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 Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:05:01 EST Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:05:01 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/2012/02/120215155300.htm Based on more than 25 years of data, ecologists looked at how droughts and heat waves affect grass growth during different months of the year. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:53:53 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215155300.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215143116.htm Extreme summer temperatures are already occurring more frequently in the United States, and will become normal by mid-century if the world continues on a business as usual schedule of emitting greenhouse gases. By analyzing observations and results obtained from climate models, a new study has shown that previously rare high summertime (June, July and August) temperatures are already occurring more frequently in some regions of the 48 contiguous United States. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215143116.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213133056.htm Arctic sea ice is rapidly retreating. Within a few decades the North Pole could be completely ice-free in summer. How will that affect our weather? In the research project "Seasonal Predictability over the Arctic Region" (SPAR), scientists in Norway have made some discoveries that may lead to more reliable seasonal forecasts. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213133056.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209152816.htm Scientists are using computer models to help unravel the mystery of a record-setting snowfall in the Washington, DC area in early 2010. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209152816.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208153449.htm During January, warmer-than-average conditions enveloped most of the contiguous United States, with widespread below-average precipitation. The overall weather pattern for the month was reflected in the lack of snow for much of the Northern Plains, Midwest, and Northeast. This scenario was in stark contrast to Alaska where several towns had their coldest January on record. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:34:34 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208153449.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120205163804.htm Some climate cooling caused by past volcanic eruptions may not be evident in tree-ring reconstructions of temperature change because large enough temperature drops lead to greatly shortened or even absent growing seasons, according to climate researchers, who compared tree-ring temperature reconstructions with model simulations of past temperature changes. Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:38:38 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120205163804.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201181457.htm NASA's GCPEx science team is collecting as much data as they can to improve understanding of snow dynamics inside clouds, because they relate to how snow moves through Earth's water and climate cycles. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:14:14 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201181457.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201181218.htm Yellow-cedar, a culturally and economically valuable tree in southeastern Alaska and adjacent parts of British Columbia, has been dying off across large expanses of these areas for the past 100 years. But no one could say why -- until now. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:12:12 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201181218.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201142402.htm A potent follow-up solar flare, which occurred Jan. 17, 2012, just days after the Sun launched the biggest coronal mass ejection seen in nearly a decade, delivered a powerful radiation punch to Earth's magnetic field despite the fact that it was aimed away from our planet. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201142402.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201105126.htm Even if the current weather situation may seem to go against it, the probability of cold winters with a lot of snow in Central Europe rises when the Arctic is covered by less sea ice in summer. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:51:51 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201105126.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130100202.htm The sun unleashed an X1.8 class flare that began at 1:12 PM ET on January 27, 2012 and peaked at 1:37. The flare immediately caused a strong radio blackout at low-latitudes, which was rated an R3 on NOAA's scale from R1-5. The blackout soon subsided to a minor R1 storm. Models from NASA's Goddard Space Weather Center predict that the CME is traveling at over 1500 miles per second. It does not initially appear to be Earth-directed, but Earth may get a glancing blow. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:02:02 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130100202.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127174842.htm NASA satellites are providing valuable data to forecasters as Tropical Cyclone Iggy nears Western Australia. NASA's Aqua satellite provided visible and infrared data on Iggy, observing colder cloud tops and strengthening storm. Iggy has already triggered warnings and watches along coastal areas. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127174842.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127173939.htm Leaner, greener flying machines for the year 2025 are on the drawing boards of three industry teams under contract to the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate's Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127173939.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126224518.htm The AIRS infrared instrument that flies on NASA's Aqua satellite has been providing forecasters with the cloud top temperatures in the Southern Indian Ocean's ninth tropical cyclone, which has officially been renamed Iggy. AIRS data showed that the area of strong thunderstorms around Iggy's center has expanded in area over the last day. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:45:45 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126224518.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125163410.htm Tropical Cyclone Funso is now a dangerous Category four cyclone in the Mozambique Channel, moving southward between Mozambique on the African mainland and the island nation of Madagascar. As Funso became a major cyclone two NASA satellites were providing forecasters with valuable storm information. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:34:34 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125163410.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125163408.htm NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the low pressure system called System 97S on Jan. 24 and observed a large area of strong thunderstorms around its center that hinted at further development. On Jan. 25, the low strengthened into the ninth tropical depression and now a tropical storm of the Southern Indian Ocean. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:34:34 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125163408.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125093918.htm NASA has renamed its newest Earth-observing satellite in honor of the late Verner E. Suomi, a meteorologist at the University of Wisconsin who is recognized widely as "the father of satellite meteorology." NASA launched the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project, or NPP, on Oct. 28, 2011, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. NPP was renamed Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership, or Suomi NPP. The satellite is the first designed to collect critical data to improve short-term weather forecasts and increase understanding of long-term climate change. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125093918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125093821.htm Solar flares are giant explosions on the sun that send energy, light and high speed particles into space. These flares are often associated with solar magnetic storms known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). While these are the most common solar events, the sun can also emit streams of very fast protons -- known as solar energetic particle (SEP) events -- and disturbances in the solar wind known as corotating interaction regions (CIRs). All of these can produce a variety of "storms" on Earth that can -- if strong enough -- interfere with short wave radio communications, GPS signals, and Earth's power grid, among other things. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:38:38 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125093821.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124183528.htm A significant blast of energy from the sun arrived at Earth on Jan. 24, 2012 at 10 a.m. EST, triggering a moderate geomagnetic storm here that's unlikely to cause major problems. But skywatchers take note: the storm could set off bright Northern and Southern lights Tuesday night, possibly visible from as far south as New York and Oregon. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:35:35 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124183528.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123131125.htm NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center -- the nation's official source of warnings and alerts about space weather and its impacts on Earth -- has issued a watch for a geomagnetic storm associated with a bright flare on the sun Sunday evening (Jan. 22, 2012). The storm could arrive Tuesday morning, with possible impacts to navigation, the power grid and satellites. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:11:11 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123131125.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119152353.htm The global average surface temperature in 2011 was the ninth warmest since 1880, according to NASA scientists. The finding continues a trend in which nine of the 10 warmest years in the modern meteorological record have occurred since the year 2000. Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:23:23 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119152353.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119152001.htm La Niña, "the diva of drought," is peaking, increasing the odds that the Pacific Northwest will have more stormy weather this winter and spring, while the southwestern and southern United States will be dry. Sea surface height data from NASA's Jason-1 and -2 satellites show that the milder repeat of last year's strong La Niña has recently intensified, as seen in the latest Jason-2 image of the Pacific Ocean. Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:20:20 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119152001.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119134019.htm A new study of short-term climate trends offers the first framework for predicting tornado activity up to a month out with current technology, and possibly further out as climate models improve, giving communities a chance to plan. The study may also eventually open a window on the question of whether tornadoes are growing more frequent due to long-term climate warming. Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:40:40 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119134019.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120116154457.htm Worldwide pandemics of influenza caused widespread death and illness in 1918, 1957, 1968 and 2009. A new study examining weather patterns around the time of these pandemics finds that each of them was preceded by La Niña conditions in the equatorial Pacific. Since the La Niña pattern is known to alter the migratory patterns of birds, the scientists theorize that altered migration patterns promote the development of dangerous new strains of influenza. Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:44:44 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120116154457.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120113102056.htm New research has found that individuals and the private sector have an important role to play in the provision of public policies to help society adapt to the impacts of climate change. Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:20:20 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120113102056.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112193430.htm Scientists have offered up a convincing explanation for the harsh winters recently experienced in the Northern hemisphere: increasing temperatures and melting ice in the Arctic regions creating more snowfall in the autumn months at lower latitudes. Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:34:34 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112193430.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109145913.htm An interactive tool developed by researchers from the USDA Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station will help wind energy facility operators make informed decisions on efficient ways to reduce impacts on migratory bats. Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:59:59 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109145913.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120108143555.htm Summertime hail could all but disappear from the eastern flank of Colorado's Rocky Mountains by 2070, according to a new modeling study. Less hail damage could be good news for gardeners and farmers, but a shift from hail to rain can also mean more runoff, which could raise the risk of flash floods, she said. Sun, 08 Jan 2012 14:35:35 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120108143555.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120106164913.htm Scientists work to assist fishermen in ways to avoid accidentally hauling in butterfish, a species protected by fishing limits. The researchers develop models to predict where the fish will be. Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:49:49 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120106164913.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120106110212.htm Climate scientists have now shown for the first time that the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation at 26.5 °N can be skillfully predicted for up to four years. Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:02:02 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120106110212.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104115057.htm Researchers have developed a new technology that can reduce air pollutant emissions from some chicken and swine barns, and also reduce their energy use by recovering and possibly generating heat. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:50:50 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104115057.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111229091634.htm Winters in the Gobi desert are usually long and very cold but the winter of 2009/2010 was particularly severe, a condition Mongolians refer to as "dzud". Millions of livestock died in Mongolia and the re-introduced wild Przewalski's horse population crashed dramatically. Researchers have used spatially explicit loss statistics, ranger survey data and GPS telemetry to provide insights into the effect of a catastrophic climate event on wild horses, wild asses and livestock that share the same habitat but show different patterns of spatial use. Thu, 29 Dec 2011 09:16:16 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111229091634.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111228111727.htm New research suggests that China's impressive feat of cutting Beijing's pollution up to 50 percent for the 2008 Summer Olympics had some help from Mother Nature. Rain just at the beginning and wind during the Olympics likely contributed about half of the effort needed to clean up the skies, scientists found. The results also suggest emission controls need to be more widely implemented than in 2008 if pollution levels are to be reduced permanently. Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111228111727.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111214125857.htm As the percentage of wind energy contributing to the power grid continues to increase, the variable nature of wind can make it difficult to keep the generation and the load balanced. But recent work may help this balance through a project that alerts control room operators of wind conditions and energy forecasts so they can make well-informed scheduling decisions. This is especially important during extreme events, such as ramps, when there is a sharp increase or decrease in the wind speed over a short period of time, which leads to a large rise or fall in the amount of power generated. Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:58:58 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111214125857.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213110241.htm Crops that can cope with sudden fluctuations in the weather could be developed, thanks to fresh discoveries about the survival mechanisms of plants. Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:02:02 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213110241.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212153159.htm At least one person admits that the extreme heat in Texas this year was beneficial. But all the same, he'd opt next time for a handmade torture chamber. "Some people will complain about the heat, but from my viewpoint as a breeder, I love stress," said a rose breeder. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212153159.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111207001334.htm The first tropical storm of the Southern Indian Ocean season has been renamed from Tropical Storm 01S to Tropical Storm Alenga as it continues to strengthen. NASA's TRMM satellite was able to capture a look at the rainfall rates and cloud heights within Alenga recently. Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111207001334.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205181919.htm The Southern Indian Ocean cyclone season is off and running and NASA's Aqua satellite saw the birth of Tropical Cyclone 01S. Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:19:19 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205181919.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205170101.htm Scientists have proposed a common root for an enormous deluge in western Tennessee in May 2010, and a historic outbreak of tornadoes centered on Alabama in April 2011. Both events seem to be linked to a relatively rare coupling between the polar and the subtropical jet streams. Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:01:01 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205170101.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205102629.htm Climate change does not discriminate among regions or their inhabitants, but the continued growth of the human population will most likely contribute to the ill-effects of climate change. US researchers suggest an interdisciplinary approach, recruiting expertise from the social sciences, is best for conducting the needed research and model development to move forward in the study of climate change. Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205102629.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130100013.htm The assumption that high jet steam wind speeds in the upper atmosphere correspond to high wind power has now been challenged by new research. Taking into account that the high wind speeds result from the near absence of friction and not from a strong power source, scientists found that the maximum extractable energy from jet streams is approximately 200 times less than reported previously. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130100013.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111129103312.htm Warmer, drier summers and extreme weather events considered possible as the climate changes would be especially troublesome -- possibly fatal -- for walnut trees, according to researchers. Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111129103312.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111119153540.htm Tornadoes are expected to accompany severe storms in the springtime in the US, but this time of year they also usually happen. When a line of severe thunderstorms associated with a cold front swept through the US southeast on Nov. 16, TRMM collected rainfall data on the dangerous storms from space. Sat, 19 Nov 2011 15:35:35 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111119153540.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111118133048.htm While the prediction of hurricane tracks have steadily improved over the last few decades, improvements in the predictions of storm intensity and structure have proven much more difficult. Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111118133048.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115175819.htm Researchers report the first climate study to focus on variations in daily weather conditions, which found that day-to-day weather has grown increasingly erratic and extreme, with significant fluctuations in sunshine and rainfall affecting more than a third of the planet. These swings could have consequences for ecosystem stability and the control of pests and diseases; industries such as agriculture and solar-energy production; and could affect what scientists can expect to see as the Earth's climate changes. Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:58:58 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115175819.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111114133742.htm Increases in air pollution and other particulate matter in the atmosphere can strongly affect cloud development in ways that reduce precipitation in dry regions or seasons. This while increasing rain, snowfall and the intensity of severe storms in wet regions or seasons, according to results of a new study. Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111114133742.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111113141304.htm Increases in air pollution and other particulate matter in the atmosphere can strongly affect cloud development in ways that reduce precipitation in dry regions or seasons, while increasing rain, snowfall and the intensity of severe storms in wet regions or seasons, says a new study. The research provides the first clear evidence of how aerosols can affect weather and climate, with important economic and water resource implications. Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111113141304.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111111095550.htm Given a legitimate need to protect Earth from the most intense forms of space weather – great bursts of electromagnetic energy and particles that can sometimes stream from the sun – some people worry that a gigantic "killer solar flare" could hurl enough energy to destroy Earth. Citing the accurate fact that solar activity is currently ramping up in its standard 11-year cycle, there are those who believe that 2012 could be coincident with such a flare. But this same solar cycle has occurred over millennia. Anyone over the age of 11 has already lived through such a solar maximum with no harm. In addition, the next solar maximum is predicted to occur in late 2013 or early 2014, not 2012. Fri, 11 Nov 2011 09:55:55 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111111095550.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111110192306.htm By analyzing nearly a decade of satellite data, a team of scientists has created a model that can successfully predict the severity and geographic distribution of fires in the Amazon rain forest and the rest of South America months in advance. Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:23:23 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111110192306.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111110094846.htm A truck-mounted radar dish often used to chase Midwest tornadoes is getting a workout in Utah this month as meteorologists use it to get an unprecedented look inside snow and rain storms over the Salt Lake Valley and the surrounding Wasatch and Oquirrh mountains. Thu, 10 Nov 2011 09:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111110094846.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111108201542.htm An analysis of precipitation data collected from a lakebed in New York and a Rhode Island estuary has provided a link between the variability of precipitation in the Northeast with that of the Southwest. The results validate climate models that predict an increasing number of extreme weather events. Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111108201542.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111105153315.htm As cold winter weather sets in and daylight hours dwindle, many older Chicagoans with arthritis tend to sit idle, missing out on the daily dose of physical activity they need to improve their health, according to a new study. Sat, 05 Nov 2011 15:33:33 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111105153315.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102190356.htm NASA's TRMM Satellite captured moderate rainfall and some high, towering clouds in the Arabian Sea's newborn Tropical Storm Keila. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:03:03 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102190356.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111028115342.htm Wintertime droughts are increasingly common in the Mediterranean region, and human-caused climate change is partly responsible, according to a new analysis. In the last 20 years, 10 of the driest 12 winters have taken place in the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 11:53:53 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111028115342.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111028103227.htm The network of electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations in Germany is still relatively sparse, but their number is growing rapidly. The majority of roadside charging points take the form of steel-clad pillars. A group of researchers has set out to develop an alternative design based on environmentally compatible materials. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:32:32 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111028103227.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111028082557.htm NASA's newest Earth-observing satellite soared into space early Oct. 28, 2011 aboard a Delta II rocket after liftoff at 5:48 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:25:25 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111028082557.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111026143813.htm Climate models have a hard time representing clouds accurately because they lack the spatial resolution necessary to accurately simulate the billowy air masses. But scientists have developed a new tool that will help scientists better represent the clouds observed in the sky in climate models. Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:38:38 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111026143813.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111025210906.htm Significant increases in annual temperatures are having a devastating effect on glaciers in the mountainous regions of southwestern China, potentially affecting natural habitats, tourism and wider economic development. Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:09:09 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111025210906.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111025163126.htm Hurricane warnings are in effect in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and visible and infrared satellite imagery from NASA continues to show Hurricane Rina getting stronger. Rina is now a category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:31:31 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111025163126.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111024153418.htm NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite called TRMM and NASA's Aqua satellite captured radar and temperature data that showed Tropical Storm Rina forming in the western Caribbean Sea yesterday. Today, Rina continues strengthening. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:34:34 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111024153418.htm