by Gavin Roy A group led by PAGES (Past Global Changes) has ranked human weather observations in South America as the second-highest priority climate data that must be collected, collated, and integrated to understand South America’s climate. Their highest-ranked priority is tree-ring records, with ice-core samples, glacial variations, and marine sediment records coming after. Meteorological […]
Earth Science Research
Throwing the Dice with Climate Data
December 5, 2011
By Deborah Resnick In the summer of 2010, Russia suffered a heat wave that killed 700 people. This heat wave exceeded anything on record for Russia. As with any catastrophic weather event, climate change was immediately blamed for the heat wave. Scientists have used a Monte Carlo simulation to determine if global warming was a […]
Climate Change Research: The Study of Ice Cores
November 20, 2011
Ice cores, drilled from the polar ice caps of Antarctica and Greenland most commonly, but also from places as diverse as Africa, Bolivia, China, Peru, Russia and even the United States are the most accurate means to proving a window into the paleoclimate record in Earth’s history, including past climatic and environmental conditions. Drilling miles […]
Cyanobacteria Absorbs CO2 and Could Be a Used to Ward off Global Warming
November 2, 2011
Cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue green algae or bacteria, are unlike most bacteria. It photosynthesizes like algae and plants, making its own food using water and energy from light, with a by-product of oxygen. They are one of the earliest life forms to evolve on earth. Most likely they are responsible for creating the oxygen […]
Climate-Observing Satellite Launched
October 29, 2011
To refresh NASA’s aging satellite fleet a satellite was launched on October 28, 2011, that will make observations about the atmosphere, earth and oceans to help understand climate change. NASA is developing a new fleet of research satellites for NOAA. One of the satellite’s main jobs is to test key technologies for the planned fleet. […]
HIPPO Studies Black Carbon and Other Atmospheric Pollutants
October 21, 2011
Black carbon made by emissions from coal plants, forest fires, and diesel engines, and other greenhouse gases and atmospheric pollutants are being studied in the upper atmosphere. The HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observation (HIPPO) is studying the earth’s atmosphere, pole to pole, vertically and across latitudes. Supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric […]
Self-Cleaning Capability of Atmosphere Is Stable
September 18, 2011
by Dale Elizabeth Corey Recently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) international research team took a look at the atmosphere’s ability to cleanse itself of pollutants and some greenhouse gases. Findings were more positive than expected. The atmosphere is doing pretty well against environmental changes. A new analysis shows […]
A Tribute to the Shuttle Program and Its Earth Science Payloads – Part 2
September 17, 2011
by Dale Elizabeth Corey This posting covers the Space Shuttle Program’s Earth Science payloads that were flown on the Space Shuttle, America’s Space Transportation System (STS) from 1981 to 2010. (For the sake of space, not all payloads will be covered.) STS-53/HERCULES, December 2, 1992, Earth Observation Mission: Among other Department of Defense experiments, STS-53 […]
Review of Pew Charitable Trust Reports: Climate Change 101
September 17, 2011
By Sara Avrams Climate Change 101 is a series of 10 brief reports on aspects of the threats posed by global climate change. Although each of the 10 chapters stands on its own merits, and can be downloaded individually, I recommend downloading the whole document.The reader will find it a gripping read. Each chapter has […]
A Tribute to the Shuttle Program and Its Earth Science Payloads – Part 1
September 16, 2011
by Dale Elizabeth Corey In memory of America’s last Space Shuttle on July 8th, 2011 we are providing a four-part series on Shuttle Transportation Systems (STS) earth science payloads, flown from 1981 to 2003. These geoscience payloads provided studies of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, oceans and biosphere, as well as the solid earth. After the launch […]