Climate Change Affecting Great Lakes Levels
March 31, 2001The Great Lakes are already at their lowest levels in decades, and researchers have differing views on how a warmer climate will affect lake levels in the near future. (Tammy Webber, Associated Press)
Ocean Gobbling Up More Carbon Dioxide
March 29, 2001Researchers using data from NASA’s SeaWiFS satellite have noticed that ocean algae are devouring carbon dioxide at record rates. (CNN.com, Space.com)
Ancient Tree Rings Give Climate Clues
March 28, 2001Seasonal growth rings in ancient trees found in southern Chile indicate early evidence of El Niños. (BBC News online)
Warmer Seas Stir Fears in Japan
March 28, 2001Scientists in Japan believe that warming seas, triggered by changes in underwater currents and global warming are responsible for smaller fish catches, and may endanger the future of the industry. (Reuters, MSNBC.com)
Lake’s Rapid Retreat Heightens Troubles in North Africa
March 27, 2001Northern Africa’s once-giant freshwater lake, Lake Chad, has shrunk by 95% since the 1960s due to agricultural demands and climate changes. (Andrew Revkin, New York Times)
Coral Reefs Return to the Caribbean
March 27, 2001Scientists have found that some coral reefs near Jamaica are regenerating because more sea urchins are grazing on harmful algae. (BBC News online)
NASA Satellite Finds Massive New Antarctic Iceberg
March 22, 2001NASA’s Landsat 7 satellite detected a 15 mile crack in the Antarctic’s Pine Island Glacier that will lead to the formation of a new iceberg. (CNN cable and CNN.com, MSNBC cable and MSNBC.com, ABC National News, The Weather Channel)
Scientists Launch Asian Dust Study
March 20, 2001More than 100 scientists in multiple organizations have launched a study in Asia of the effect of aerosols have on global warming. (Associated Press)
Global Warming Could Put Palm Trees in the Swiss Alps
March 19, 2001Computer models used in a study by a scientist on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicate temperatures in the Swiss Alps could rise by 5 degrees Celsius over the next century. (Reuters)
Ice Probe Explores Glacier’s Secrets
March 19, 2001An ice probe that drilled 4 holes in the west Antarctic ice sheet found rivers flowing beneath the ice and evidence that debris travels further through glaciers than previously thought. (BBC News online)
Satellite Tracks Plumes of Pollution
March 19, 2001NASA’s Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer satellite has revealed the difference between how smoke and smog move in the atmosphere. (Scientific American online)
Increase In Greenhouse Gases Seen from Space
March 14, 2001Satellite data confirmed an increase in greenhouse gases over the last 27 years. (Reuters, Associated Press)
Wildlife Preserve Shows Effect of Global Warming
March 13, 2001A preserve located near the Chesapeake Bay has recorded rising water levels, according to researchers studying the ecosystem for the past 20 years. (Reuters, CNN.com)
Scientists See El Niño Lurking on the Horizon
March 13, 2001Scientists are seeing early signs of the development of El Niño, but are not certain when it will be fully appear. Some scientists suggest next winter or the following winter before El Niño fully develops. (San Jose Mercury News)
DOE Sets Up Institute to Study Climate Change
March 12, 2001The U.S. Department of Energy has established a joint research institute to study approaches to curbing carbon dioxide emissions. Collaborators include the University of Maryland and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. (Reuters, Associated Press)
El Niño Returns With a Whimper
March 9, 2001Scientists are banking on the arrival of El Niño this coming autumn, but caution that it will likely be weaker than the 1997-1998 event. (Amy Lewis, Weather.com)
Scientists Go Down to Find What’s Up About Earth’s Climate
March 9, 2001Scientists are drilling holes into the Earth’s crust to catalog climate changes that have occurred over the last 500 years. (Richard Hill, The Oregonian online)
Clouds Above the Pacific Ocean Release Trapped Heat
March 7, 2001Cirrus clouds in the tropical Pacific Ocean may open a natural “heat vent” and release enough energy back into space to diminish global warming. (BBC News online)
Climate Change ‘Can be Beaten’
March 5, 2001The third and final report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that global warming can be beaten, but to do so is lacking the political will. (BBC News online)
Rising Oceans Threaten to Destroy Ecosystems
March 5, 2001Scientists say global warming has caused seas to rise one foot over the last century and will continue to rise by nearly one-tenth of an inch every year. (Claude Morgan, ENN.com)
Scientists Report Gains in Protecting Ozone Layer
March 4, 2001Scientists report that the level of chlorine, an ozone-destroying gas, has peaked in the upper atmosphere, and that international agreements limiting the amount of ozone-eating gases are effective. (Robert Cooke, Newsday)