Climate science
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How do we know what the climate was before official measurements were taken? The historical instrumental records only go back to about the 1820s, when surgeons were the official observers at forts across the United States. To look at longer-term climate records, you have to use climate markers like tree rings to determine what the climate…
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On this rainy Friday, I want to highlight a recent study which was published in Nature Communications. From Wikipedia: Petrichor (/ˈpɛtrɨkɔər/) is the earthy scent produced when rain falls on dry soil. The word is constructed from Greek, petra, meaning ‘stone’ + ichor, the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods in Greek…
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NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory has put out a video which shows the change in carbon dioxide over time in the atmosphere on a variety of time scales. It is interesting to see the difference between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The Northern Hemisphere has more land and less ocean than the Southern Hemisphere…
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If you enjoy reading about history as much as I do, you will be fascinated about this brief history of weather forecasting put together by Chris Robbins, who runs iWeatherNet.com. Official weather forecasts have been produced by meteorologists for well over 100 years, first by the US Department of Agriculture Weather Bureau and now by…
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Cosmos Magazine has a long and interesting article about the importance of terroir in wine-making. That term is hard to describe exactly, but encompasses the local conditions under which a wine is made, including the particular soil qualities, the micro-climate, and even the type of microbes in the area, which can impart unique flavors to the…
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NOAA’s Climate.gov web site now has a good list of answers to frequently asked questions about global warming and climate change. You can find it at https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/global-warming-frequently-asked-questions.
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Forecasting winter precipitation can be tricky in many places, but particularly on the east side of the Appalachian Mountains, where shallow pools of very cold air can be forced south, forming a shallow layer of cold air beneath warmer air. I’ve discussed this weather pattern, officially called “cold air damming” and unofficially “the wedge,” in…
Posted in: Climate science