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 Mon, 12 May 2008 21:05:01 EDT Mon, 12 May 2008 21:05:01 EDT 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/2008/05/080508182435.htm Three hot-air balloons dropped asphalt shingles, lumber, sticks, leaves and pine needles onto a north Alabama landfill, so scientists could gather data needed to improve tornado warnings. The payloads dropped by the balloons were similar to the types of debris thrown into the air by tornados that touch the ground. Scientists hope the Doppler radar data collected will be a first step toward programming National Weather Service Doppler radar to recognize tornado debris, so more timely and precise tornado warnings might be issued. Mon, 12 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508182435.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508115809.htm The National Center for Atmospheric Research has taken delivery of a new IBM supercomputer that will advance research into severe weather and the future of Earth's climate. The supercomputer, known as a Power 575 Hydro- Cluster, is the first in a highly energy-efficient class of machines to be shipped anywhere in the world. Fri, 09 May 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508115809.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507132855.htm Computer analyses of global climate have consistently overstated warming in Antarctica, new research concludes. The study can help scientists improve computer models and determine if Earth's southernmost continent will warm significantly this century, a major research question because of Antarctica's potential impact on global sea-level rise. Thu, 08 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507132855.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507083947.htm Prepare for more floods -- in ways we are not used to. That's the message from experts at Durham University who have studied rainfall and river flow patterns over 250 years. Last summer was the second wettest on record and experts say Britain must prepare for worse to come. Wed, 07 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507083947.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506124443.htm Three researchers have proposed an innovative way to improve global climate change predictions by using a supercomputer with low-power embedded microprocessors, an approach that would overcome limitations posed by today's conventional supercomputers. Wed, 07 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506124443.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502113749.htm To date climate change projections, as published in the last IPCC report, only considered changes in future atmospheric composition. This strategy is appropriate for long-term changes in climate such as predictions for the end of the century. However, in order to predict short-term developments over the next decade, models need additional information on natural climate variations, in particular associated with ocean currents. Lack of sufficient data has hampered such predictions in the past. Mon, 05 May 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502113749.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428104521.htm A new NASA satellite mission will make global soil moisture and other measurements essential to the accuracy of weather forecasts and predictions of global carbon cycle and climate. At present, scientists have no network for gathering soil moisture data as they do for rainfall, winds, humidity and temperature. SMAP will change that. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428104521.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424152254.htm Europeans want to peek into the world's soil and see how dry various regions are. The European Space Agency (ESA) is set to launch the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite this fall as researchers try to learn more about the amount of moisture in the ground in the United States and around the world. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424152254.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424165309.htm Conditions are ripe for another large red tide bloom in New England waters; weather and current patterns will determine outcome. The end of April usually brings the first signs of harmful algae in New England waters, and this year, researchers are preparing for the worst. Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424165309.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421195005.htm Boosted by the influence of a larger climate event in the Pacific, one of the strongest La Niñas in many years is slowly weakening but continues to blanket the Pacific Ocean near the equator, as shown by new sea-level height data collected by the U.S.-French Jason oceanographic satellite. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421195005.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421124230.htm The shrinking expanse of Arctic sea ice is increasingly vulnerable to summer sunshine. New research finds that unusually sunny weather contributed to last summer's record loss of Arctic ice, while similar weather conditions in past summers did not have comparable impacts. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421124230.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080418112341.htm The average global land temperature in March of 2008 was the warmest on record and ocean surface temperatures were the 13th warmest. Combining the land and the ocean temperatures, the overall global temperature ranked the second warmest for the month of March. Global temperature averages have been recorded since 1880. An analysis by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center shows that the average temperature for March in the contiguous United States ranked near average for the past 113 years. It was the 63rd warmest March since record-keeping began in the United States in 1895. The average global land temperature in March of 2008 was the warmest on record and ocean surface temperatures were the 13th warmest. Combining the land and the ocean temperatures, the overall global temperature ranked the second warmest for the month of March. Global temperature averages have been recorded since 1880. Sat, 19 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080418112341.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416153558.htm The Earth's jet streams are shifting -- possibly in response to global warming. Scientists have determined that over a 23-year span from 1979 to 2001 the jet streams in both hemispheres have risen in altitude and shifted toward the poles. The jet stream in the northern hemisphere has also weakened. These changes fit the predictions of global warming models and have implications for the frequency and intensity of future storms, including hurricanes. Storm paths in North America are likely to shift northward as a result of the jet stream changes. Hurricanes, whose development tends to be inhibited by jet streams, may become more powerful and more frequent as the jet streams move away from the sub-tropical zones where hurricanes are born. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416153558.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410115420.htm Migratory birds make mistakes in terms of direction, but not distance. Scientists assessed several thousand reports of Asian birds from the leaf-warbler and thrush families that had strayed to Europe. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410115420.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410131548.htm A new technique that helps forecasters continuously monitor landfalling hurricanes, giving them frequent and detailed images of a storm's location, will be implemented this summer. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410131548.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409133718.htm The Colorado State University forecast team upgraded its early season forecast saying the U.S. Atlantic basin will likely experience a well above-average hurricane season. The team's forecast now anticipates 15 named storms forming in the Atlantic basin between June 1 and Nov. 30. Eight of the storms are predicted to become hurricanes, and of those eight, four are expected to develop into intense or major hurricanes (Saffir/Simpson category 3-4-5) with sustained winds of 111 mph or greater. Long-term averages are 9.6 named storms, 5.9 hurricanes and 2.3 intense hurricanes per year. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409133718.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407132120.htm Scientists are now flying through springtime Arctic pollution to find out why the region is warming -- and summertime sea ice is melting -- faster than predicted. Some 35 NOAA researchers are gathering with government and university colleagues in Fairbanks, Alaska, to conduct the study. Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407132120.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407094610.htm Scientists tell us that the evidence the Earth is warming is "unequivocal." Increases in global average air and sea temperature, ice melting and rising global sea levels all help us understand and prepare for the coming challenges. In addition to these observed changes, climate-sensitive impacts on human health are occurring today. They are attacking the pillars of public health. And they are providing a glimpse of the challenges public health will have to confront on a large scale. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407094610.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403140928.htm You know that green scum creeping across the surface of your local public water reservoir? Or maybe it's choking out a favorite fishing spot or livestock watering hole. It's probably cyanobacteria -- blue-green algae -- and, according to an article in Science, relishes the weather extremes that accompany global warming. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403140928.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326081114.htm A six-year study of Amazonian small farmers and their responses to climate change shows the farmers are vulnerable to natural catastrophes and risky land use practices. Thu, 27 Mar 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326081114.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320181838.htm The Gulf Stream's impact on climate is well known, keeping Iceland and Scotland comfortable in winter compared to the deep-freeze of Labrador at the same latitude. That cyclones tend to spawn over the Gulf Stream has also been known for some time. A new study reveals that the Gulf Stream anchors a precipitation band with upward motions and cloud formations that can reach 7 miles high and penetrate the upper troposphere. The discovery shows that the Gulf Stream has a pathway by which to directly affect weather and climate patterns over the whole Northern Hemisphere, and perhaps even world wide. Mon, 24 Mar 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320181838.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080321140042.htm Major floods striking America's heartland in mid-March offer a preview of the spring seasonal outlook, according to NOAA's National Weather Service. Several factors will contribute to above-average flood conditions, including record rainfall in some states and snow packs, which are melting and causing rivers and streams to crest over their banks. The week of March 15, more than 250 communities in a dozen states are experiencing flood conditions. Sun, 23 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080321140042.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318121552.htm Rain falling on snow sounds like a relatively harmless weather event, but when it happens in the far north it can mean lingering death for reindeer, musk oxen and other animals that normally graze on the Arctic tundra. Scientists say satellite data could be used to help save herds of musk oxen and reindeer from starvation when ice storms cut off their food supply. Fri, 21 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318121552.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318151743.htm Using the latest satellite observations, NASA researchers and others report that the Arctic is still on "thin ice" when it comes to the condition of sea ice cover in the region. A colder-than-average winter in some regions of the Arctic this year has yielded an increase in the area of new sea ice, while the older sea ice that lasts for several years has continued to decline. Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318151743.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311130811.htm Science has come a long way with predicting climate. Increasingly sophisticated models and instruments can zero in on a specific storm formation or make detailed weather forecasts -- all useful to our daily lives. But to understand global climate change, scientists need more than just a one-day forecast. They need a deeper understanding of the complex and interrelated forces that shape climate. Physicists now make the case that statistical physics can provide a better understanding of global weather patterns -- information critical for more accurately predicting climate change. Fri, 14 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311130811.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310151956.htm A new study implies that large-scale simulations of water dynamics in soil may be imprecise to completely wrong. But, it also opens new options for a specific refinement of simulation techniques using locally adaptive grids. These findings should be transferable to applications such as the simulation of oil reservoirs or models for soil remediation techniques. Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310151956.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311120617.htm While every mode of transportation in the United States will be affected as the climate changes, potentially the greatest impact on transportation systems will be flooding of roads, railways, transit systems and airport runways in coastal areas because of rising sea levels and surges brought on by more intense storms, says a new report from the National Research Council. Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311120617.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311163631.htm The pending federal decision about whether to protect the polar bear as a threatened species is as much about climate science as it is about climate change. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently considering a proposal to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, a proposal largely based on anticipated habitat loss in a warming Arctic. Climate models -- mathematical representations of the natural processes affecting climate -- factored heavily in the scientific information requested by the FWS to guide its official recommendation, which was due Jan. 9. Wed, 12 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311163631.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080226135421.htm Rising carbon dioxide levels from burning fossil fuels have been linked to sea level changes, snowmelt, disease, heat stress, severe weather, and ocean acidification. Yet because it does not affect respiration directly, carbon dioxide is not considered a classic air pollutant. Noting that increasing levels of carbon dioxide cause temperature and water vapor content to rise, researchers analyzed how this could harm lung function and irritate the respiratory system. They found that each one degree Celsius rise in temperature may increase U.S. annual air pollution deaths by about 1000. Tue, 04 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080226135421.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080215191428.htm Every year, storms over West Africa disturb millions of tons of dust and strong winds carry those particles into the skies over the Atlantic. According to atmospheric scientists, this dust from Africa directly affects ocean temperature, a key ingredient in Atlantic hurricane development. Wed, 20 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080215191428.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080217215726.htm An unexpected radar image of airborne debris from the Feb. 6 tornado that killed four people in Lawrence County, Ala., might help scientists develop better tools for warning the public when and where strong tornadoes are on the ground. Scientists are studying radar data from the early morning tornado to see if the radar signature from the debris is so distinctive that computers can be programmed to instantly recognize it, so more timely and precise warnings might be issued. Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080217215726.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080211132843.htm The current La Niña event, characterized by a cooling of the sea surface in the central and eastern Equatorial Pacific, has strengthened slightly in recent months and is expected to continue through the first quarter of 2008, with a likelihood of persisting through to the middle of the year. The ongoing La Niña event started in the third quarter of 2007 and has already influenced climate patterns during the last six months across many parts of the globe, including in the Equatorial Pacific, across the Indian Ocean, Asia, Africa and the Americas. Sun, 17 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080211132843.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080214114525.htm Winter precipitation -- such as rain and snow -- became more intense in the UK during the last 100 years. Similar increases in heavy rainfall have now also become evident in spring and, to a lesser extent, autumn. A previously reported reduction in heavy summer rainfall appears to have ended during the 1990s, with observations for the last decade indicating a return to more typical amounts of intense rainfall in summer. The results will inform other work currently being carried out on flood risk and the impact of extreme weather events. As surface run-off depends on rainfall intensity and frequency, changes in intense rainfall events will impact strongly on floods. Fri, 15 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080214114525.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080201215416.htm Rainfall data from a NASA satellite show that summertime storms in the southeastern United States shed more rainfall midweek than on weekends. Scientists say air pollution from humans is likely driving that trend. Thu, 07 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080201215416.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130130647.htm The link between changes in the temperature of the sea's surface and increases in North Atlantic hurricane activity has been quantified for the first time. The research shows that a 0.5 C increase in sea surface temperature can be associated with a ~40 per cent increase in hurricane activity. Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130130647.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080128113104.htm The next time you have to raise your umbrella against torrents of cold winter rain, you may have a remote weather phenomenon to thank that many may know by name as El Nino, but may not well understand. Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080128113104.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123110405.htm After enduring months on the coldest, driest and windiest continent on Earth, researchers today closed out the inaugural season on an unprecedented, multiyear effort to retrieve the most detailed record of greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere over the last 100,000 years. Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123110405.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124121218.htm The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. in 2007 is officially the tenth warmest on record, according to data from scientists at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. The agency also determined the global surface temperature last year was the fifth warmest on record. Sat, 26 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124121218.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124105735.htm Ocean surface currents have long been the focus of research due to the role they play in weather, climate and transportation of pollutants, yet essential aspects of these currents remain unknown. Sat, 26 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124105735.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124115808.htm A warming global ocean -- influencing the winds that shear off the tops of developing storms -- could mean fewer Atlantic hurricanes striking the United States according to new findings by NOAA climate scientists. Furthermore, the relative warming role of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans is important for determining Atlantic hurricane activity. The article uses observations to show that warming of global sea surface temperatures is associated with a secular, or sustained long-term increase, of vertical wind shear in the main development region for Atlantic hurricanes. The increased vertical wind shear coincides with a downward trend in U.S. landfalling hurricanes. Fri, 25 Jan 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124115808.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080116114150.htm Climatologists have found that 2007 tied with 1998 for Earth's second warmest year in a century. The greatest warming in 2007 occurred in the Arctic, and neighboring high latitude regions. Global warming has a larger affect in polar areas, as the loss of snow and ice leads to more open water, which absorbs more sunlight and warmth. Thu, 17 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080116114150.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114085128.htm Cool, wet conditions in the Northwest, frigid weather on the Plains, and record dry conditions in the Southeast, all signs that La Niña is in full swing. With winter gearing up, a moderate La Niña is hitting its peak. And we are just beginning to see the full effects of this oceanographic phenomenon, as La Niña episodes are typically strongest in January. A La Niña event occurs when cooler than normal sea surface temperatures form along the equator in the Pacific Ocean, specifically in the eastern to central Pacific. The La Niña we are experiencing now has a significant presence in the eastern part of the ocean. Wed, 16 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114085128.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080104091616.htm 2008 is set to be cooler globally than recent years say Met Office and University of East Anglia climate scientists, but is still forecast to be one of the top-ten warmest years. Each January the Met Office, in conjunction with the University of East Anglia, issues a forecast of the global surface temperature for the coming year. The forecast takes into account known contributing factors, such as El Niño and La Niña, increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, the cooling influences of industrial aerosol particles, solar effects and natural variations of the oceans. Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080104091616.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080107143109.htm A new 11-year cycle of heightened solar activity, bringing with it increased risks for power grids, critical military, civilian and airline communications, GPS signals and even cell phones and ATM transactions, has shown signs it was on its way, when the cycle's first sunspot recently appeared in the sun's northern hemisphere. Tue, 08 Jan 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080107143109.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071230211952.htm The year 2007 is on pace to become one of the 10 warmest years for the contiguous U.S., since national records began in 1895. The year was marked by exceptional drought in the U.S. Southeast and the West, which helped fuel another extremely active wildfire season. The year also brought outbreaks of cold air, and killer heat waves and floods. Meanwhile, the global surface temperature for 2007 is expected to be fifth warmest since records began in 1880. Mon, 31 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071230211952.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071215212425.htm Using smoke, laser light, model airplane propellers and a campus wind tunnel, researchers are trying to solve the airflow mysteries that surround wind turbines, an increasingly popular source of "green" energy. Thu, 20 Dec 2007 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071215212425.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071217141419.htm Detecting pollution, like catching criminals, requires evidence and witnesses; but on the scale of countries, continents and oceans, having enough detectors is easier said than done. A team of air quality modelers, climatologists and air policy specialists may soon change that. They have developed a new way to close the gaps in the global pollution dragnet by using NASA satellite data to detect precursors to ozone pollution. Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071217141419.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071213101348.htm Weather broadcasts have long been a staple for people planning their day. Now with the help of NASA satellites, researchers are working to broaden daily forecasts to include predictions of air quality, a feat that is becoming reality in some parts of the world. Wed, 19 Dec 2007 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071213101348.htm