Media Alerts are press releases from different institutions, that either address climate research, or are NASA-funded.
Natural Disasters in 1999 Not the Century's Worst
December 30 Nature has dealt staggering blows to the Earth and its people
in 1999: killer landslides in Venezuela and Mexico, devastating earthquakes
in Turkey and Taiwan, massive floods along the East Coast of the United
States. But these were not the worst disasters of the century, either in
the power of the events or in the loss of life and property that they
caused, according to a U.S. Geological Survey of the century's worst
landslides, earthquakes, volcanoes, and floods. (U.S. Geological Survey
release) More
Geomagnetic Storms May Kick Off the New Millennium
December 28 As though there weren't enough global concerns about the Y2K
problem, yet another possible problem could occur on that historic
transition in time: a geomagnetic storm. While it is geomagnetic storms
that give rise to the beautiful Northern lights, they can also pose a
serious threat for commercial and military satellite operators, power
companies, and astronauts. The Earth's magnetic field can undergo large and
rapid fluctuations due to the interaction of charged particles ejected by
the Sun that collide with the geomagnetic field. These solar ejections are
associated with sunspots, whose number increase and decrease over an
11-year cycle. The next peak in sunspot activity - and the resulted
geomagnetic storms - is expected to occur in early 2000. (U.S. Geological
Survey release) More
Arctic Oscillation's Impact On Northern Climate Studied
December 16 A growing body of evidence indicates that a climate
phenomenon called the Arctic Oscillation has wide-ranging effects in the
Northern Hemisphere and operates differently from other known climate
cycles. The evidence indicates the acceleration of a counterclockwise
spinning ring of air around the polar region could be responsible for
warmer winters in Scandinavia and Siberia, thinning of the stratospheric
ozone layer, and significant changes in surface winds that might have
contributed to Arctic ice thinning. (University of Washington release) More
Sea Surface Temperature Impacts Drought, Flooding in Amazon
December 15 Rainfall patterns in the Amazon change when humans alter the
land during deforestation and farming, causing some areas to suffer drought
while other areas succumb to floods. Now, Rong Fu of Georgia Institute of
Technology has found that the ocean surface temperature in the Atlantic and
the Pacific surrounding South America has as much of an impact on rainfall
as land cover changes do, helping scientists see the human effect on
rainfall patterns and helping predict impending drought or floods. (Georgia
Institute of Technology release) More
The Challenge of Measuring Aerosols Effects on Climate Change
December 14 The environmental effects of tiny atmospheric particles,
known as aerosols, are of growing concern. Aerosols are now thought to
significantly affect Earth's energy balance, throwing a wrinkle in
climate-change forecasts. At a recent meeting on the subject, researchers
concluded that accurate quantification of aerosols' effects will require
combining remote techniques that can survey vast regions of the atmosphere
with local techniques that can provide detailed information on particle
characteristics. (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign release) More
"Average" Hurricane Season Predicted for 2000
December 10 The United States and countries in and bordering the
Caribbean Basin should experience fewer storms and hurricanes in 2000 than
in recent years, according to the Colorado State University hurricane
forecast team's initial prediction. William Gray, a nationally recognized
hurricane expert, and his colleagues are calling for a "moderate" season in
2000 with 11 named storms, seven hurricanes and three intense hurricanes
predicted. (Colorado State University release) More
Heavy Regional Haze Leads to Reductions In China's Crop Production
December 6 A new study suggests that cleaning up the air may help to feed
the world. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, the NASA-funded study found that heavy regional haze in China's
most important agricultural areas may be cutting food production there by
as much as one-third. Covering a million square kilometers or more, the
haze scatters and absorbs solar radiation, reducing the amount of sunlight
reaching key rice and winter wheat crops. "In China there is a significant
amount of haze that reduces the sunlight reaching the surface by at least 5
percent, and perhaps as much as 30 percent," said William L. Chameides of
the Georgia Institute of Technology. "The optimal yields of crops in China
are likely reduced by the same percentage." (Georgia Institute of
Technology release) More
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