Was the heat wave experienced by the east coast earlier this month the result of climate change? It’s impossible to say since climate change isn’t defined by single events, but rather long term (thirty years or more) averages and frequencies. What we can say is that conditions experienced during the heat wave may be a taste of summers to come if the frequency of days with high temperatures around 100 °F increases, as is expected to happen with increasing average global temperatures.
Archive for the ‘Observed’ Category
The heat wave and the climate divide
Monday, July 19th, 2010Atlantic may see above-average hurricane season
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010Forecasters from Colorado State University predicted that the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season (June 1 – Nov, 30) will be above average, with 15 named storms and 8 hurricanes, 4 of Category 3 or higher. They forecast the probability of a major hurricane hitting the U.S. coast at 69%. These preliminary predictions will be revised on June 2 and August 4. Although much remains to be learned about the connection between hurricanes and climate change, some climate scientists think global warming affects hurricane severity more than frequency.
Study says U.S. waterways are warming
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010The first major analysis of streams and rivers in the U.S., has found that 20 major rivers are warming at 0.02-0.14 degrees per year. Urban areas in general and the Delaware River in particular are warming fastest. Mitigation and adaption strategies are needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Past decade was warmest on record meteorological agency reports
Monday, March 29th, 2010A U.N. agency, the World Meteorological Organization, reported that the past decade was the warmest on record. This outcome supports one by the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, which found that the decade from 2000 to 2009 was the warmest since modern temperature recording started in the 1850s.
Highs and lows
Monday, March 22nd, 2010For all the talk about greenhouse gas emissions, very little money or manpower is actually devoted to measuring them. Until the U.S. orbits a satellite to do the job, none can. Its first Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) failed on launch. Europe’s is on the drawing boards. Measuring isn’t sexy compared to research, but it’s fundamental to good science.
Global weirding is here
Thursday, February 18th, 2010Thomas Friedman writes in the New York Times on “global weirding”, which happens when climates change. Extreme weather events become more common. He wants the climate-science community to meet and publish a simple 50-page report on What we Know, adding the skeptics’ worst errors — and their funding.
Around the redwoods, the fog Is dissipating
Thursday, February 18th, 2010Researchers have found that coastal summer fogs in central California have decreased by about a third since the early 20th century. They don’t attribute the decline directly to climate change, but do suggest that the state’s redwoods, which transpire a lot, may be stressed by lower summer humidity.
Less water vapor may slow warming trends
Friday, January 29th, 2010Carbon dioxide and methane are greenhouse gases (GHGs) that trap heat in the atmosphere, warming the climate. Water vapor is a GHG too. A new study reports that water vapor in the stratosphere has decreased in the last 10 years, slowing Earth’s warming by about 25%. Yet the Earth is still warming.
Past decade warmest on record, NASA data shows
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010Data released by NASA shows that the decade ending in 2009 was the warmest on record, and 2009 was the second warmest year since 1880. The warmest year was 2005; others in the top ten are all since 1998. The temperature trend is up 0.36 degrees F per decade over 30 years, and 1.5 degrees since 1880.
Global warming is not slowing, says weather agency
Tuesday, December 8th, 2009One of the climate skeptics’ fondest assertions, that the world is cooling, not warming, was dealt a blow yesterday in a provisional report issued by the World Meteorological Organization. Although the year isn’t quite over, 2009 is on track to be the fifth warmest year in the last 150 years.