WEEKLY CLIMATE NEWS

DataStreme ECS WEEK FOUR: 30 September-4 October 2013

ITEMS OF INTEREST

• Summary of new climate change report made available to policymakers -- Last Friday, the 36-page "Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis Summary for Policymakers" of the Working Group I contribution to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (WGI AR5) was approved and released by the Twelfth Session of Working Group I (WGI-12) that was held in Stockholm, Sweden. This first part of the highly anticipated Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will be followed by the remainder of the report that is scheduled to be released on Monday of this week. The 259 IPCC scientists from 39 countries emphasized that confidence about the human fingerprint on climate change has grown to 95 percent. [IPCC Working Group I]
• Start of a new water year -- On Tuesday, 1 October 2013, the new water year of 2014 will begin. As defined by the US Geological Survey and used by hydrologists in reports dealing with surface water supply, the "water year" is defined as the 12 months commencing on 1 October of any given year and ends on 30 September of the following year. The water year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends, such that the 2014 water year runs through 30 September 2014.
• High-quality maps of October temperature and precipitation normals across US available -- The PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University has prepared high-resolution maps depicting the normal maximum temperature, minimum temperature and precipitation totals for October across the 48 coterminous United States for the current 1981-2010 climate normals interval. These maps, with a 800-meter resolution, were produced using the PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model) climate mapping system.
• October weather calendar for a city near you -- The Midwestern Regional Climate Center maintains an interactive website that permits the public to produce a ready to print weather calendar for any given month of the year, such as October, at any of approximately 270 weather stations around the nation. (These stations are NOAA's ThreadEx stations.) The entries for each day of the month includes: Normal maximum temperature, normal minimum temperature, normal daily heating and cooling degree days, normal daily precipitation, record maximum temperature, record minimum temperature, and record daily precipitation; the current normals for 1981-2010.
• Monitoring degree-day units -- If you would like to monitor how this upcoming winter will affect the amount of energy that you will need for heating your home, please read this week's Supplemental Information…In Greater Depth. You will see how heating degree-day units are computed, as well as the corresponding cooling-degree day units. This supplemental also provides links to tabulations of the cumulative heating and cooling degree-day units that are available on a monthly basis for selected cities across the country.
• Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta climatology is available -- The world famous Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta takes place near the beginning of each October; this year the 42nd annual event is scheduled for 5-13 October 2013. This nine-day festival involves as many as 750 hot-air balloons and is held over the Rio Grande Valley in the Albuquerque (NM) metropolitan area at this time of year because of the cool nights, sunny days and the lack of thunderstorm activity. Because of the cool autumn nights, the "Albuquerque Box" weather phenomenon occurs, which features light winds from the north near the surface draining down the Rio Grande Valley, while winds from the south aloft permit the balloons to move up and down in this box like feature so as to hover over a small geographic area. The Albuquerque National Weather Service Forecast Office has posted the Balloon Fiesta Climatology that includes the daily temperature and precipitation data for nearly each year of the event along with a further description of the "Albuquerque Box."

CURRENT CLIMATE STATUS

• Global patterns of carbon dioxide monitored from space -- A global map was generated showing the concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide in the mid-troposphere (altitudes around 18,000 feet) as obtained from data collected in May 2013 by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. The map shows a global pattern that reduced concentrations in the Southern Hemisphere near the end of that hemisphere's growing season and higher levels in the Northern Hemisphere, where the growing season was commencing. May 2013 represented the month with the highest concentration of carbon dioxide near the Earth's surface as monitored by NOAA's Mauna Loa Observatory. [NASA Earth Observatory]

CURRENT CLIMATE MONITORING

• Flight of spacecraft tracking solar energy through space -- Scientists have taken advantage of an unprecedented alignment of eight spacecraft to detail how magnetic energy emanating from the Sun passes around the Earth and affects the planet's magnetosphere. The eight spacecraft include NASA's THEMIS (Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms) and ARTEMIS mission for Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon's Interaction with the Sun spacecraft, the joint Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency/NASA mission Geotail spacecraft and the NOAA's GOES 13 and GOES 15 satellite. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]
• 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]

• High-altitude balloon provides new view of Sun's Atmosphere -- Scientists from Germany's Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research have provided new insights into the Sun's chromospheres based upon their analysis of high-resolution images collected over three months from the balloon-borne solar observatory Sunrise. This observatory consisted of a one-meter solar telescope carried to an altitude of approximately 20 miles over the North Atlantic by a NASA scientific balloon. The instrument was able to filter the solar radiation to look at specific ultra-violet wavelengths emanating from the chromosphere, active surface of the Sun that has temperatures ranging from 6000K to 20,000K. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]
• Changing climate will significantly affect global distribution of mercury -- A recent report made by scientists at the US Geological Survey (USGS) and Harvard University warns that rising global temperatures and changing human actions will significantly affect the behavior and distribution of mercury worldwide, especially in the form of methylmercury, an extremely toxic chemical to all life forms. Burning of coal for electric power generation and small-scale gold mining operations are significant sources of mercury emissions by humans. The United Nations Environmental Program assembled 140 countries to craft the Minamata Convention on Mercury so as to limit mercury emissions. This convention produced a binding resolution that includes emissions standards for mercury that is scheduled to be signed in October, 2013. [USGS Newsroom]
• Changing winds could cause growth in Antarctic sea ice -- A scientist at the University of Washington claims that approximately 80 percent of the observed growth in the Antarctic sea ice during recent decades can be explained by changes in the atmospheric circulation around Antarctica, while 20 percent may be attributed to changes in oceanic circulation. The atmospheric circulation, primarily associated with the changes in the polar vortex, could push sea ice away from the continent, leading to the creation of open waters where new ice can easily form. The changes in the polar vortex could be associated with reduction in stratospheric ozone over Antarctica. The Antarctic sea ice has expanded while Arctic sea ice has been shrinking to record small areal extent. [Climate Central]
• Higher global temperatures could increase severe thunderstorm risk in US -- A study conducted by Stanford University researchers indicates that increased global temperatures and the associated changes in climate appears to a higher frequency in severe thunderstorms across the United States. These severe thunderstorms are responsible for loss of life and catastrophic losses from damaging winds, tornadoes, large hail and torrential rain. New climate models using projected higher temperatures show an increase in a measure of energy related to development of severe thunderstorms called convective available potential energy (CAPE). [Stanford University News]

• Visualizations show potential global temperature and precipitation changes during 21st century -- New data visualizations from the NASA Center for Climate Simulation and NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio at Goddard Space Flight Center show how climate models estimate possible temperature and precipitation pattern changes throughout the 21st century. Dozens of climate models from a international research institutions were used in the modeling effort, called the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5), that was used in the new report from the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to be released this week. Four different scenarios of the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas throughout the 21st century were used. [NASA News]

• Late Cretaceous Period may have been ice-free -- Researchers from the University of Missouri who studied fossilized shells planktic and benthic foraminifera recovered from Tanzania report that this fossil record indicates that the Earth's atmosphere during the Late Cretaceous Period (at least 90 million years ago) had carbon dioxide levels that were up to 1000 ppm and no continental ice sheets appeared to be present. The carbon dioxide concentration during the late Cretaceous was more than the current concentration that is close to 400 ppm. [Research at Mizzou (University of Missouri)]

• Autumn coloration may become dulled by climate change -- A plant physiologist at North Carolina's Appalachian State claims that warmer weather conditions associated with climate change could result in dulled fall colors across the nation by delaying the onset of the fall color season, bleaching out red tones due to changes in the manufacture of red pigments in the leaves and ushering in invasive species. [LiveScience]

CLIMATE AND SOCIETY

• Five-year NOAA research and development plan announced -- Early last week, NOAA officials released an online accessible document describing its five-year research and development plan that is designed to guide NOAA scientists in their effort to observe and predict changes in the global ocean-atmosphere system and to alert and protect society from the negative impacts of these changes. [NOAA News]
• 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]
• Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Concept of the Week: Climate and Architecture

Humans have been constructing houses and other buildings for thousands of years not only to protect themselves from the weather and other environmental factors, but also to create a comfortable indoor environment that would exhibit energy efficiency, especially in harsh climates. For centuries, natural or primitive housing reflected an adaptation to the climate of the locale and the availability of local building materials.

In order to maintain a tolerable level of comfort within a building, attention must be paid to thermal effects, ventilation, illumination and atmospheric humidity.

The indoor thermal state ultimately depends upon the building's energy budget involving incoming and outgoing radiation, latent and sensible heat loss and by interior heat sources or sinks. The indoor thermal level is mainly associated with the external energy load on the building. The external energy load on the building depends upon the latitude of the building, season of the year and time of day.

In tropical latitudes and during midday hours in summer, the sun's path across the local sky increases the solar radiation incident upon the roof and walls of the building. In polar latitudes, or during the winter or the amount of available sunlight is significantly lower, with the loss of infrared radiation causing a net cooling from the building. Changes in the color of the roof and the outer walls can affect the amount of incoming sunlight absorbed. Building orientation and the effective use of overhangs can also affect the amount of sunlight absorbed. Furthermore, the amount of insulation, often related to the thickness of the walls, reduces the conduction of heat into or out of the building. Thick adobe walls have been used effectively in the Southwest to moderate indoor temperature. These walls reduce the heat flow into the building during the daytime and in summer and out from the building at night or during winter.

The size and placement of windows also affects the energy balance. Large windows on the side of the building facing the sun's path tend to permit large amounts of sunlight to penetrate into the building. However, large windows on the side facing away from the sun can cause for heat loss due to conduction, as many types of windowpanes are not energy efficient.

Effective landscaping can reduce energy demands upon a dwelling: Deciduous trees planted on the south and west sides of the home provide cooling shade during the summer, keeping sunlight from entering the windows. These trees will lose their foliage in fall and allow the sun to shine through in winter, and warm south facing rooms. Evergreen trees or dense shrubbery on the north side can serve as a windbreak, which reduce the cold northerly winds from striking the house in winter.

Energy losses from buildings during the upcoming winter in northern latitudes can be seen readily by how quickly snow melts from roofs and by how big the icicles form. Heat losses from buildings occur with larger negative energy budgets, which are reflected also in higher heating bills during the winter season. However, the heating bills also depend upon the severity of the winter season that can be ascertained from the number of accumulated heating degree-day units. Check this week's Supplemental Information...In Greater Depth for how you can monitor the number of heating degree-day units to date in your state for this coming heating season.

Concept of the Week: Questions

Place your responses on the Chapter Progress Response Form provided in the Study Guide.

1. The thicker the outdoor walls, the [(greater),(less)] the heat flow into or out of a building.
2. Planting [(evergreen),(deciduous)] vegetation on the south side of a home in New England will help reduce winter heating and summer cooling bills.

• 30 September 1992...Fairbanks, AK averaged a frigid 31.7 degrees for the month, 13.2 degrees below normal and a record. Beginning on the 9^th, a record low was set for every day of the month. The temperature plunged to 3 degrees on the 30^th, the lowest ever for September. Snowfall for the month totaled 24.4 inches, more than three times the previous record. The snows never melted. Plant foliage still green, was frozen into place and week long power outages occurred as whole trees bent over onto power lines in the heavy wet snow. (Intellicast)
• 1 October 2006...Wichita, KS recorded its hottest October day ever on the 1st with a 97-degree high temperature. (The Weather Doctor)
• 2 October 1858...The only tropical cyclone known to produce hurricane-force (estimated) winds on the California coast hit near San Diego, CA. Damage to property is considerable. (The Weather Doctor)
• 2 October 1980...The temperature at Blue Canyon, CA soared to 88 degrees, an October record for that location. (The Weather Channel)
• 3 October 1912...The longest dry spell of record in the U.S. commenced as Bagdad, CA went 767 days without rain, ending on 9 November 1914. (David Ludlum)
• 4 October 1969...Denver, CO received 9.6 inches of snow. October of that year proved to be the coldest and snowiest of record for Denver, with a total snowfall for the month of 31.2 inches. (Weather Channel)
• 4-7 October 1972...Remnants of Hurricane Joanne brought heavy rain and flooding to much of Arizona. It was the first documented tropical storm to reach the state with its cyclonic circulation intact. Severe flooding occurred in the Clifton, Duncan and Safford areas. (The Weather Doctor)
• 4 October 1976...The mean wind speed reached 88.5 mph at Melfort, Saskatchewan, the province's highest ever sustained wind. (The Weather Doctor)
• 4 October 1987...A rapidly deepening coastal storm dumped record snows across eastern New York State and western New England. Grafton, NY was buried under 22 inches of snow, North Springfield, VT had 21 inches and Pownal, VT recorded 18 inches. Most of the snow occurred at higher elevations but even Albany, NY received 6 inches, their earliest measurable snow in 117 years of records. Damage to trees was extensive as many trees were still in full leaf. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) (The Weather Channel) (Intellicast)
  In California, high temperatures of 100 degrees at San Francisco, and 108 degrees at Los Angeles and Santa Maria, were October records. San Luis Obispo was the hot spot in the nation with an afternoon high of 111 degrees. (The National Weather Summary).
• 4 October 1998...As many as 27 tornadoes touched down across Oklahoma, establishing the national record for tornadoes in any state on a single October day. (The Weather Doctor)
• 4 October 2005...The Minneapolis-St. Paul (MN) International Airport received 4.61 inches, breaking the local daily rainfall record for October. North of the Twin Cities, weather spotters reported nine inches of rain in the town of Spencer Brook. (The Weather Doctor) 5 October 1917...The temperature at Sentinel, AZ soared to 116 degrees to establish an October record for the nation. (The Weather Channel)
• 5 October 1972...Heavy rains, mostly the remnants of Tropical Storm Joanne, fell across much of Arizona. It was believed to be the first time in Arizona weather history that a tropical storm entered the state with its circulation still intact. The center was over Flagstaff early on the 7th. (3rd-7th) (The Weather Channel)
• 5 October 1984...The temperature at Honolulu, HI hit 94 degrees to establish the all-time record high for that city. (Intellicast)
• 5 October 1987...In California, afternoon high temperatures of 102 degrees in Downtown San Francisco, and 104 degrees at Monterey, established all-time records. The high of 101 degrees at San Jose was a record for October. Sacramento tied their record for October for the third time in the month, with a reading of 102 degrees. (The National Weather Summary)
• 6 October 1952...A trace of snow fell at Nashville, TN, the earliest ever on record. (Intellicast)
• 6 October 1967...Canada's 24-hour rainfall record was established at Ucluelet Brynnor Mines on Vancouver Island in British Columbia with 19.24 in. (Accord Weather Calendar)
• 6 October 1984...The temperature at Honolulu, HI reached 94 degrees to establish an all-time record at that location. (The Weather Channel)

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Prepared by Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D., email hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
© Copyright, 2013, The American Meteorological Society.