Stories that have recently appeared in the popular press, television, and radio.
Finding Ocean Temperatures in the Ice
May 21 Scientists confirm that during the past five years the Arctic Ocean
has warmed by one degree Fahrenheit at the Applied Physics Laboratory Ice
Station in Barrow, Alaska. Peter Mikhalevsky is measuring the Arctic
Ocean's temperature by analyzing the undersea travel time of sound. The
scientists believe that the Arctic oscillation is continuing to warm the
Arctic Ocean and melt the ice, but there is a possibility that a shift in
the oscillation could easily cool the Arctic region. ( Peter N. Spotts,
The Christian Science Monitor )
Coral Bleaching Hits Record Level
May 19 Global warming has been linked to an unprecedented episode of coral
bleaching in 1998, says the U.S. Department of State and the International
Society for Reef Studies. Scientists have found that coral bleaching has
become more frequent and severe with climate change. (CNN
Interactive)
New Focus of Climate Fears: Altered Air Currents
May 18 New circulation patterns in the Earths atmosphere will
encourage El Niño events to occur more often. Kevin Trenberth, a
researcher at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder,
Colo., says that global warming enables storms like El Niño to
recharge their batteries more frequently, which will lead to an increase in
El Niño events. One of the new circulation patterns is caused by
high-altitude winds that circle the North Pole near the Arctic Circle. (William K. Stevens, New York Times).
Trees Thrive on Increased CO2
May 17 Experimental forest plots pumped with levels of carbon dioxide
expected in 2050 experienced a 25 percent growth increase. Scientists at
Duke University report that the results suggest that vegetation will
respond to higher CO2 levels and act as a carbon sink. (Paul Recer, Associated Press).
Oklahoma Tornado Sets Wind Record
May 15 Winds speeds of 318 miles per hour ripped through Oklahoma last
week setting a record for the highest speeds documented on Earth.
Scientists at the University of Oklahoma hope that the high-resolution
images captured by Doppler radar will reveal clues about these deadly
whirlwinds. (Richard Monastersky, Science News).
Ocean-Monitoring System Proposed
May 15 A report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
has asked Congress to fund an integrated ocean observing system. The
system would be similar to those used in weather forecasting and the ocean
observing systems already in the Pacific Ocean. D. James Baker, Commerce
undersecretary for oceans and atmosphere, challenges Congress to take the
next step to expand the operational systems to the global ocean. (CNN
Interactive)
Study Reveals Clues To Life on Ocean Floor
May 14 A seven-year study in 13,000 feet deep waters off the
Southern California coast found that the food supply for creatures living
on or near the ocean floor is decreasing. Researchers at Scripps
Institution of Oceanography report that this finding could have an impact
on the fishing industry and government assessment of deep-ocean disposal
sites. (Terry Rodgers, San Diego Union-Tribune).
How a Killer Tornado Is Born
May 11 Scientists scrambled to southern Oklahoma on May 3 to learn when
and how a whirling wind becomes a tornado . Meteorologists from the
University of Oklahoma captured the tornados birth on radar at a
distance of about threequarters of a mile from the tornados
center. (New York Times )
Scientists Seek To Understand Underwater Forests
May 10 Underwater kelp forest communities are helping scientists better
understand El Niño and La Niña. Researchers at Scripps
Institution of Oceanography have been investigating the Point Loma kelp
forest to determine the impact of El Niño and La Niña on the
size, density, and distribution of kelp in the ocean. (CNN
Interactive)
Ocean Studied for Carbon Dioxide Storage
May 10 Researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and
Stanford University are studying the possibility of storing excess liquid
carbon dioxide in the ocean. The study published in the journal
Science,reports that this is a safe but expensive solution.
(CNN Interactive)
New Technology to Monitor Global Warming
May 7 New computer models, called Global Information Systems, is a
computerized mapping tool used to store and analyze data, detect
deforestation, rising levels of greenhouse gases, and polluting factories
down to the city block. At the Global Warming International Conference and
Expo in Tokyo, Japan, scientists showcased their new tools to understand
global arming and its impacts. (Associated Press)
La NiñaTornado Link Eyed
May 7 La Niña is being blamed for the tornadoes that swept across
Oklahoma earlier this month. Steve Byrd with the National Weather Service
says that there is a link to the fact that there are more tornadoes in the
area during La Niña events. But the opposite occurs in other
regions . For example California sees less storms than usual during La
Niña events. (Associated Press)
Ozone Optimism
May 4 Ozone depleting compounds in the atmosphere fell by 3 percent,
report scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In the study published in Nature, Michael Prather, from University of
California at Irvine, says that the reduction of methyl chloroform has a
noticeable influence on ozone levels. The next step, says Prather, is to
decrease CFC-12 levels. (Chrisitian Science Monitor)
Weather Patterns, Warming Linked
May 2 Scientists at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather
Forecasts suggest that the Earth's weather circulation contains clues to
global warming. In a study published in the journal of Nature,
researchers reveal that human-induced global warming causes not only a rise
in global temperatures but also the predictable occurrence of established
weather patterns. (Associated Press)
Tracking Killer Waves
May 1 On July 17, 1998, a tsunami sent 15 meter high waves over the
northern coast of Papua New Guinea killing over 2,200 villagers.
Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are
developing a network of six deep-ocean reporting stations that can track
tsunamis and report them in real time. Scientists have completed testing
of prototype systems and expect the network to be operating reliably in two
years. (Scientific American)
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