Scientists Head for Sweden to Study Arctic Ozone Loss
November 29 — A contingent of University of Colorado at Boulder faculty and students are descending on Kiruna, Sweden, to help undertake the largest field campaign ever to assess ozone concentrations and chemical changes in the Arctic stratosphere. University of Colorado scientist Owen B. Toon is one of five project scientists heading up the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment, which includes a cadre of satellites, aircraft, balloons, and ground-based instruments. Toon will be plotting the courses and objectives of the NASA DC-8 aircraft that carries 16 instruments weighing 40,000 pounds. (University of Colorado release) More

Geologists Pinpoint Source of Ancient Global Warming Event
November 19 — For the first time a team of scientists has identified the possible methane release site and critical sequence of events that precipitated Earth's bout with global warming, and the extinction of many deep-sea species and appearance of new mammalian orders, more than 55 million years ago. In an article in the journal Science, Rutgers University geologists provide support for a link between the ancient mass extinction and the massive release of methane and carbon dioxide into the oceans and atmosphere. Since the 1980s, scientists have tried to explain the rapid climate warming apparent in geochemical records. (National Science Foundation release) More

Evidence of Ancient Global Warming Found in Ocean Sediments
November 18 — By analyzing sediments taken from the ocean floor, scientists have discovered strong evidence linking a dramatic period of global warming, approximately 55.5 million years ago, to a massive release of methane, an event that resulted in an extensive die-off of deep sea dwelling organisms, according to a paper published in the journal Science. The warming occurred over a 10,000 to 20,000-year interval and corresponds to the appearance of numerous mammals, including primates, and the extinction or temporary disappearance of many deep-sea species. (University of California, Santa Barbara release) More

Arctic Sea Ice Shows "Striking" Decline Since 1960s
November 15 — Scientists using data acquired by U.S. Navy submarines have reported a "striking" reduction in the thickness of Arctic sea ice, as compared with 20-40 years ago. Writing in the December 1 issue of Geophysical Research Letters, D. Andrew Rothrock of the University of Washington, Seattle, and colleagues say the average thickness of the ice from the ocean surface to the bottom of the ice pack has declined by 4.3 feet (1.3 meters). This represents a reduction of about 40 percent as compared with the earlier period. The decrease in sea ice occurs all across the Arctic Ocean and corresponds to previously reported evidence that the Arctic climate is warming, the researchers say. (American Geophysical Union release) More

Climate Change Will Have Major Impact on U.S. Northwest
November 9 — Can Washington, Oregon, and Idaho handle average temperatures more than 5 degrees warmer, 5 percent more annual precipitation, one-third less winter snowpack, and a mountain snow line as much as 1,500 feet higher? Climate models show such changes are possible in the three-state Columbia River Basin by the middle of the next century as a result of human causes, a broad panel of scientists and policy analysts reported today. The Climate Impacts Group at the University of Washington released the most comprehensive-ever examination of past and future climate change in the region. (University of Washington release) More

Global Warming Will Threaten California's Quality of Life
November 4 — If California's climate becomes warmer and wetter due to global warming in the decades ahead, as many experts predict, then the state could face a future with water shortages, wildfires, and adverse affects on its habitat, economy, and quality of life as soon as 2030. That is the prediction of a study by the Ecological Society of America and the Union of Concerned Scientists . "The bottom line is that climate change is real," said Frank Davis of the University of California at Santa Barbara. (UCSB release) More

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