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Bloomberg Businessweek had an interesting article last week on the rapid depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer, a huge underground water source that feeds agricultural irrigation in most of the central Plains. The aquifer is being rapidly depleted by overuse in many places, leading farmers to consider the need to switch from corn to less water…
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The last of our snapshots on state climatologists in the Southeast will focus on Virginia. Jerry Stenger is the climatologist heading the University of Virginia Climatology Office, located at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. You can find their web site at https://climate.virginia.edu/. The Virginia office is small but has a big impact because it…
Posted in: Sources of weather and climate data -
In this series of posts we’ve looked at state climatologists from around the Southeast. Today I am featuring Dr. John Christy, the Alabama State Climatologist. His office is located at the University of Alabama-Huntsville. The web site for the office is at https://nsstc.uah.edu/aosc/. The Alabama State Climate Office provides a number of links to data…
Posted in: Sources of weather and climate data -
The State Climate Office of North Carolina is one of the most active in the US. Dr. Ryan Boyles is the State Climatologist and he has a staff of over twenty people working in some capacity in the office, including a number of graduate and undergraduate students from North Carolina State University. The office supports the…
Posted in: Sources of weather and climate data -
The Association of American Geographers (AAG) recently posted an article about the future of California’s drought. They point out that even after multiple dry years, the rains will come back, and if El Nino is as strong as forecast this coming winter, they will return with a vengeance. The writer describes the situation this way:…
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To the east of Georgia and to the north of Florida lies South Carolina, our next stop on the tour of state climatology offices. The South Carolina State Climatologist is Dr. Hope Mizzell, who was elected last week as the new President Elect of the American Association of State Climatologists. She is assisted by a…
Posted in: Sources of weather and climate data -
The National Wildlife Foundation recently released a new report on the importance of soil quality in producing sustainable agriculture. The report is entitled Can Soil Save Us? Making the Case for Cover Crops as Extreme Weather Risk Management. In the report it details the impacts healthy soil can have on reducing the effects of extreme weather,…