You are browsing the archive for December 2013 - Dan's Wild Wild Science Journal.
31 December 2013
Improved Climate Models Show Lower End Warming Estimates Likely Wrong
One of the most difficult problems in climate modelling is simulating cloud processes, but new research under embargo until this morning indicates that the problem may be on the way to being solved. Unfortunately, when clouds are simulated better, the models seem to rule out the lower end warming estimates of some earlier (less sophisticated) numerical forecasts. The press release from NATURE is below: Global average temperatures will rise at …
30 December 2013
Icy Shots From Space
How can you tell the difference between white clouds and white snow on a satellite image?? Rivers don’t run through clouds! Study the image from the Aqua satellite today above and you will see what i mean. Speaking of satellite images of icy cold, the folks at CIMMS at the Uni. of Wisconsin posted the animated gif below showing ice forming on Lake Michigan. Speaking of ice, I had a …
26 December 2013
Happy Christmas! A Christmas Present Attached
So what kind of gift can I give electronically to say thanks for reading my posts or following/re-tweeting my geeky weather and science posts? I thought about it for a while, and really my only other hobby besides weather is photography. If I were extremely wealthy I’d give everyone a gift card for books, but instead how about some pretty photos. Below are some snaps I’ve taken this year and …
24 December 2013
UK Pounded By Severe Winds. Friday May Be Worse!
A series of powerful storms is crossing the UK and numerical weather models indicate the worst may be on Friday. Some guidance is indicating the pressure at the center of the low may dip to an incredible 930 millibars (that would be about the same as a Category 4 hurricane). The storms are developing as jet stream winds over North America reach near record levels at over 250 knots!! I’ve …
20 December 2013
I Confess! I Too Am A Fan of The Shipping Forecast on BBC Radio 4
My favorite city in the world is London and even when I am not there, I frequently keep up to date with what’s happening in the UK and around the world by listening to BBC Radio 4. British radio is much different from radio in America. There are excellent programs from comedies to game shows and even a show on gardening that get huge ratings. Shows that long since moved …
19 December 2013
The Real Reason American Kids Are Lousy At Math And Science? This NY Times Op Ed May Very Well Hit The Nail On The Head
I’ve written often here about Science and education and how poorly American kids do in Math and Science compared to many other countries. I spotted this Op Ed in the NY Times tonight, and it’s well worth a read. All the money in the world will not help if we continue to send the wrong message by our actions as parents and administrators, and the first two comments are also …
17 December 2013
AGU Session On Dealing With Bullies Who Target Scientists
David Appell has a guest post on the Yale Forum on Climate Change and the Media that’s an excellent read. The stories from some scientists who work in the field of Climate are a bit scary. Scientists like Michael Mann have begun to fight back. Click the image to read:
Global Winds in Real Time
Maybe it’s because I’m a meteorologist, but I could spend hours looking at this real time wind map. Click on EARTH and you can change the level of the winds to see low level flow, or high altitude jet stream winds.
13 December 2013
Worth a Watch
Hat tip to Bob Henson at NCAR for spotting this video, produced with UN funding and based on the IPCC 5th Assessment report. It was made by the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme. I listened very carefully, and the science is spot on. Bob noted that it seems extremely unlikely that we can avoid a 2 degree C rise in temperature now, and unless some dramatic development in renewable energy comes along …
Dan Satterfield has worked as an on air meteorologist for 32 years in Oklahoma, Florida and Alabama. Forecasting weather is Dan's job, but all of Earth Science is his passion. This journal is where Dan writes about things he has too little time for on air. Dan blogs about peer-reviewed Earth science for Junior High level audiences and up.