Aging TOPEX/Poseidon Satellite Still Sending Back Ocean Data
January 29, 2000The United States-French TOPEX-Poseidon satellite was designed to monitor
the Earth's oceans for up to five years, but after seven years scientists
say it is still going strong. Bill Patzert at NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory says that the satellite has the precision to look at subtle
changes in sea surface height, which is the real key to understanding the
climate. (Matthew Fordahl, Associated Press)
Weather Forecasts Aren't Synonymous With Climate
January 29, 2000Changes in climate influence weather, but researchers are far from being
able to make accurate and specific weather forecasts. John Wallace, an
atmospheric scientist at the University of Washington, says that climate is
what we expect to happen and weather is what happens. (Matthew Fordahl,
Associated Press)
Hawaii Scientist Eyes NASA Launch
January 28, 2000When the space shuttle Endeavour is launched, Peter Mouginis-Mark at the
University of Hawaii hopes to have some of his questions about volcanic
hazards answered. The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission will improve
topographic maps of volcanoes around the world, says Mouginis-Mark. (Helen
Altonn, Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii)
Southern Ocean Soaks Up Carbon Dioxide
January 28, 2000Manmade carbon dioxide is being soaked up by the cold waters of the
Southern Ocean and is moving to subtropical waters, according to
researchers. Ken Caldeira, a climate scientist at Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory, says scientists were not able to detect an increase in
carbon dioxide levels at 60 degrees S latitude, but they did find an
increase at 40 degrees in the subtropics. (CNN Interactive)
Hunting Ozone: An International Effort to Save the Sunshield in the Sky
January 27, 2000The ozone layer is getting leaner, but it is not just the hole over
Antarctica that worries researchers. Ozone has also been disappearing from
Arctic skies since the early 1990s and unusually high losses were recorded
over Arctic, according to scientists working on NASA's SAGEIII Ozone Loss
and Validation Experiment. (Claire Cockcroft, The Guardian -London)
Arctic SOLVE Mission Living Up To Its Name
January 27, 2000NASA's SOLVE mission was launched in November to measure ozone levels and
changes in the upper Arctic atmosphere during the winter. Scientists have
observed unusually low levels of ozone over the Arctic recently. More than
350 researchers from the United States, Europe, Japan, Russia, and Canada
joined together to learn more about the Arctic atmosphere and ozone. (CNN
Interactive)
Coastal Marsh Gas Linked to Ozone Depletion
January 26, 2000Coastal salt marshes play a role in destroying the planet's protective
ozone layer, scientists report. The marshes release methyl chloride and
methyl bromide, which chemically break down ozone in the atmosphere, says
Ray Weiss, a geochemist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. (David E.
Graham, San Diego Union-Tribune).
Mapping the Earth, Swath by Swath
January 25, 2000The space shuttle Endeavour, scheduled to launch next week, will make a
detailed topographic radar map of the Earth's surface that could help
everyone from military planners to weekend backpackers. Victor Baker, a
hydrologist at the University of Arizona, says that his research on
flooding has benefitted from detailed topographical information from radar.
(Warren E. Leary, New York Times)
Ozone Layer Over Northern Hemisphere is Being Destroyed at an 'Unprecidented Rate'
January 24, 2000Scientists in are witnessing an unprecedented destruction of the ozone
layer over the Northern Hemisphere, which could result in public health
warnings being issued about the risk of skin cancer. Researchers studying
the problem are taking part in the project, based at Kiruna in northern
Sweden , are from the biggest international project yet to monitor ozone
loss over the Arctic. (Steve Connor, The Independent-London)
As Globe Warms, Atmosphere Keeps Its Cool
January 22, 2000A National Research Council committee concluded that the Earth's surface
has warmed dramatically over the last two decades. John M. Wallace, panel
chairperson from the University of Washington, says that there is a
significant difference between air temperatures seasonally that we don't
full understand. (Richard Monastersky, Science News)
Cascades' Volcanic Activity at High Level
January 21, 2000The Cascade Range in Portland, Oregon, is pouring tons of carbon dioxide
into the atmosphere, although an explosive eruption is unlikely to happen,
says volcanologists. Michael Manga at the University of Oregon says that
the carbon dioxide is coming from underground magma, or liquefied rock, and
is proof of underground volcanic activity in this range. (William McCall,
Associated Press)
La Niña May Be Part of Bigger Climate Change
January 20, 2000La Niña may be part of a larger, longer-lasting climate shift, according
to researchers. William Patzert, an oceanographer at NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, says that the persistence of warmer and colder than average sea
surface temperatures shows that there is more than just an isolated La Niña
influence on the climate. (Matthew Fordahl, Associated Press).
El Niño-like Phenomena Means Dry Years Ahead
January 19, 2000There is another ocean system forming in the Pacific that is much larger
and could have a more dramatic impact on United States weather than El Niño
scientists say. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation is a warmer-than- normal
ocean water in the shape of a horseshoe with a wedge of cool water pushing
inside that will cause dry conditions over much of the United States says
scientists. (Anne McDermott, CNN Interactive)
Satellite Refines Rainfall Forecasts
January 19, 2000NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, launched in
1997, has more than tripled the accuracy of short-term rainfall forecasts,
says meteorologists. Chris Kummerow, TRMM project scientist, says that
rainfall data from TRMM not only helps short-term forecasting but also
long-term climate models. (Environmental News Network)
Sultry 1990s Light a Fire Under Theory of Warming
January 14, 2000Last year was the second hottest ever recorded in the United States,
according to researchers , despite a La Niña that was supposed to cool the
Earth. Roy Spencer, a climatologist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center,
says that it is harder to provide evidence of global warming when a La Niña
occurs during a very warm year. (Seth Borenstein, Knight Ridder)
Global Warming Is 'Real,' Report Finds
January 13, 2000A worldwide rise in the Earth's surface temperature is "undoubtedly real"
and appears to have accelerated in recent decades, concludes a scientific
panel organized by the National Academy of Science's National Research
Council. John R. Christy, one of the panel members, at the University of
Alabama argues that global warming is probably having only a mild effect on
climate and he is uncertain how the greenhouse effect will impact the
future climate. (Joby Warrick, Washington Post)
Smoke Triggers Lightning
January 12, 2000Smoke can turn the sky into a giant power plant throwing out lightning
strikes, according to a meteorologist at the American Meteorological
Society meeting. Natalie Murray, a graduate student at the University of
Arizona, says that smoke from the 1998 fires in Mexico and Central America
doubled the amount of lightning over Texas and Oklahoma that year. (Larry
O'Hanlon, Discovery Online)
Official Word on Climate Change Incomplete
January 12, 2000The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been the
official word on global climate change research, but some scientists like
Roger Pielke Sr. at Colorado State University think that the IPCC reports
don't include enough of the factors of climate change. Pielke says that
the IPCC has failed to look at the climate as an integrated system and to
incorporate land use changes in their reports. (Associated Press)
Spring Arriving Earlier in North America
January 11, 2000Spring is coming earlier and earlier in North America, according to
scientists who have monitored the retreat of snow over the past 50 years.
Pavel Groisman, at the National Climate Data Center, says that the snow ice
is starting to melt 2-3 weeks earlier than it did 50 years ago. (Larry
O'Hanlon, Discovery Online)
Snow On The Way
January 11, 2000La Niña is the reason for the lack of snow this winter in the northeastern
United States, according to meteorologists. Neal Strauss, a meteorologist
at the National Weather Service, says that global warming may be another
cause that is contributing to the mild weather.
(Jeff Donn, Associated Press)
NASA Administrator Highlights Agency's Role in Improving Climate and Weather prediction
January 11, 2000NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin outlined NASA's role in studying
Earth's climate -- a commitment to scientific research and technology
development that will help forecasters make more accurate weather
predictions in the new millennium. Goldin discussed how NASA technology
and climate studies can help predict such dramatic events as El Ni�o and La
Ni�a -- providing advance notice that saved America billions of dollars
last year alone.
Storms That Surprised Europe Show Forecast Limits
January 4, 2000Meteorologists predicted stormy weather last week in France, but as
fierce as the two storms that ripped through Europe causing severe damage.
Jim Wagner, a meteorologist at the Federal Climate Prediction Center, says
that the location of the jet and weather conditions produced the quick-
forming superstorms. (Suzanne Daley and William K. Stevens, New York Times)
Arctic Expert Unthaws Alarming Data on Ice Thinning
January 3, 2000Andrew Rothrock at the University of Washington has found a disturbing trend in the
data he has collected of North Pole ice-- that Arctic sea ice is thinning
by 4 inches (10 cm) a year. Water from the Arctic Ocean plays an
important role in Northern Hemisphere weather. If the Arctic ice continues
to melt, it could cause the Gulf Stream to be diverted south causing colder
winters in the northern Atlantic. (Jack Hamann, CNN)
Solar Activity Research Improves
January 2, 2000As the sun reaches the peak of its 11-year cycle of sunspot activity this
year, scientists say they are closer to predicting the severity of solar
storms. David Hathaway, a researcher at NASA's Marshall Space Flight
Center, says the solar storms in 2000 will be more intense than usual.
(Matthew Fordahl, Associated Press)
Smoggy Asian Air Enters United States
January 1, 2000Atmospheric scientists have detected air high in ozone and pollution
coming from the Pacific. Daniel Jaffe at the University of Washington says
that sensors on board an airplane flying off the coast of Washington
detected ozone concentrations that were higher than normal and were able to
trace the pollution particles back to Asia. (Richard Monastersky, Science
News)
Corals Keep Eruption Record
January 1, 2000When the Indonesian volcano Krakatau erupted in 1883, the volcano's dust
and gas from the eruption had a tremendous impact on the global atmosphere.
Today, Elizabeth A. Merman at the University of South Florida has found
traces of the eruption while studying the skeletal structure of coral off
the Florida Keys. Merman says that the same technique used to discover the
traces of Krakatau might help researches find traces of dust from the
Sahara desert in U. S. coral. (Richard Monastersky, Science News)