accurately predict the dynamics of Earth's often unpredictable oceans. Armed with increasingly more accurate forecasts, weather services in countries across the globe are improving time-sensitive warnings of cyclones, flooding and high sea winds, as well as information about when it's safe to scuba dive, sail, or fish 48 kilometers (30 miles) or more beyond coastlines. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715083835.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717134523.htm Scientists have created an instrument designed to help determine the shapes and sizes of tiny ice crystals typical of those found in high-altitude clouds, down to the micron level (comparable to the tiniest cells in the human body), according to a new study. The data produced using this instrument likely will help improve computer models used to predict climate change. Sun, 20 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717134523.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080718074110.htm Saharan dust storms help sustain life over extensive regions of the North Atlantic Ocean. Scientists mapped the distribution of nutrients including phosphorous and nitrogen and investigated how organisms such as phytoplankton are sustained in areas with low nutrient levels. They found that plants are able to grow in these regions because they are able to take advantage of iron minerals in Saharan dust storms. Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080718074110.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080714113005.htm The outlook for air quality in Beijing during the Olympics is borderline, and there's little that the Chinese government can do to improve it. That's the conclusion drawn by atmospheric chemists who analyzed pollution data collected regularly for the last five years by Chinese scientists. Locally generated pollutants in Beijing consist primarily of organic matter from transportation, factories and cooking, while regional sources of pollution include ammonium sulfates and ammonium nitrates from coal-burning power plants, industry and transportation sources, which are easily transported long distances in the atmosphere. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080714113005.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715152322.htm Engineering researchers have narrowed the search for the source of X-rays emitted by lightning, a feat that could one day help predict where lightning will strike. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715152322.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080709110842.htm More than ever before, building design and construction can be significantly improved to reduce wind pressures on building surfaces and to help better resist high winds and hurricanes in residential or commercial construction, said one architecture professor. Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080709110842.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708093615.htm Meltwater is rapidly increasing the tempo of glacial movements on the rim of the Greenland ice sheet. Over the long term, however, this process is interrupted as meltwater drains away via broad channels, as a result of which ice movement decreases once again. Ultimately, this is not a cause of accelerated sea level rise. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708093615.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080709130027.htm For three years, a new way to use data collected by NOAA weather satellites has been giving North Alabama short-term warnings of "pop-up" thunderstorms. This new computer program is now spreading to other parts of the U.S. and the world. Later this summer a version of the new weather program will begin forecasting storms throughout Central America, Southern Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080709130027.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080709210529.htm Efforts to harness the energy potential of Earth's ocean winds could soon gain an important new tool: global satellite maps from NASA. Scientists have been creating maps using nearly a decade of data from NASA's QuikSCAT satellite that reveal ocean areas where winds could produce wind energy. The new maps have many potential uses including planning the location of offshore wind farms to convert wind energy into electric energy. Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080709210529.htm