Global Warming

New Zealand Snowstorm Believed To Be Heaviest In 30 Years (VIDEO)

2011-08-15T20:53:00.000-04:00

New Zealanders were witnesses to what some forecasters are describing as a once-in-a-lifetime event Monday as the nation was hit with its heaviest snowstorm in 30 years.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/15/new-zealand-snowstorm_n_927454.html?ir=Green

Twilight of the Glaciers

2011-08-01T10:18:00.001-04:00

the namesake glaciers, which, I had recently learned, might be around for only another decade or so. Given that a century and a half ago there were 150 and now there are 25, the trip makes me an enlistee in the practice known by a somewhat prickly term: last-chance tourism.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/07/31/travel/glacier-national-park-montana-fading-glaciers.html

It's official: Record June runoff to swollen Missouri River

2011-07-26T16:17:00.000-04:00

Close to home, record spring snowfall led to raging rivers and flood advisories. Boulder Creek, which in mid-July flowed at nearly 1,000 cubic feet per second, spilled out over the adjacent bike path. Fort Collins shut down city access to the Cache La Poudre River, and restrictions were in place on other rivers across the state.

http://www2.ucar.edu/staffnotes/news/4978/when-waters-rise

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers answers FAQs about 2011 flood

2011-07-26T16:16:00.001-04:00

Flooding commenced with unseasonable heavy snows across the Great Plains. This was followed by three to six times the normal rainfall in May in eastern Montana, northern Wyoming, and the western Dakotas. Then the snow pack melt came perhaps two weeks later than usual with an accumulation that was around 23 to 40 percent greater than normal.

http://www.cass-news.com/articles/2011/07/25/news/local/doc4e2da4d018f56257550923.txt

East Coast sees slight relief from dangerous heat wave

2011-07-26T16:14:00.000-04:00

At its peak, the heat wave put some 132 million people under a heat alert and was blamed for as many as 34 deaths, according to the National Weather Service.

"The huge area of high pressure at most levels of the atmosphere responsible for the dangerous, record-setting heat in multiple states is backing out of the northeastern U.S. and neighboring Canada," AccuWeather.com's senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/25/us-weather-heatwave-idUSTRE76O39O20110725

Heat Wave Shows No Sign Of Breaking

2011-07-26T16:13:00.000-04:00

WACO (July 25, 2011)—The National Weather Service has again extended the heat advisory for much of Central Texas and temperatures continue to soar to near record levels.

The entire state continues to suffer an extreme drought.

http://www.kwtx.com/weather/headlines/Heat_Wave_Shows_No_Sign_Of_Breaking_126122868.html

Comverge's Swift Response Prevents Record Breaking East Coast Heat Wave From Affecting Grid Stability

2011-07-26T16:12:00.001-04:00

"Over the last month the weather in many eastern states has been brutally hot with daily and overnight temperatures breaking numerous records," said Steve Moffitt, Chief Operating officer, Comverge.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/comverges-swift-response-prevents-record-breaking-east-coast-heat-wave-from-affecting-grid-stability-2011-07-26-141930?reflink=MW_news_stmp

Arizona Wildfire Essentially Contained, but Concerns Shift to Flooding

2011-07-06T14:24:00.000-04:00

With the largest wildfire in Arizona history all but contained, specialized units pulled out of eastern Arizona on Tuesday leaving authorities at the heavily-scorched sites of blazes around the state to shift their focus to a new vulnerability -- water.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/07/05/arizona-wildfire-essentially-contained-but-concerns-shift-to-flooding/#ixzz1RLp8AAOH

Photos of July 5 Phoenix Dust Storm

2011-07-06T14:23:00.000-04:00

http://tucsoncitizen.com/arizona-news/2011/07/06/photos-of-july-5-phoenix-dust-storm/

The Arizona Republic-12 News Breaking News Team

More storms are forecast for Wednesday evening, following a massive dust storm that swept across the Phoenix area Tuesday night, leaving a path of dust, debris and damage in nearly every part of the Valley.

Arizona wildfire swallows over 600 square miles

2011-06-08T15:49:00.001-04:00

Increased wildfires due to climate change was predicted in models in the early 90's that the worldwatch institute reported.

The monster blaze, ranking as Arizona's second-largest wildfire on record, has chased up to 2,000 people from homes in and around two communities in immediate danger, Eager and Springerville, since Tuesday, fire officials reported.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/08/us-wildfire-arizona-idUSTRE7542JD20110608

Some aerial fireworks banned in dry Texas

2011-06-08T10:18:00.000-04:00

HOUSTON (AP) — Fourth of July celebrations in drought-stricken parts of Texas will be a bit muted this year, as many local governments are banning the use of bottle rockets and some other aerial fireworks because of the risk of sparking wildfires.

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Some-aerial-fireworks-banned-in-dry-Texas-1414838.php

No more burning

2011-06-08T10:16:00.000-04:00

Governor Robert Bentley signed an emergency drought condition declaration Tuesday in an effort to stave off potential out-of-control fires due to Alabama’s extremely dry conditions.

The dry conditions throughout the state have created an atmosphere where the “probability of catastrophic wildfire activity” is extremely high.

The Alabama Forestry Commission reports that since January, 1,808 wildfires have burned over 41,000 acres in Alabama.

“The lack of rain and unseasonably high temperatures have left much of the state extremely dry, creating high risk potential for devastating wildfires,” Bentley said

http://www.troymessenger.com/2011/06/08/no-more-burning/

Drought in southwest Kansas wheat fields is worst since Dust Bowl

2011-06-08T10:13:00.001-04:00

“This time of year … the wheat fields should be green and lush and growing and they’re not,” said Aaron Harries, director of marketing for Kansas Wheat. “The fields are scattered with spots of green, most of the crop has withered up and died. It looks like a desert.”

Harries said the rainfall deficits in those areas are the most severe since the 1930s Dust Bowl days.

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/06/07/2934854/drought-hits-wheat-farmers-in.html

Drought in southwest Kansas wheat fields is worst since Dust Bowl

2011-06-08T10:13:00.000-04:00

Metro Detroit heat wave melts record

2011-06-08T10:12:00.000-04:00

After breaking the heat record Tuesday, metro Detroit is in for more sweltering high temperatures today.

Officials are urging residents to find ways to beat the heat and to keep an eye on vulnerable people, including senior citizens and children. Animal advocates caution against walking dogs or leaving pets inside cars or in the direct sun.

http://www.freep.com/article/20110608/NEWS05/106080390/Metro-Detroit-heat-wave-melts-record?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s

Maryland braces for second heat wave

2011-06-08T10:09:00.000-04:00

Last week's heat wave also sent temperatures at BWI-Marshall Airport to record readings in the upper 90s and contributed to the deaths of two Marylanders, the first heat-related fatalities of the year, according to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-06-07/news/bs-md-hot-forecast-20110607_1_heat-wave-maryland-braces-heat-advisories

Heat Wave Spreads to New York, Boosting Power Consumption, Health Risk

2011-06-08T10:07:00.000-04:00

In New York, a heat advisory means the heat and humidity will make it feel like 95 degrees for two consecutive days “or 100 degrees for any length of time,” according to the weather service.

An excessive heat warning, issued for Philadelphia, means the combination of heat and humidity will “create dangerous conditions in highly urbanized areas.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-08/heat-wave-spreading-to-new-york-boosts-power-consumption-risks-to-health.html

Arizona Wildfire Rages On: The Dramatic Photos

2011-06-08T10:06:00.000-04:00

Along Arizona's eastern border, a mammoth forest fire is raging uncontained as high winds and low humidity triggered a declaration of emergency to coordinate the entire state's response.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/159412/20110608/wallow-fire-update-arizona-fire-wildfire-2011-fire-state-of-emergency-albuquerque-new-mexico-springe.htm

Dry conditions affect future of cattle industry in Loudon Co.

2011-06-08T08:51:00.000-04:00

"If we have to start feeding hay, then we'll feed out pretty quickly. We'll have the same situation that we had in 2007," Brashears said.

Loudon County has lost close to 30% of cattle producers in previous droughts because they were forced to sell.

http://www.wbir.com/rss/article/172284/2/Dry-conditions-affect-future-of-cattle-industry-in-Loudon-Co

If fixes fail, Iowa town could be left under water

2011-06-07T10:29:00.000-04:00

The last time the Missouri River crested at levels predicted for this summer was in 1952, before most of the major dams along the river were built. And the flooding is expected to last into mid-August.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be releasing more water than it ever has from the dams by mid-June, meaning there likely will be other levee problems like the ones near Hamburg, said Kevin Grode with the corps' water management office.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110607/ap_on_re_us/us_missouri_river_flooding

Tornado swarm 2011: Overwhelming areal coverage

2011-06-04T11:19:00.001-04:00

Through yesterday, a staggering 1425 tornadoes have been reported in the United States in 2011 - the most on record to date. The map (above) shows the majority of the eastern two thirds of the United States has been victimizied. The notable exceptions are West Virginia - in a veritable “tornado hole” (0 tornadoes have been reported in the state this year compared to 38 in neighboring Virginia) and northern New England.

But it’s not only the number of tornadoes that has been impressive, but also the intensity. There have been five EF-5 tornadoes (the most violent classification), the most since 1974 and the second highest number on record.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/the-overwhelming-2011-areal-tornado-coverage/2011/06/03/AGURc6HH_blog.html

Tornado, Flood Response Jumps to 5,000 Guardsmen

2011-06-04T11:09:00.000-04:00

Arlington, VA - infoZine - National Guard Bureau - In the aftermath of severe storms that brought devastating tornadoes to areas of Missouri and Massachusetts and major flooding across the Midwest and other parts of the country, the number of National Guard personnel who are answering the call for help has risen to about 5,000.

http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/47690/

Historic flood begins to abate, but far from over

2011-06-04T11:08:00.000-04:00

JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi River flood of 2011 may seem like a thing of the past for people who fled rising waters that never came, yet the final toll is shrouded in murky water for thousands of people devastated as the flood made its way from the Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110604/ap_on_re_us/us_mississippi_river_flooding

How Will China's Food Supply Weather the Year of Drought?

2011-06-04T11:05:00.000-04:00

How Will China's Food Supply Weather the Year of Drought?

http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2011/06/03/how-will-chinas-food-supply-weather-the-year-of-drought/#ixzz1OJtzTO1d

Parts of central China, including the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, are experiencing the lowest levels of rainfall in 50 years.

NASA: 2010 Likely To Be Warmest Year In 130 Years Of Tracking

2011-01-05T20:11:00.000-05:00

http://www.neontommy.com/news/2010/12/nasa-2010-likely-be-warmest-year-130-years-tracking

Global temperature data through November shows 2010 will likely become the warmest year since NASA's Goddard Institute began tracking temperatures 130 years ago.

Record warmth in 2010, despite cooling influences

2011-01-05T20:05:00.000-05:00

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2011/01/2010_dominated_by_record_warmt.html

"All three widely cited surface temperature datasets show that 2010 will most likely rank near the very top of the list - a remarkable feat considering that two factors that tend to cause cooler-than-average conditions were present for all or part of the year - a La Nina event and a "quiet" sun."

Melting sea ice forces walruses ashore in Alaska

2010-09-13T19:10:00.000-04:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_sci_walruses_ashore

WASHINGTON – Tens of thousands of walruses have come ashore in northwest Alaska because the sea ice they normally rest on has melted.

Federal scientists say this massive move to shore by walruses is unusual in the United States. But it has happened at least twice before, in 2007 and 2009. In those years Arctic sea ice also was at or near record low levels.

Plant growth declines as warming causes drought

2010-08-20T15:01:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON – Plant growth that had been spurred by global warming has reversed, despite temperatures that continue to rise.

Researchers say the change could affect food security and development of biofuels.

The amount of carbon taken up by growing plants increased from 1982 through 1999 as temperatures rose and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100819/ap_on_sc/us_sci_warming_plants

Giant ice island breaks off Greenland

2010-08-09T11:21:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON – A giant ice island has broken off the Petermann Glacier in northern Greenland.

A University of Delaware researcher says the floating ice sheet covers 100 square miles — more than four times the size of New York's Manhattan Island.

Andreas Muenchow, who is studying the Nares Strait between Greenland and Canada, said the ice sheet broke off early Thursday. He says the new ice island was discovered by Trudy Wohlleben of the Canadian Ice Service.

Not since 1962 has such a large chunk of ice calved in the Arctic, but researchers have noticed cracks in recent months in the floating tongue of the glacier.

Moscow deaths double amid smog to 700 people a day

2010-08-09T11:15:00.000-04:00

MOSCOW – Deaths in Moscow have doubled to an average of 700 people a day as the Russian capital is engulfed by poisonous smog from wildfires and a sweltering heat wave, a top health official said Monday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_russia_fires

Has Russia's Heat Wave Changed Stance on Climate Change?

2010-08-03T12:20:00.000-04:00

Russians are not used to heat waves. When the high temperatures that have overwhelmed Russia over the past six weeks first arrived in June, some 1,200 Russians drowned at the country's beaches. "The majority of those who drowned were drunk," the Emergencies Ministry concluded in mid-July, citing the Russian habit of taking vodka to cool off by the sea. But while overconsumption of vodka is a familiar scourge in Russia, extreme heat is not, and as the worst heat wave on record spawns wildfires that are destroying entire villages, Russian officials have made what for them is a startling admission: global warming is very real.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/08599200808100

Death toll from Pakistan floods rises to 1,100

2010-08-01T17:13:00.001-04:00

PESHAWAR, Pakistan – The death toll from massive floods in northwestern Pakistan rose to 1,100 Sunday as rescue workers struggled to save more than 27,000 people still trapped by the raging water.

Hundreds of new wildfires break out in Russia

2010-08-01T17:10:00.000-04:00

Russia – Hundreds of new fires broke out Sunday in Russian forests and fields that have been dried to a crisp by drought and record heat, but firefighters claimed success in bringing some of the wildfires raging around cities under control.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100801/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_fires

'It's just too hot': East Coast scorched by heat

2010-07-07T07:27:00.000-04:00

The East Coast broiled Tuesday as record-setting temperatures soared past 100 from Virginia to Massachusetts, utility companies cranked up power to the limit to cool the sweating masses and railroad tracks were so hot commuter trains had to slow down. The temperature broke records for the day in New York, where it hit 103, and in Philadelphia, where it reached 102.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100707/ap_on_bi_ge/us_hot_weather

Indonesia's last glacier will melt within years

2010-07-04T22:12:00.000-04:00

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Lonnie Thompson spent years preparing for his expedition to the remote, mist-shrouded mountains of eastern Indonesia, hoping to chronicle the affect of global warming on the last remaining glacier in the Pacific. He's worried he got there too late.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100701/ap_on_sc/as_indonesia_dying_glacier

Canada's seal hunt to close early after low harvest

2010-04-15T17:17:00.001-04:00

OTTAWA (AFP) – A lack of sea ice in one of the warmest Canadian winters on record and a European boycott have ruined what was to be a banner seal hunt off Canada's Atlantic coast this month, according to officials and sealers.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100415/sc_afp/canadahuntinganimaleu_20100415080330

And the heat goes on: warmest March on record

2010-04-15T17:13:00.000-04:00

Last month was the warmest March on record worldwide, based on records back to 1880, scientists reported Thursday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100415/ap_on_sc/us_sci_hot_march

Global temperatures hit hottest March on record: US agency

2010-04-15T17:12:00.000-04:00

Warmer-than-normal conditions dominated the globe, especially in northern Africa, South Asia and Canada," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a statement.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100415/ts_alt_afp/weatherusworldtemperature_20100415183627

Worst pollen season triggers allergies

2010-04-10T15:52:00.001-04:00

http://www.themoneytimes.com/featured/20100410/worst-pollen-season-triggers-allergies-id-10107518.html

The allergy season is just beginning and already the pollen count has been thousands for days. Pollen is present everywhere, it accumulates on sidewalks, cars, clothing when people venture outside even if, only for a short time.

Pollen count soars to record levels

2010-04-10T15:51:00.000-04:00

http://www.technicianonline.com/news/pollen-count-soars-to-record-levels-1.2217141

Pollen levels in North Carolina reached record highs this week, with the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Air Quality Division

High Pollen Count Means Bad Allergies This Season

2010-04-10T15:49:00.001-04:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/09/high-pollen-count-means-b_n_531741.html

The source of all this trouble, ABC News reports, is a "pollen explosion like most of the country has never seen." Spring's late arrival, combined with record breaking warm temperatures, is causing "all the different trees, flowers and grasses to share their love at the same time.

Another warmer than normal winter reported

2010-04-07T15:06:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON – It will probably come as a surprise to most Americans, but the winter just finished was the fifth warmest on record, worldwide.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100326/ap_on_sc/us_sci_warm_winter

Study: Northeast seeing more, fiercer rainstorms

2010-04-07T15:03:00.000-04:00

BOSTON – The Northeast is seeing more frequent "extreme precipitation events" in line with global warming predictions, a study shows, including storms like the recent fierce rains whose floodwaters swallowed neighborhoods and businesses across New England.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100405/ap_on_sc/us_northeast_flooding_climate

2 more glaciers gone from Glacier National Park

2010-04-07T15:02:00.000-04:00

BILLINGS, Mont. – Glacier National Park has lost two more of its namesake moving icefields to climate change, which is shrinking the rivers of ice until they grind to a halt, a government researcher said Wednesday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100407/ap_on_re_us/us_disappearing_glaciers

Disputed isle in Bay of Bengal disappears into sea

2010-03-24T10:25:00.000-04:00

NEW DELHI – For nearly 30 years, India and Bangladesh have argued over control of a tiny rock island in the Bay of Bengal. Now rising sea levels have resolved the dispute for them: the island's gone.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100324/ap_on_re_as/as_india_disappearing_island;_ylt=AgJwoYENpVz39Ci7qqJYpd6s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTQxbTNjdGExBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwMzI0L2FzX2luZGlhX2Rpc2FwcGVhcmluZ19pc2xhbmQEY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwMxMARwb3MDNwRwdANob21lX2Nva2UEc2VjA3luX2hlYWRsaW5lX2xpc3QEc2xrA2Rpc3B1dGVkaXNsZQ--

Day of complete chaos as floods surge across two states

2010-03-07T22:44:00.000-05:00

The Balonne River was already at a record 13.26 metres yesterday afternoon and the weather bureau has predicted it could peak at 13.5 metres - the highest level since recordings began in 1890. VIDEO

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/water-issues/day-of-complete-chaos-as-floods-surge-across-two-states-20100306-ppnj.html

Thargomindah awaits flood peak

2010-03-07T22:43:00.000-05:00

The Bulloo Mayor says the river at Thargomindah in south-west Queensland is close to peaking today but more water will arrive later in the week.

Another 1,000 sandbags were flown into the town last night to prepare the community for its biggest flood since 1974.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/08/2839553.htm?section=justin

An Ominous Warning on the Effects of Ocean Acidification

2010-03-07T22:41:00.000-05:00

A new study says the seas are acidifying ten times faster today than 55 million years ago when a mass extinction of marine species occurred. And, the study concludes, current changes in ocean chemistry due to the burning of fossil fuels may portend a new wave of die-offs.
by carl zimmer

http://www.e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2241

Pelican die-off blamed on disappearance of fish

2010-03-07T22:40:00.000-05:00

A sudden disappearance of prey during stormy weather caused hundreds of brown pelicans to drop dead or strand themselves in parking lots, backyards and even on freeways, wildlife biologists said Monday.

http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-02-23/bay-area/17952092_1_pelicans-rescue-research-center-fish

Ocean acidification fastest in 65 million years

2010-03-07T22:37:00.000-05:00

Ocean acidifcation is taking place at a faster rate than has been seen in the last 65 million years - and it's still accelerating.

It could potentially exceed the rate at which plankton can adapt, say researchers from the University of Bristol.

http://www.tgdaily.com/sustainability-features/48468-ocean-acidification-fastest-in-65-million-years

Drought in Philippines Forces Blackouts

2010-03-07T22:36:00.000-05:00

Low reservoir levels have caused several hydroelectric plants to shut down or cut operations in the Southeast Asian country.

http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2010/world/asia-pacific/drought-in-philippines-forces-blackouts/

‘Superberg’ Detaches from Antarctic Glacier, Could Disrupt Ocean Currents

2010-03-07T22:30:00.000-05:00

A giant iceberg collided with a branch of the Mertz Glacier in east Antarctica earlier this month, breaking off a 965-square-mile ‘superberg,’ The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Australian and French scientists said that the two icebergs could disrupt global ocean circulation currents, changing heat distribution patterns and lowering oxygen levels.

http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2010/world/%E2%80%98superberg%E2%80%99-detaches-from-antarctic-glacier-could-disrupt-ocean-currents/

Asia-produced ozone making its way to U.S., study finds

2010-03-07T22:29:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON — A new study further bolsters concerns that pollution blowing across the Pacific Ocean from China and other rapidly developing Asian nations may swamp efforts to clean up the air in the Western United States and make it difficult for states and cities to meet federal standards.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20100221/sc_mcclatchy/3431419

Growing low-oxygen zones in oceans worry scientists

2010-03-07T22:28:00.001-05:00

WASHINGTON — Lower levels of oxygen in the Earth's oceans, particularly off the United States' Pacific Northwest coast, could be another sign of fundamental changes linked to global climate change, scientists say.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20100307/sc_mcclatchy/3444187

Ice Once Covered the Equator

2010-03-07T22:26:00.001-05:00

Sea ice may have covered the Earth's surface all the way to the equator hundreds of millions of years ago, a new study finds, adding more evidence to the theory that a "snowball Earth" once existed.

The finding, detailed in the March 5 issue of the journal Science, also has implications for the survival and evolution of life on Earth through this bitter ice age.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100306/sc_livescience/iceoncecoveredtheequator

Iceberg breaks in Antarctica not where expected

2010-03-05T09:46:00.000-05:00

"There are some crazy things going down in Antarctica," said Mark Serreze, director of the snow and ice data center, based in Boulder, Colo. "It seems kind of weird, but weird things happen."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100227/ap_on_sc/sci_antarctica

France's crumbling sea walls no match for ocean

2010-03-05T09:45:00.001-05:00

L'AIGUILLON-SUR-MER, France – The moon was full, the wind roared, the tide was high and people died by the dozens.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100303/ap_on_sc/climate_france_sea_walls

Study Says Undersea Release of Methane Is Under Way

2010-03-05T09:41:00.001-05:00

Climate scientists have long warned that global warming could unlock vast stores of the greenhouse gas methane that are frozen into the Arctic permafrost, setting off potentially significant increases in global warming.

Now researchers at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and elsewhere say this change is under way in a little-studied area under the sea, the East Siberian Arctic Shelf, west of the Bering Strait.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/05/science/earth/05methane.html

New Study Finds Increasing Acidification of Pacific Ocean’s Continental Shelf

2010-02-22T12:43:00.001-05:00

This is an older article--but I just attended a workshop on it and its intense.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – An international team of scientists surveying the waters of the continental shelf off the West Coast of North America has discovered for the first time high levels of acidified ocean water within 20 miles of the shoreline, raising concern for marine ecosystems from Canada to Mexico.

Researchers aboard the Wecoma, an Oregon State University research vessel, also discovered that this corrosive, acidified water that is being “upwelled” seasonally from the deeper ocean is probably 50 years old, suggesting that future ocean acidification levels will increase since atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide have increased rapidly over the past half century.

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ncs/newsarch/2008/May08/acid.html

Subtropical Water Melts Greenland's Fjords

2010-02-22T12:38:00.000-05:00

Waters from warmer parts of the ocean are penetrating into the normally chilly fjords of the Greenland coast, driving some of the glacier melt that has been gathering speed there in recent years, a new study finds.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100218/sc_livescience/subtropicalwatermeltsgreenlandsfjords

Study: Warming to bring stronger hurricanes

2010-02-22T12:35:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON – Top researchers now agree that the world is likely to get stronger but fewer hurricanes in the future because of global warming,

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100221/ap_on_sc/us_sci_warming_hurricanes

The Sacred Island That's Shrinking Away

2010-02-15T10:56:00.000-05:00

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123733017&ft=1&f=1007&sc=YahooNews

Sagar Island is less than 20 miles long. Sanyal estimates that in the past 40 years, its size has shrunk by nearly 10 square miles. Thousands of people have been displaced.

Oceanography professor Sugata Hazra agrees: "For the last 20 to 30 years, we are getting more cyclones and we are losing land to the sea. This is the reality."

Greenland ice loss driven by warming seas: study

2010-02-15T10:53:00.000-05:00

Investigating the western side of Greenland, they took ocean measurements in August 2008 in three fjords at the base of four glaciers breaking off into the sea, a process known as calving.

Ocean melting, they found, accounted for between 20 and 75 percent of ice loss from the glacier face, with calving from the part of the iceberg exposed to air accounting for the rest.

Meanwhile, a study also published in the journal Nature Geoscience warned that oceans could become more acidic faster than at any time over the last 65 million years.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100214/sc_afp/climatewarminggreenlandglaciersicesheet_20100214181225

49 states dusted with snow; Hawaii's the holdout

2010-02-15T10:51:00.000-05:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100213/ap_on_re_us/us_united_states_of_snow

"I'm calling it the upside-down winter," said David Robinson, head of the Global Snow Lab at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Snow paralyzed and fascinated the Deep South on Friday. Snowball fights broke out at Southern Mississippi University, snow delayed flights at the busy Atlanta airport, and Louisiana hardware stores ran out of snow supplies. Andalusia, Ala., shut down its streets because of snow. And yet, Portland, Maine, where snow is usually a given, had to cancel its winter festival for lack of the stuff.

East Coast digs out from storm for record books

2010-02-15T10:47:00.000-05:00

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ijPYIJzOJ9gVSRFxOZpSqVc3nG6gD9DPVBJG2

As of Wednesday, Baltimore had 72.3 inches so far this winter, the Washington area had 54.9 inches and Philadelphia had 70.3 inches. The previous records for snowiest winters were 62.5 inches in Baltimore in 1995-96; 54.4 inches in Washington in 1898-99; and 65.5 inches in Philadelphia in 1995-96.

Mid-Atlantic Walloped by Record Snow Storms

2010-02-15T10:43:00.000-05:00

It's the second big storm in a row for Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. where the snow is falling on top of the nearly three feet that fell during last weekend's blizzard. Each city needs just another nine inches of snow to mark their snowiest winters since 1884.

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2010/February/Mid-Atlantic-Gets-Walloped-by-Second-Big-Storm/

Snowstorm for the Record Books in Dallas

2010-02-15T10:42:00.000-05:00

http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/02/12/snowstorm-for-the-record-books-in-dallas/?test=latestnews

The average snowfall yearly in Dallas is 2.5 inches. In the space of 24 hours, we have received more than a foot of snow. The National Weather Service says the snow we've received is the greatest calendar day snowfall total on record the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Rogue Wave Victim: 'Like a Tsunami'

2010-02-15T10:41:00.000-05:00

http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/rogue-wave-victim-like-a-tsunami-18152255

Monster waves knock down and injure surfing spectators in California.

Manila, Philippines

2009-09-29T12:45:00.000-04:00

People wade in the chest deep floodwater Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009 in suburban Cainta, east of Manila, Philippines. Rescuers plucked bodies from muddy floodwaters and scrambled to save drenched survivors on rooftops Sunday after a tropical storm tore through the northern Philippines and left 75 people dead or missing in the region's worst flooding in more than four decades.

India heading for worst drought since 1972: data

2009-09-23T18:28:00.000-04:00

NEW DELHI (AFP) – India's monsoon was about 20 percent below strength just over a week before the official end of the rainy reason, putting the country on course for its worst drought since 1972, weather data showed Wednesday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090923/sc_afp/indiadroughtfarm_20090923121435

Arctic ice melts to third-smallest area on record

2009-09-23T18:26:00.000-04:00

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Arctic's sea ice pack thawed to its third-lowest summer level on record, up slightly from the seasonal melt of the past two years but continuing an overall decline symptomatic of climate change, U.S. scientists said on Thursday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090918/sc_nm/us_climate_arctic

NASA data: Greenland, Antarctic ice melt worsening

2009-09-23T18:25:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON – New satellite information shows that ice sheets in Greenland and western Antarctica continue to shrink faster than scientists thought and in some places are already in runaway melt mode.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090923/ap_on_sc/us_sci_big_melt

Warming ocean melts Greenland glaciers

2009-09-23T18:23:00.000-04:00

Curry and her colleagues from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts zigzagged between majestic icebergs in the Sermilik fjord last month in search of proof that waters from warmer latitudes, or subtropical waters, are flushing through this remote and frigid region.

They found it — all the way up to the base of the outlet glaciers that spill into the ocean like tongues of ice from Greenland's massive ice sheet.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090923/ap_on_re_eu/eu_climate_09_greenland_warming_ocean

milk U.S. flood damage in Georgia to top $250 million

2009-09-23T18:21:00.000-04:00

ATLANTA (Reuters) – Flooding in north Georgia that killed nine people caused $250 million worth of damage to property and tens of millions of dollars more damage to infrastructure, the state insurance commissioner said on Wednesday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090923/us_nm/us_usa_georgia_floods

Dust storm shrouds Sydney, obscures monuments

2009-09-23T18:20:00.000-04:00

SYDNEY – Red Outback grit shrouded Australia's largest city Wednesday, blotting out such landmarks as the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge and even reaching underground to coat subway stations. The country's worst dust storm in 70 years diverted planes and produced an eerie orange sky.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090923/ap_on_re_au_an/as_australia_dust_storm

Drought makes California vulnerable to busy fire season

2009-09-12T20:25:00.001-04:00

LOS ANGELES — Even as a mammoth wildfire still burns in the San Gabriel Mountains, California hasn't seen this year the level of destruction that flames delivered the past two years.

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wildfires/2009-09-09-california-fire-season_N.htm

Warming Arctic follows 1,900 years of cooling, scientists find

2009-09-12T20:23:00.001-04:00

WASHINGTON — The Arctic was cooling for 1,900 years because of a natural change in Earth's orbit until greenhouse gas accumulation from the use of fossil fuels reversed the trend in recent decades, according to a study published Thursday in Science magazine .

http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20090903/sc_mcclatchy/3305145

Arctic Temperatures Are Warmest in 2,000 Years

2009-09-12T20:20:00.000-04:00

Arctic air temperatures in the 1990s were the warmest in the last 2,000 years and were a result of rising greenhouse gas levels, a new study concludes.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090903/sc_livescience/arctictemperaturesarewarmestin2000years

The Changing Arctic: How Animals Respond to Climate Change

2009-09-12T20:18:00.000-04:00

The dramatic changes sweeping the Arctic as a result of global warming aren't just confined to melting sea ice and polar bears - a new study finds that the forces of climate change are propagating throughout the frigid north, producing different effects in each ecosystem with the upshot that the face of the Arctic may be forever altered.

"The Arctic as we know it may be a thing of the past," said Eric Post of Penn State, who led an international team that brought together research on the effects of climate change from ecosystems across the Arctic.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090910/sc_livescience/thechangingarctichowanimalsrespondtoclimatechange

Drought-stricken Guatemala pleads for aid

2009-09-12T20:15:00.000-04:00

GUATEMALA CITY (AFP) – Guatemala on Friday called on the international community to stump up 110 million dollars to help battle a famine and drought that has struck the Central American nation.

The drought is also being felt in neighboring Mexico, where the country's water commission last month warned of a "critical" water shortage that was likely to reach crisis levels by next year.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090911/sc_afp/guatemalapovertydrought_20090911233028

In tiny `Tuk,' they man climate's front line

2009-09-12T20:14:00.000-04:00

TUKTOYAKTUK, Northwest Territories – Caught between rising seas and land melting beneath their mukluk-shod feet, the villagers of Tuktoyaktuk are doing what anyone would do on this windy Arctic coastline. They're building windmills.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090908/ap_on_re_ca/cn_climate_09_frigid_front_line

Walruses congregate on Alaska shore as ice melts

2009-09-12T20:13:00.000-04:00

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Thousands of walruses are congregating on Alaska's northwest coast, a sign that their Arctic sea ice environment has been altered by climate change.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090910/ap_on_re_us/us_sea_ice_walrus

Effects of Arctic warming seen as widespread

2009-09-12T20:11:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON – Arctic warming is affecting plants, birds, animals and insects as ice melts and the growing season changes, scientists report in a new review of the many impacts climate change is having on the far north.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090910/ap_on_sc/us_sci_arctic_warming

Greenland's melt mystery unfolds, at glacial pace

2009-09-12T20:10:00.000-04:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090911/ap_on_sc/climate_09_greenland_s_melt

HELHEIM GLACIER, Greenland – Suddenly and without warning, the gigantic river of ice sped up, causing it to spit icebergs ever faster into the ocean off southeastern Greenland.

The Helheim Glacier nearly doubled its speed in just a few years, flowing through a rift in the barren coastal mountains at a stunning 100 feet (30 meters) per day.

In hot water: World sets ocean temperature record

2009-08-21T09:47:00.000-04:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090820/ap_on_sc/us_sci_warm_oceans

The average water temperature worldwide was 62.6 degrees, according to the National Climatic Data Center, the branch of the U.S. government that keeps world weather records. That was 1.1 degree higher than the 20th century average, and beat the previous high set in 1998 by a couple hundredths of a degree. The coolest recorded ocean temperature was 59.3 degrees in December 1909.

Vast expanses of Arctic ice melt in summer heat

2009-08-13T07:33:00.000-04:00

TUKTOYAKTUK, Northwest Territories – The Arctic Ocean has given up tens of thousands more square miles (square kilometers) of ice on Sunday in a relentless summer of melt, with scientists watching through satellite eyes for a possible record low polar ice cap.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090810/ap_on_sc/cn_canada_ice_retreats