Climate science
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With all of the thunderstorm activity we have been having, many people have noted the high frequency of lightning. But there are a lot of misconceptions about lightning that may make people’s behavior in thunderstorms more hazardous. EarthSky presents five myths about lightning and why they are false here.
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A lot of our region has seen some rain over the last week. You might have noticed that sometimes the rain falls in a gentle shower, while other times it pours like a waterfall. What causes the differences? This article from EarthSky provides a simple look at what causes variations in rainfall. As you experience…
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A question I get quite often is how well the global climate models have been able to predict our present climate as well as making predictions forward in time. Here is an interesting article which looks at several well-known past climate model predictions to see how well they predicted our current climate. What the analysis…
Posted in: Climate science -
In case you did not notice, my post from yesterday was a little off. As of 8 am this morning Isaias was already a hurricane, a little earlier than I thought it would. The track forecast has wavered a little over the day but Isaias is still predicted to move up the East Coast, probably…
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I ran across this new USDA publication on Twitter this week, and it’s a winner. It contains a very comprehensive description of how climate affects agriculture, including extreme weather, indicators like degree days and chill hours, livestock and outdoor worker heat stress, and crop insurance. I use this information every day in my work, and…
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In the next few weeks, several online courses will be offered that could be of interest to extension agents, scientists, and students of climate and agriculture. In Fall 2020, the South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center at the University of Oklahoma will offer two short courses that will provide an integrative understanding of the components…
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We know that hurricanes are more likely to develop when ocean temperatures are warmer than normal and when the winds high above the surface are weak. That information helps scientists make predictions about how active a hurricane season is likely to be, especially because El Nino usually increases the winds and La Nina or neutral…