WEEKLY CLIMATE NEWS

17-21 December 2012

DataStreme Earth's Climate Systems will return for Spring 2013 with new Investigations files starting during Preview Week, Monday, 14 January 2013. All the current online website products, including updated issues of Weekly Climate News, will continue to be available throughout the winter break period.

Happy Holidays to you and yours from the AMS DS Earth's Climate Systems Central Staff!

Ed Hopkins

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Happy Winter Solstice!
Reasons for why world should not end next week -- The media and the public have been calling attention to claims that the world will end this coming Friday, 21 December 2012. However, a group of NASA scientists have provided answers to several frequently asked questions regarding the claims about the anticipated "Armageddon." [NASA Global Climate Change]
Science On a Sphere® celebrates tenth anniversary -- The highly popular Science On a Sphere®, a data visualization tool invented by invented by Dr. Alexander E. (Sandy) MacDonald of NOAA Research, recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of its debut at the NOAA Science Center in Silver Spring, MD. To date, more than 90 of these spheres have been installed around the world in science centers, museums and a variety of other academic institutions. As many as 24.5 million viewers witness displays on these six-foot diameter spheres annually. Different types of movies can be projected on the spheres using four projectors that display weather patterns, storm systems and even the shift of the continents. [NOAA Research]
"The Black Marble" or "Earth at Night 2012" --Planet Earth is often called the "Blue Marble" because visible images made from orbiting satellites or from interplanetary spacecraft show large expanses of blue oceans across the daylight portion of the globe. However, NASA recently released images of the dark side of the planet obtained from the "day-night band" of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on board the NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP satellite. This sensor, which detects light in a range of wavelengths from green to near-infrared, uses filtering techniques to observe dim signals such as city lights, gas flares, auroras, wildfires, and reflected moonlight. [NASA Earth Observatory] An impressive view of city lights was made across the 48 coterminous United States in April and October of 2012. [NASA Earth Observatory]

CURRENT CLIMATE STATUS

Review of November and autumn 2012 weather and climate across the US --Preliminary monthly temperature data for November 2012 from across the nation have led scientists at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center to report that the November temperature across the coterminous United States was slightly more than two Fahrenheit degrees above the 20th century (1901-2000) averages, making last month the 20th warmest November since a sufficiently dense national climate observing network was established in 1895. Furthermore, the temperature across the 48 coterminous states for meteorological autumn (September-November) was slightly more than one Fahrenheit degree above the 20th century averages, which placed the just-concluded autumn the 21st warmest autumn since 1895. Most of the states west of the Mississippi River experienced above to much above average November statewide temperatures. The Rocky Mountain States had much above average November temperatures. On the other hand, most of the states east of the Mississippi had below average statewide November temperatures, with Virginia and North Carolina experiencing much below average temperatures. The western third of the nation experienced much above average statewide temperatures for the three-month autumn season, with Nevada having the highest September-November statewide temperature in 118 years. On the other hand, the Midwest, the Mid-South and the Southeast had below average autumn temperatures. The three-month temperatures for the states of Kentucky and Mississippi were within the lowest ten.
The nationwide precipitation total for November across the country was approximately nine-tenths of an inch below the 20th century average, placing this past month as the eighth driest November since 1895. The national precipitation total for autumn 2012 was one inch below the 20th century precipitation average. Most states had below to much below average November precipitation totals. North Dakota, Montana and Oregon were the only states that reported above average precipitation for the month. Many of the Plains States and the Southeast had much below average autumn precipitation, with Minnesota, South Dakota and Nebraska having September-November totals that were within the driest five since 1885. A few of the states around the Great Lakes and in New England had above average precipitation. Washington state also had a wet fall. [NOAA/NCDC State of the Climate]
With several weeks remaining in 2012, Bill Henson of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) provides a preview of the "weather year in review." [NCAR/UCAR AtmosNews]

CURRENT CLIMATE MONITORING

One million ocean profiles collected by Argo fleet -- Recently, NOAA oceanographers announced that the one-millionth profile of ocean temperature, salinity and current data had been collected from one of the autonomous Argo device in the fleet of more than 3000 floats deployed in the global oceans. NOAA, in partnership with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Washington, maintains one-half of the worldwide Argo network and supports the US component of the international program. The national Argo data center is located at NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Miami, FL. [NOAA Research]
An All-Hazards Monitor -- This Web portal provides the user information from NOAA on current environmental events that may pose as hazards such as tropical weather, fire weather, marine weather, severe weather, drought and floods. [ NOAAWatch]
Global and US Hazards/Climate Extremes -- A review and analysis of the global impacts of various weather-related events, including drought, floods and storms during the current month. [ NCDC]

CLIMATE AND THE BIOSPHERE

Cloud forest trees use their leaves to drink water -- Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley have been studying how trees in the tropical montane cloud forests in Costa Rica have been assimilating water from cloud droplets through their leaves rather than just from their root structure. However, the scientists warn that the clouds upon which the trees depend appear to be disappearing due to changes in climate. [University of California, Berkley News Center]
Bleak future for mammals due to extreme weather conditions -- A paper recently published by the United Kingdom's Zoological Society of London contains a disaster map that overlaps regions of the world where extreme weather events such as cyclones (especially tropical cyclones such as hurricanes) and droughts would likely occur and those regions where mammals could be at risk of extinction. Of the almost six thousand species of land mammals assessed, nearly one third would have at least one quarter of their range exposed to cyclones or droughts. Primates were considered to be especially at risk. [Zoological Society of London Institute of Zoology]
Amazon forests "could survive global warming" -- Researchers from the University of Michigan and the United Kingdom's University College London claim that their analysis of twelve widespread species of trees from South America's Amazon basin show that since some of these common species date back for more than 8 million years and have survived massive temperature fluctuations, then the robust species should be able to survive most projected temperature increases during the 21st century attributed to human activity. The researchers found that the older species generally had been able to have endured warmer climates. However, they warn that the trees in the Amazon remain under threat from deforestation. [Daily Mail Online]

CLIMATE FORCING

Comparisons made between impacts of greenhouse gas and black carbon emissions across North America -- Working through the auspices of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), representatives from the United States, Canada and Mexico have produced a preliminary report entitled Assessment of the Comparability of Greenhouse Gas and Black Carbon Emissions Inventories in North America that makes a more comprehensive comparison of the impacts of different greenhouse gas emissions across North America with the impacts associated with black carbon emissions. [Commission for Environmental Cooperation]
Snowfall on Antarctica leads to more ice loss -- Researchers at Germany's Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research report that increased snowfall in Antarctica due to higher temperatures has created an acceleration of ice discharge from the continent toward the ocean. The researchers also note that sea level will continue to rise despite increased snowfall in Antarctica. [Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research]

CLIMATE FORECASTS

Northeast could face warmer and wetter winters by 2070 -- Climate scientists at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and at NOAA's Climate Diagnostics Center report that their high-resolution climate study suggests that over the next several decades, temperatures across the Northeast would increase especially in winter and that the winters would be wetter with more rain than snow by 2070. These projections were based upon multiple simulations run on five regional climate models. [University of Massachusetts-Amherst]

PALEOCLIMATE RECONSTRUCTION

Two-century drought may have led to demise of Sumerian language -- A geologist at Ohio State University recently reported that his analysis of geological records from the Middle East indicates a drought that persisted between 200 to 300 years across Mesopotamia approximately 4000 years ago may have resulted in the disappearance of the Sumerian language, one of the earliest know languages. Mesopotamia eventually declined as well. However, additional factors also contributed to the decline in the language, including armed conflicts and the destruction of the capital city. [Time News Feed]
Ancient Australian fossils were land not sea dwellers -- A scientist at the University of Oregon claims that the ancient multicellular fossils called "Ediacara biota" first discovered in the 1940s in southern Australia's Ediacara Hills are remnants of land based lichens or other microbial colonies, not from marine organisms as previously thought. These fossils date back to as early as 635 million years ago. [University of Oregon]

CLIMATE AND SOCIETY

"Arctic Summit" addresses US-Canadian research efforts in the Arctic -- Early last week senior leaders from several US and Canadian government agencies met with the US Navy's Chief of Naval Research to address research efforts that both nations are conducting in response to dramatic and accelerating changes in summer sea ice coverage of the Arctic Ocean. [Office of Naval Research]
Nation's drought could be costlier than Hurricane Sandy -- Economists and other specialists warn that the persistent drought conditions across a large section of the nation are creating a financial toll that could be greater than that caused by the past October's Hurricane Sandy. The drought, which had been most severe across sections of the nation's midsection has not only hit farmers and ranchers, but made parts of the Mississippi River nearly unnavigable. The drought could cost as much $100 billion, while Sandy was estimated to have inflicted at least $75 billion in damage. [The Christian Science Monitor]
Insurance industry found to be paying increased attention to climate change -- A scientist at the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory recently reported that the insurance industry is undertaking larger efforts designed to manage risks related to changing climate. Currently, weather and climate related insurance losses average approximately $50 billion per year, a figure that had more than doubled each decade since the 1980s, even when adjusted for inflation. The insurance industry, which is reported to be the world's largest business with $4.6 trillion in revenues, has become adept at quantifying and managing the risks of climate change, as well as to drive broader societal efforts at mitigation and adaptation. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory News Center]
Public opinion shifts toward "global warming" -- A new AP-GfK poll conducted by approximately one month after Hurricane/Super storm Sandy made landfall along the Middle Atlantic coast indicates that four of five Americans think global temperatures are rising and that this temperature increase is leading to weather and climate issues. The poll of over 1000 adult cell phone and land-line customers also indicates a higher fraction of those who are skeptical of scientists now think temperatures are rising and causing problems. [AP-GfK]
Website for human dimensions of climate change -- An interagency effort within the US federal government that included NOAA, the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service, has resulted in a website called HD.gov (for HumanDimensions.gov) that provides users, such as natural resource managers, with information on the human dimensions on a variety of topics of interest such as climate change. [HD.gov]

COMPARATIVE PLANETOLOGY

50 years of exploring other planets in our solar system -- This past Saturday marks the 50th anniversary of when NASA's Mariner 2 spacecraft traveled within 21,570 miles of planet Venus, marking the first time any spacecraft had ever successfully made a close-up study of another planet. Data collected during this flyby confirmed the "runaway greenhouse" effect on Venus. In subsequent years, other NASA spacecraft have successfully collected data from flybys or landings on all the other planets in our solar system. In celebration of the anniversary, an interactive presentation highlighting 50 years of planetary exploration is available online. [NASA JPL]
Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Historical Events:

17 December 1884...A three-week blockade of snow began at Portland, OR. A record December total of 34 inches was received. (David Ludlum)
17 December 1930...Greensboro, NC experienced its greatest 24-hour snowfall when 14.3 inches fell. (Intellicast)
18 December 1919...The temperature fell to one degree below zero at Central Park in New York City for the earliest sub-zero temperature on record. (Intellicast)
18 December 1989...Unseasonably warm weather continued ahead of an arctic cold front. Miami FL equaled their record for December with an afternoon high of 87 degrees. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
19 December 1911...A 24-hour snowfall record occurred in Oklahoma with 22 inches at Beaver. (Intellicast)
19 December 1924...The Riverside Ranger Station in Yellowstone Park, WY reported a low of 59 degrees below zero, a December record for the contiguous U.S. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
19 December 1967...The second heavy snow in a week brought a total of 86 inches of snow to Flagstaff, AZ with a record snow depth of 83 inches. (Intellicast) (David Ludlum)
20 December 1989... Squalls produced more heavy snow in the Great Lakes Region. Erie, PA received 21 inches of snow, including four inches in one hour, to bring their total snow cover to 39 inches, an all-time record for that location. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
20 December 1990...Snow fell at Santa Maria, CA for the first time since records were kept. (Intellicast)
21 December 1892...Portland, OR was buried under an all-time record 27.5 inches of snow. (21^st-24^th) (The Weather Channel)
21 December 1989...Forty cities in the north central U.S., including thirteen in Iowa, reported record low temperatures for the date. The high for the date of 16 degrees below zero at Sioux Falls, SD was December record for that location. (The National Weather Summary)
23 December 1955...The barometric pressure dipped to 28.97 inches (981 millibars) at Boise, ID, an all-time record for that location. (The Weather Channel)
23 December 1983...The temperature plunged to 50 degrees below zero at Williston, ND to equal their all-time record. Minneapolis, MN reported an afternoon high of 17 degrees below zero, and that evening strong northerly winds produced wind chill readings of 100 degrees below zero in North Dakota. (The National Weather Summary)

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