You are browsing the archive for Arctic Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Dan's Wild Wild Science Journal.
6 July 2010
On Thin Ice That's Getting Thinner
I was looking for a post on something other than climate science this time, but the news is too big to pass up. The NSIDC today posted another update of the melting Arctic sea ice. The June ice coverage was the lowest on record and the melt rate highest recorded. It is looking very possible that a new record low in Arctic ice cover may be on the way for …
4 June 2010
As The Oil Slick Spreads, The Ice Keeps Melting and The Temperature Keeps Rising
Yes, they are most definitely related. I have been very busy reading lately. Books and papers. A presentation on the science underway in Antarctica is half finished, but I keep finding new things I just have to read right away. (I’m presenting at the AMS broadcast conference in Miami in three weeks.) There are some very interesting graphs and images I have stumbled onto and since the desktop folder (thankfully …
22 March 2010
NASA & NOAA- Despite what you heard, it's still getting warmer.
I spent the weekend reading a new paper that is about to be published by 4 of NASA’s top climate researchers. If you follow climate research closely, then it is no surprise. The planet continues to warm and no, it has not stopped. Hansen et.al point out that this recent warming occurs at a time when the sun has been very quiet and in a phase that should be causing …
5 March 2010
A Potent Reminder That Scientific Facts Live Independent of Public Opinion
Two very notable publications in the clmate science world as we head into the first weekend of meteorological spring here in the Northern Hemisphere. One is a surprise to just about every climate researcher and not in a good way. The other may surprise some in the public but is not at all surprising to those who follow the real science closely. The big surprise first. A major finding is …
4 February 2010
The weather question of the month- and the correct answer.
It’s been a cold and very snowy winter in the Eastern USA and in Western Europe. Very likely the worst in 30 years. All that snow and cold has resulted in a very common question to every meteorologist I know and that certainly includes me. Same for every person involved in climate change research too. WHAT HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING?? First of all most people in the climate and weather …
18 October 2009
An Amazing Escape! (One Lucky Penguin!)
My two favourite animals are inhabitants of opposite poles. Ursus Maritimas. Polar Bears. They will eat you if you’re not careful, but they are truly majestic creatures. When I travelled through the High Arctic in August 2007, I saw three. The best was the second encounter on an ice flow in North Baffin Bay. It was spitting snow and quite cold, but sitting in our Zodiac, we were oblivious to …
25 September 2009
Tons of Climate News – None Good
There are two posts I’ve been wanting to write about. The incredible dust storm in Sydney, and the upcoming LCROSS mission that will slam into the South Pole of the Moon on live TV in October. (Who says science is boring!) Those will have to wait until Sunday because of a slew of climate change news today that I want to share. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) released a …
10 September 2009
Extreme Ice Survey- The Pictures Tell The Story
I have linked to some of the excellent TED talks before in this space. This one is perhaps the best I have seen. There is an old saying that perception is reality. That seems to be the problem in regard to climate science. Many people think that scientists are still arguing over it. They are not. Getting that message out is one reason I started writing these ramblings about the …
5 September 2009
Climate News Going from Bad To Worse
A major study on the Arctic temperatures was published this past week in SCIENCE. It’s gotten a lot of press attention, and a huge amount of attention in the Science world. It’s not uncommon for those not familiar with the science to ask questions along the lines of “How can they possibly know what the temperature was 500 years ago! There were no thermometers!” If science education were better in …
26 August 2009
How Close We Came To an Atmospheric Catastrophe
A few weeks back there was a riveting summary in NATURE, of the science surrounding the Ozone hole. Quirin Schiermeier tells the story of how we averted an environmental catastrophe in the absolute nick of time. It’s also a great example of how looking at unexpected observations in a logical way, can lead to a better knowledge of how the planet works. First some background. While most people have heard …
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.