Thinning Ice Is Turning Arctic into an Algae Hotspot
Shrinking, thinning Arctic sea ice appears to be accelerating the growth of algae in polar waters, a new study finds, a development that could alter the region’s ability to absorb carbon from the atmosphere. Scientists cruising central Arctic waters last summer aboard the research ship Polarstern were stunned to discover dense, shaggy deposits of… Read More
NOAA: February 2012 to January 2013 Warmest on Record
January was warmer and wetter than average in the contiguous United States, despite the persistent drought in the central U.S., the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday. The average temperature in the lower 48 states reached 32.0 degrees Fahrenheit last month. At 1.6 degrees above the 20th century average, January 2013 ties… Read More
East Coast Faces Rising Seas From Slowing Gulf Stream
Experts on the sea level rise triggered by climate change have long known that it will proceed faster in some places than others. The mid-Atlantic coast of the U.S. is one of them, and the reason — in theory, anyway — is that global warming should slow the flow of the Gulf Stream as it moves north and then west toward northern Europe.… Read More
Rich Moisture Feed Helped Blizzard Bury Northeast
The amazing snowfall totals were in part the result of the rich tropical moisture feed that the storm tapped into, as Climate Central reported on Feb. 8. … Read More
NASA to Launch New Earth-Observing Satellite
If the weather holds, NASA will launch its newest Earth-observing satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base in southern California late Monday morning. An Atlas V rocket is scheduled to carry Landsat 8 into space just after 11 a.m. Pacific time. Once in orbit, the $855 million probe will begin capturing detailed images of Earth’s surface, adding to… Read More
Blizzard Buries New England, Breaks Snowfall Records
The storm shut down travel across the region, knocked out power to nearly 700,000 customers, stranded many motorists in their vehicles on Long Island, and exceeded benchmarks set during the infamous Blizzard of 1978, which occurred 35 years ago this week.… Read More
What You Need to See to Understand Blizzard ‘Nemo’
The blizzard is also pulling in an extraordinary amount of moisture, which is consistent with recent trends in the Northeast toward more frequent 1-day precipitation extremes during the cold season, including heavy snowstorms. … Read More
Threat Of Upcoming Blizzard Seen Through 6 Images
The blockbuster snowstorm headed for southern New England beginning on Friday is expected to unleash a potentially crippling amount of snow in some areas, perhaps greater than two feet. Due to the combination of high winds and heavy snow, blizzard warnings have been issued from Maine to Long Island, including Boston, Hartford, Providence, and New Y… Read More
