La Nina Leaves States High and Dry
April 24, 2000Spring and summer in most of the Unites States will be warmer and drier than normal because of the La Niña that has persisted for the past two years, according to the National Weather Service. Ants Leetmaa, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's climate prediction center, says computer models are predicting warmer, drier conditions and the end of La Niña. (Environmental News Network)
Earth's High-Tech Checkup
April 20, 2000NASA's $1.3 billion Terra spacecraft will provide data on how the land, sea, and air interact with each other and with clouds, vegetation, and aerosols to influence global climate. Ghassem Asrar, NASA's Associate Administrator for Earth Sciences, says Terra marks the beginning of a new era in examining our changing world from space. (Washington Post, Curt Suplee)
First Three Months Warmest in 106 Years
April 19, 2000The first three months of the year were the warmest in the United States in 106 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The report revealed that June 1999 through March 2000 was the warmest period ever in the nation. (Associated Press)
A Global Warming Affirmation
April 18, 2000The early draft of the report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change contains no surprises about the prospect of continued global warming. According to the report, humans have influenced the planet's climate and global temperatures are likely to warm between 2 degrees and 9 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the 21st century. (Washington Post, Curt Suplee)
Growing Loss of Arctic Atmosphere's Ozone
April 6, 2000Unusual cold and a sharp loss of ozone in the Arctic stratosphere this winter have heightened concern that changes in global climate may delay recovery of the Earth's partly depleted ozone layer, scientists said. (The New York Times, William K. Stevens; also Associated Press, Reuters)
Greenland Glacier Warming Feared
April 6, 2000Scientists watching for signs of melting from global warming now say a key threat comes from glaciers in Greenland. These glaciers are more likely to melt with dire consequences as Earth warms up, said Kurt Cuffey of the University of California, Berkeley. (Associated Press, Rick Callahan)
Solar Storms Could Wreak Major Havoc
April 4, 2000As the sun approaches the peak of a solar maximum, belching out regular clouds of charged gas, Earth's electric power systems, satellites, and communications systems may be in danger. "Our technological vulnerability to these solar storms has gone way up," said Daniel Baker of the University of Colorado. (Gannett News Service/USAToday.com)
Maps Show Earth and Seas in Detail
April 4, 2000Data from satellite radar, submarine exploration, and sonar scans have been combined to produce the most comprehensive, detailed maps of sea-floor topography ever released to the public. The new maps were released by the National Geophysical Data Center in Boulder, Colo. (The New York Times, Warren E. Leary)
Monitoring Earth's Vital Signs
April 1, 2000NASA's new Terra spacecraft, one of a fleet called the Earth Observing System, uses five state-of-the-art sensors to better diagnose the planet's health. Terra will measure factors that play a role in climate change including greenhouse gases, cloud cover, vegetation, and ice cover. (Scientific American, Michael D. King and David D. Herring)