http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/weather/ All about weather. Learn how meteorologists forecast the weather and why some weather systems are hard to predict. en-us Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:05:05 EST Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:05:05 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/weather/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029161532.htm Climate models that predict heavy rainfall don't give the whole picture, according to the results of a new study. Researchers examined climate changes that have taken place over the past 800,000 years, and discovered that the melting icebergs in the North Atlantic and changes in the El Niño Southern Oscillation have a great influence on the intensity of monsoon rains. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029161532.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105353.htm Aerosols, very small particles suspended in the air, play an important role in the global climate balance and in regulating climate change. They are one of the greatest sources of uncertainty in climate change models. ESA's GlobAerosol project has been making the most of European satellite capabilities to monitor them. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105353.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110071348.htm Launch scrubs are nothing new at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. In fact, there have been 116 space shuttle scrubs; 72 for technical reasons and 45 for inclement weather. During the summer, bad weather, particularly lightning, seems to strike as the countdown clock nears zero. Maybe it's because Kennedy and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station are well within what meteorologists call, "Lightning Alley." Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110071348.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106121918.htm The epic flooding that hit the Atlanta area in September of 2009 was so extremely rare that, six weeks later this event has defied attempts to describe it. Scientists have reviewed the numbers and they are stunning. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106121918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104000925.htm Biologists have explained why corals spawn for just a few nights in some places but elsewhere string out their love life over many months. A new study shows that corals spawn when regional wind fields are light. When it is calm, the eggs and sperm have the chance to unite before they are dispersed. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104000925.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103145611.htm Following the launch of ESA's SMOS satellite on Nov. 2, the French space agency CNES, which is responsible for operating the satellite, has confirmed that the instrument's three antenna arms have deployed as planned, and that the instrument is in good health. During launch and the first few orbits around Earth, the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) instrument's antenna arms remained safely folded up. Today, these three arms folded-out and now form a large three-pointed star shape. With its unusual shape, measuring eight metres across, SMOS can be dubbed a 'star in the sky'. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103145611.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104122526.htm Is there such a thing as "weather" on Mars? There are some doubts, considering the planet's atmosphere is only 1 percent as dense as that of the Earth. Mars, however, definitely has clouds, drastically low temperatures and out-of-this-world dust storms. A professor of atmospheric sciences now hopes to analyze and forecast Martian weather. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104122526.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103121616.htm Launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., aboard an United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch vehicle, Oct. 18, 2009, the Special Sensor Ultraviolet Limb Imager (SSULI) developed by the Naval Research Laboratory offers a first of its kind technique for remote sensing of the ionosphere and thermosphere from space. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103121616.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102111845.htm A rocket carrying the European Space Agency's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity satellite blasted off successfully today. SMOS is the first-ever satellite to attempt to measure ocean salinity from space. It will provide global maps of soil moisture over land and surface salinity over the ocean. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102111845.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029111907.htm A new European Earth observation satellite will be launched in the early hours of Monday November 2 from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. The European Space Agency Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity satellite will measure moisture levels in the Earth's soils and the saltiness of the world's oceans from space for the very first time. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029111907.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026192903.htm High temperatures, humidity and low wind speed are associated with high occurrence of dengue fever according to a new study. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026192903.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105317.htm Houses on stilts, small scale energy generation and recycling our dishwater are just some of the measures that are being proposed to prepare our cities for the effects of global warming. A new study outlines how major cities must respond if they are to continue to grow in the face of climate change. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105317.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020122538.htm Seismologists have found a new way to piece together the history of hurricanes in the North Atlantic -- by looking back through records of the planet's seismic noise. It's an entirely new way to tap into the rich trove of seismic records, and the strategy might help establish a link between global warming and the frequency or intensity of hurricanes. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020122538.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016094049.htm Once-in-a-lifetime floods in the Philippines, India's delayed monsoon, and extensive drought in Australia are taking their toll on this year's rice crops, demonstrating the vulnerability of rice to extreme weather. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016094049.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015203837.htm The Arctic Ocean sea ice is thinning, new data show, supporting the emerging thinking that the Ocean will be largely ice-free during summer within a decade. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015203837.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006104627.htm Historical naval logbooks are being used for the first time in research into climate change. The logbooks include famous voyages such as the Beagle, Cook’s HMS Discovery and Parry’s polar expedition in HMS Hecla. Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006104627.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005161126.htm A 16-year study of tropical butterfly migration links a global climate pattern, El Niño, to local increases in plant production and peak migrations. Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005161126.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001164104.htm A 2005-2007 dry spell in the southeastern United States destroyed billions of dollars of crops, drained municipal reservoirs and sparked legal wars among a half-dozen states -- but the havoc came not from exceptional dryness but booming population and bad planning, says a new study. Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001164104.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928172359.htm As researchers develop new ways to better understand and predict the nature of individual storms, a largely unstudied phenomenon has caught the attention of scientists. Cool water upwellings occurring within ocean cyclones following alongside and behind hurricanes are sometimes strong enough to reduce the strength of hurricanes as they cross paths. Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928172359.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928195032.htm Sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words, particularly when the picture is used to illustrate science. Technology is giving us better pictures every day, and one of them is helping a NASA-funded scientist and her team to explain the behavior of a greenhouse gas. Google Earth -- the digital globe on which computer users can fly around the planet and zoom in on key features -- is attracting attention in scientific communities and aiding public communication about carbon dioxide. Recently Google held a contest to present scientific results using KML, a data format used by Google Earth. Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928195032.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928194832.htm Since May 2009, the tropical Pacific Ocean has switched from a cool pattern of ocean circulation known as La Niña to her warmer sibling, El Niño. This cyclical warming of the ocean waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific generally occurs every three to seven years, and is linked with changes in the strength of the trade winds. El Niño can affect weather worldwide, including the Atlantic hurricane season, Asian monsoon season and northern hemisphere winter storm season. But while scientists agree that El Niño is back, there's less consensus about its future strength. Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928194832.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817190638.htm Heavier rainstorms lie in our future. That's the clear conclusion of a new study on the impact that global climate change will have on precipitation patterns. Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817190638.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090923143337.htm El Niño, the periodic eastern Pacific phenomenon credited with shielding the US and Caribbean from severe hurricane seasons, may be overshadowed by its brother in the central Pacific due to global warming, according to new research. Could lead to more intense hurricanes in the Atlantic, increased opportunity for droughts in Australia and India. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090923143337.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917135208.htm In the last ten years, scientists have set up a global observing system to monitor the world’s oceans. The observation system works by combining satellite observations with data from in-water recording devices such as buoys, tide gauges and an array of more than 3000 Argo robots. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917135208.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917170914.htm Whether for introduced muskrats in Europe or oak trees in the United Kingdom, zebra mussels in United States lakes or agricultural pests around the world, scientists have tried to find new ways of controlling invasive species by learning how these animals and plants take over in new environs. Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917170914.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090918153121.htm It won't be as easy as some had hoped to catalog all the factors that influence the spread of an invading species, a new study suggests. If it is difficult to predict the course of an invasion, it will be difficult to control it. And there are hundreds of destructive invaders in the US alone, from kudzu to zebra mussels to the light brown apple moth. Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090918153121.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901143321.htm This summer, a group of scientists and students -- as well as a Canadian senator, a writer, and a filmmaker -- set out from Resolute Bay, Canada, on the icebreaker Louis S. St-Laurent. They were headed through the Northwest Passage, but instead of opening shipping lanes in the ice, they had gathered to open up new lines of thinking on Arctic science. Mon, 07 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901143321.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827101207.htm Long ago, a group of Himalayan glaciers grew by several kilometers even while Central Asia's climate warmed up to six degrees Celsius. New analysis attributes much of the glacial growth to increased cloudiness and wind. A project is now under way to forecast the Indus River system's water supply for the coming decades. Sat, 29 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827101207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827141349.htm Subtle connections between the 11-year solar cycle, the stratosphere, and the tropical Pacific Ocean work in sync to generate periodic weather patterns that affect much of the globe, according to research appearing this week in the journal Science. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827141349.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827101217.htm As temperatures soar, scientists have been collecting data amid the ancient ruins that symbolize the birthplace of western culture. These data, combined with measurements from aircraft and satellites, promise to improve "urban heat island" forecasts to make life in modern-day Athens easier during heat waves. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827101217.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090826073544.htm New research implicates pollution from Asia, Europe and North America as a contributor to recent Australian rainfall changes. Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090826073544.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090825151008.htm From mid July to early August 2006, a heat wave swept through the southwestern United States. Temperature records were broken at many locations and unusually high humidity levels for this typically arid region led to the deaths of more than 600 people, 25,000 cattle and 70,000 poultry in California alone. Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090825151008.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824083606.htm NASA has several satellites that orbit the Earth one behind the other on the same track. They're called the "A-Train" and one of the things they study is tropical cyclones. There are also other satellites outside the A-Train that are used to study different aspects of tropical cyclones. The satellites that form the A-Train provide unique information about tropical cyclones, the collective term for tropical depressions, tropical storms, hurricanes and typhoons. Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824083606.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820161146.htm A new study finds that young muskoxen conserve heat almost as well as adults, a finding that runs contrary to a longstanding assumption among scientists that young animals should be more vulnerable in extreme cold. Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820161146.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090812143938.htm Using satellite data, hydrologists have found that groundwater beneath northern India has been receding by as much as 1 foot per year over the past decade -- and they believe human consumption is almost entirely to blame. Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090812143938.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090723142116.htm A rare April freeze in 2007 provided researchers with further evidence that climate change could have negative effects on stream and forest ecosystems. Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090723142116.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090812143936.htm Reconstructions of past hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean indicate that the most active hurricane period in the past was during the "Medieval Climate Anomaly" about a thousand years ago when climate conditions created a "perfect storm" of La Nina-like conditions combined with warm tropical Atlantic waters. Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090812143936.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806191938.htm More accurate global weather forecasts and a better understanding of climate change are in the works. Scientists developed a high performance electronic device -- known as a dual polarized Frequency Selective Surface filter -- that is to be used in future European Space Agency (ESA) missions. The data measures temperature, humidity profiles, and gas composition, which are in turn entered into operational systems and used to forecast weather and pollution. Fri, 07 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806191938.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090807135100.htm Sometimes satellite imagery will leave a person in awe of nature's power and that's what the latest satellite image from NASA's Aqua satellite will do as it shows the giant Typhoon Morakot's center about to cross Taiwan. Morakot has already caused problems in Taiwan on its approach and has proven deadly in the Philippines. Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090807135100.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624093313.htm A type of insurance called index insurance offers significant opportunities as a climate-risk management tool in developing countries, according to a new article. Fri, 31 Jul 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624093313.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727102036.htm Scientists have found the size of this year's Gulf of Mexico dead zone to be smaller than forecasted, measuring 3,000 square miles. However the dead zone, which is usually limited to water just above the sea floor, was severe where it did occur, extending closer to the water surface then in most years. Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727102036.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727191728.htm A lack of sunlight is associated with reduced cognitive function among depressed people. Researchers used weather data from NASA satellites to measure sunlight exposure across the United States and linked this information to the prevalence of cognitive impairment in depressed people. Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727191728.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090725120003.htm Scientists say conditions are favorable for significant coral bleaching and infectious coral disease outbreaks in the Caribbean, especially in the Lesser Antilles. Similar conditions may develop in Gulf of Mexico and Central Pacific. The forecast is based on the July NOAA Coral Reef Watch outlook, which expects continued high water temperatures through October 2009. Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090725120003.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090723141812.htm As the earth warms, it is not known whether clouds will dissipate and let more heat in, or whether cloud cover will increase. In a study in Science, researchers begin to unravel this mystery. Using observational data and models, they have established that low-level clouds appear to dissipate as the ocean warms, indicating that changes in these clouds may increase the warming of the planet. Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090723141812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720191143.htm Arctic springtails (Megaphorura arctica) survive freezing temperatures by dehydrating themselves before the coldest weather sets in. Researchers have identified a suite of genes involved in controlling this extreme survival mechanism. Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720191143.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090719194337.htm The eerie beauty of the northern and southern lights has evoked visions of the supernatural for centuries: foxes of fire whisking their tales, the fighting souls of dead warriors or ancestors dancing around a ceremonial fire. Mon, 20 Jul 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090719194337.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090716113358.htm Establishing a key link between the solar cycle and global climate, new research shows that maximum solar activity and its aftermath have impacts on Earth that resemble La Niña and El Niño events in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090716113358.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090715131553.htm Scientists have developed a new computer model that they hope will predict with unprecedented accuracy how many hurricanes will occur in a given season. Thu, 16 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090715131553.htm