You are browsing the archive for May 2018 - Dan's Wild Wild Science Journal.
28 May 2018
Don’t Blame Mother Nature for the Devastating Flood in Ellicott City, Maryland Sunday.
Just last summer the Baltimore Sun had this story about the historic clock on Main Street in Ellicott City, Maryland. It was rededicated after the devastating “1000-year” flood of July 30,2016 that made national news. That clock was swept away this evening during the second 1000-year flood in two years in the city. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has declared a state of emergency and rescues are still underway as I write this. …
23 May 2018
The New Goes-17 Weather Satellite May Have a Serious Problem
Update: May 25,2018 It’s been pointed out that Harris Corp. made the ABI/cooling system, but this isn’t something that requires any blame at this stage. These new GOES satellites are complex machines made of the highest high. I witnessed a GOES satellite fall into the Atlantic just after launch in 1986, and am keenly aware of how difficult it is to get a working satellite into geostationary orbit! I’m hearing …
17 May 2018
Is There Something in the Water This Week?
In the last two days, there have been two laughable claims about sea level rise. The first was yesterday when the Wall Street Journal published a ridiculous piece by Fred Singer claiming that climate change had nothing to do with sea level rise. Today, North Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks suggested that it was rocks falling into the ocean. Interestingly, Brooks represents the district where NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center is located. …
15 May 2018
Scientists Indict Harvey for Colluding with Climate Change to Drown Texas
Title get your attention? Well, it’s true and I don’t write it lightly. In a paper soon to be published, a group of researchers have run the numbers and found where all the record heat in the waters of the Gulf last summer ended up. The indictment is convincing: The heat was laundered by Hurricane Harvey and ended up all over south Texas disguised as a severe flood. Seriously, here are the …
5 May 2018
6.9 Quake Rattles Hawaii’s Nerves as Kilauea Rumbles.
A 6.9 quake hit the Big Island of Hawaii Friday afternoon as lava fountains erupted in a housing development near Volcanoes National park. The NPS has now closed the park and the area has been evacuated. Kilauea is a shield volcano and not like Mt. St. Helens which is a strato-volcano. While a Strato-volcano can have an explosive eruption that throws ash miles into the air, shield types volcanos tend …
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.