19-23 January 2009

• Review of global temperatures in 2008 - Preliminary analysis of worldwide land and ocean surface temperatures for the recently-concluded calendar year of 2008 by scientists at NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) indicates that 2008 was the eighth warmest year since 1880, when sufficiently detailed world-wide climate data became available. Because of slightly different methodology used in averaging, NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies had reported that 2008 was the ninth warmest. According to NCDC statistics, the global land surface temperature for 2008 was the sixth warmest, while the global ocean surface temperature was the tenth warmest. [NOAA News]
• Presidential Inauguration Weather -- On Tuesday, 20 January 2009, President-elect Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States in Washington, DC. The quadrennial Inauguration of the President and Vice President of the United States has been influenced by inclement Washington, DC weather, producing an interesting history. Meteorologists at the Baltimore/Washington National Weather Service Office have produced a detailed report of the "normal weather" that can be expected on Tuesday, along with weather extremes for past inaugurations. [Baltimore/Washington National Weather Service Office] In addition, The National Weather Service has provided a special link to the local Washington DC metropolitan area weather forecast for this week and has listed some recommended cold weather safety tips for spectators planning to attend the outdoor festivities associated with the Inauguration. [NOAA News]

• Cloud observations and studies remain important for climate research -- Early last week, NASA scientists along with schoolchildren from around the world celebrated Global Cloud Observation Day and the 12th anniversary of S'COOL, Students' Cloud Observations On-Line, an international education program sponsored by NASA's Langley Research Center that has helped provide ground truth data for the agency's orbiting Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) instrument. [NASA Earth Observatory] A set of images shows the fraction of low and high level clouds from around the globe as obtained from data collected by NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites at the end of December 2008. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Autonomous high-altitude aircraft for earth science research unveiled -- Last week at the Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, CA, NASA and Northrop Grumman Corporation unveiled the Global Hawk aircraft system, the world's first fully autonomous high-altitude, long-endurance aircraft to be used for environmental science research. [NASA Earth Observatory]

• High altitude balloon flight-tested over Antarctica -- A newly designed super pressure balloon prototype was recently launched and successfully tested by NASA and the National Science Foundation from McMurdo Station, Antarctica prior to use as a platform for high-altitude scientific research at altitudes of more than 110,000 feet and for missions extending for 100 days or more. [NASA Earth Observatory]
• Tracking the human factor from space -- NASA will be launching the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, a new Earth-orbiting satellite, in early 2009 that will have onboard sensors that will make more than 100,000 measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations from around the world each day, resulting in a new insight into how this greenhouse gas enters and is stored in the atmosphere, with special emphasis upon the role played by humans in the carbon cycle. [NASA Earth Observatory]

• 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]

• Losses of Louisiana wetlands and barrier islands due to Gustav are documented -- Images obtained from sensors on NASA's Landsat 5 satellite before and after the landfall of Hurricane Gustav on the Louisiana coast have been analyzed by NASA researchers at the Goddard Space Flight Center and have been found to contain information concerning the loss of wetlands and barrier islands due to this strong category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. [NASA GSFC]

• Crops could help cool the planet -- Researchers from the United Kingdom's University of Bristol claim that through careful selection of the varieties of food crops that could be cultivated for increased reflectivity to incoming solar radiation, summer season temperatures across a large section of Europe and North American could drop by as much as one Celsius degree and result in an annual global cooling of more than 0.1 Celsius degrees. [EurekAlert!] [EurekAlert!]
• Dirty snow causes earlier spring mountain snowmelt -- Researchers at the US Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory who studied the effect of anthropogenically generated soot on snow across the mountain ranges in the Western States have found that the soot warms the snow and the overlying air by as much as 1.2 Fahrenheit degrees, causing snow to melt, which often leads to earlier spring runoff from the shrunken winter snowpack that provide a major source of water to the West. [EurekAlert!]
• Airborne particulates helps find polluters -- A research team from the University of Houston, the University of Arizona and NASA has found that airborne fine particulate matter (diameters less than 2.5 micrometers) in the Houston (TX) metropolitan area has certain unique identifiers associated with their origin that can be used to track down the polluters who released thee pollutants. [EurekAlert!]
• Effects of Arctic climate amplification studied -- In a report "Synthesis and Assessment Product 1.2: Past Climate Variability and Change in the Arctic and at High Latitudes" commissioned by the US Climate Change Science Program, a team of climate scientists from United States, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom and Denmark claims temperature across the Arctic is changing more rapidly than elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere, resulting in more rapid melting of glaciers and ice sheets, more sea ice retreat and greater coastal erosion than previously expected. [USGS Newsroom]

• Mars may not be a dead planet -- Researchers at NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility and Goddard Space Flight Center, together with colleagues from several universities, have definitively detected methane in the Martian atmosphere, indicating that Mars may be either biologically or geologically active. [NASA Headquarters News]

• Acidification of organic soils continue despite reduced acid deposition -- Researchers at Syracuse University recently reported that their study of soils in 139 watersheds across the Northeastern States indicates organic soil acidification continues to pose a threat to the health of terrestrial ecosystems across the region despite a reduction in the acidic deposition from precipitation during the last three decades. [Soil Science Society of America]
• Fish may play important role in the marine carbon cycle -- An international team of scientists from the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, the United Kingdom and Canada claim that they solved a long-standing mystery concerning the carbonate balance in seawater, demonstrating that marine fish contribute a significant fraction of the oceans' calcium carbonate production, which ultimately affects the delicate acidity-alkalinity (pH) balance of seawater. [EurekAlert!]

• Improved climate predictions needs aerosol research -- A report, "Atmospheric Aerosol Properties and Climate Impacts," prepared by scientists from NASA, NOAA and the US Department of Energy and issued by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program warns that a more detailed understanding of how anthropogenically produced aerosols affect climate in order to produce improved climate predictions. [NASA Headquarters]

• North Atlantic Oscillation variations linked to changes in climate -- Researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution who created a 218-year reconstruction of the marine temperature record based on the growth rings on Bermuda brain coral claim that the monthly changes in the ocean temperatures can be linked to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), a wide-ranging pressure seesaw that drives winter climate over much of North America, Europe and North Africa. [Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution]
• Sediments help document uplift history of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau -- Using a variety of records obtained from stratigraphy and tectonic records, a group of Chinese researchers have provided a more detailed history of the Tibet Plateau and the Himalayan Mountains since the Paleocene-Eocene, approximately 65 million years before present (BP), a region that provides important large-scale environmental and climatic impacts. [EurekAlert!]

• Abrupt ecosystem changes could be triggered by slight climate changes -- In a recently released document from the US Climate Change Science Program entitled "Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.2: Thresholds of Climate Change in Ecosystems," scientists from five governmental agencies report that slight changes in climate may trigger major abrupt ecosystem responses such as outbreaks of wildfires, forest dieback, and insect infestation that would adversely affect society and that would be difficult to reverse. [USGS Newsroom]
• Elderly could have higher hypertension rates in cold weather -- A medical doctor at France's Institut National de la Santé et de la Récherche Médicale and colleagues have found that lower outdoor air temperatures during winter often lead to higher blood pressure levels in elderly patients, due to disorders in the baroreflex control that regulate blood pressure control and vasoreactivity, or sensitivity of blood vessels. [EurekAlert!]
• Notable satellite images from last week -- In addition to the routine images of the weather across the nation obtained from the GOES satellites operated by NOAA, images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard NASA's Aqua and Terra satellites provide a detailed view of weather-related events. The following notable satellite images show some of these events during last week:

• Climate scientist honored -- NASA climate scientist and director of the NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies, James E. Hansen, recently received the 2009 Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the American Meteorological Society for "outstanding contributions to climate modeling, understanding climate change forcings and sensitivity, and for clear communication of climate science in the public arena." [NASA Earth Observatory]

• Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Concept of the Week: Touring the ECS website

Welcome to DataStreme Earth Climate Science (ECS)! You are embarking on a unique teacher-enhancement experience that focuses on climate and climatic change from an Earth system perspective. Throughout this learning experience, you will be accessing the DataStreme ECS website frequently to obtain and interpret a variety of environmental information, including the latest observational data. The objective of this initial Concept of the Week is to explore features of the DataStreme ECS website.

On Monday of each week of the course, we will post the current Weekly Climate News that includes Climate in the News (a summary listing of current events related to climate), Concept of the Week (an in-depth analysis of some topic related to climate), and Historical Events (a list of past events). When appropriate, Supplemental Information will be provided on some topic related to the principal theme of the week.

You will use the DataStreme ECS website to access and download the second part of weekly Investigations A & B (plus supporting images) that begin in your DataStreme ECS Investigations Manual. These materials should be available by noon (Eastern Time) on Tuesday and Thursday. Click the appropriate buttons to download and print these electronic components of the investigations as well as your Chapter Progress and Investigations Response forms.

The body of the DataStreme ECS website provides links to the Climate Information, Climate Variability, Climate Change, Societal Interactions and Climate Policy and extras--glossaries of terms, maps, educational links, and ECS information. Following each section is a link to other sites that examine the various the Earth' Climate Systems. Let's take a quick tour to become more familiar with the ECS website.

Under Observations and Data, click on Daily Hi/Lo Temps & Precip, which provides a link to the Climate section of the National Weather Service. You will see a map with plots of maximum and minimum temperatures for the previous day across all 50 states; links are available to Puerto Rico, Guam and American Samoa. By selecting "precipitation" in the window on the upper left of the map (followed by pressing "go"), a corresponding plot of the 24-hour precipitation data, where appropriate. If you place your cursor on your state, you should be able to reach the climate page for the National Weather Service Office in your area. You may want to "bookmark" this page on your computer for future reference.

Under Climate Variability, click on CPC Forecasts and Outlooks, which links to the home page of the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center. Move your cursor over the set of product titles, such as "One Month Outlook" or "US Drought Assessment" found just above the map of North America. Note how the map display changes in response to the cursor movement.

Under Climate Change, click on Climate Models & Modeling Groups. This site provides links to various groups that have either developed or run climate models.

Take a few minutes when you have time to browse the other data and information sources available via the DataStreme ECS website. You may want to "bookmark" this page on your computer. Return frequently to get into the flow of DataStreme ECS!

Concept of the Week: Questions

1. The highest and lowest temperatures across the nation that are displayed on the National Weather Service Climate page are valid for the 24 hours ending at [(midnight) (7 AM) (7 PM)] EST.
2. .

• 19 January 1786...The temperature at Hartford, CT fell to 24 degrees below zero. Up to this time, it was the lowest ever known on a thermometer.
• 19 January 1925...The record low temperature for the state of Maine was set at Van Buren when the temperature fell to 48 degrees below zero. (Intellicast)
• 19 January 1933...Giant Forest, CA received 60 inches of snow in just 24 hours, a state record, and the second highest 24-hour total of record for the U.S. (David Ludlum)
• 19 January 1994...An extremely cold arctic airmass set 67 new record temperature lows from Minnesota to Virginia, including 10 cities that recorded their lowest temperatures ever. The following cities set all-time record lows: Indianapolis, IN (27 degrees below zero), Akron, OH, Clarksburg, WV, and Zanesville, OH (25 below), Pittsburgh, PA, Louisville, KY, Columbus, OH and Youngstown, OH (22 below), Cleveland, OH (20 below), and Erie, PA (18 below). The mercury plunged to 36 below zero at New Whiteland, IN to set a new record low temperature for the Hoosier State. In Kentucky, a statewide record low temperature was set at Shelbyville with a reading of 37 degrees below zero. A low of 52 degrees below zero was reported in the community of Amasa -- the state's lowest temperature on record. (Intellicast)
• 19 January 1995...Columbia, MO was buried under 19.7 inches of snow in 24 hours for its greatest 24-hour snowfall and snowstorm ever. Wind gusts up to 45 mph produced blizzard conditions and thunderstorms occurred several times during the heavy snow. Interstates 70, US 63, and US 54 were closed down. The same storm produced 15 inches of snow at Moline, IL and 14 inches at Blue Jacket, OK. (Intellicast)
• 20 January 1937... The record low temperature for the state of California was set at Boca when the thermometer dropped to 45 degrees below zero. (Intellicast)
• 20 January 1954...The temperature at Rogers Pass, MT plunged to 69.7 degrees below zero to establish a new record for the continental U.S. (David Ludlum)

• 20 January 1977…The barometric pressure at St. Anthony, Newfoundland dropped to 940.2 millibars (27.76 inches of mercury), the lowest sea level pressure ever recorded in Canada. (The Weather Doctor)

• 21 January 1985...An all-time record low temperature of 7 degrees was set on this day at Jacksonville, FL. The coldest day ever recorded at Macon, GA was recorded on this day when the mercury dropped to 6 degrees below zero. Records began at Macon in 1899. (Intellicast) The all-time record low temperature for North Carolina was set at Mt. Mitchell with a 34 degree below zero reading, while a 19 degree below zero reading at Caesars Head in South Carolina set that state's record low temperature. (National Climatic Data Center)
• 22 January 1930...The record low temperature for the state of Illinois was set at Mount Carroll as the mercury dipped to 35 degrees below zero. This state record has since been broken in 1999. (Intellicast)
• 22 January 1961...The all-time record low temperature for Connecticut was tied when the temperature fell to 32 degrees below zero at Coventry. (National Climate Data Center)
• 22 January 1943...Chinook winds during the early morning hours caused the temperature at Spearfish, SD to rise 49 Fahrenheit degrees from 4 degrees below zero to 45 degrees above zero in just two minutes (between 7:30 and 7:32 AM), the most dramatic temperature rise in world weather records. An hour and a half later the mercury plunged from 54 degrees above zero to 4 degrees below zero in twenty-seven minutes. Plate glass windows cracked as a result of the quick thermal expansion and contraction. (David Ludlum)
• 22-23 January 1943...Hoegees Camp, at an elevation of 2760 feet in the San Gabriel Mountains of southern California, received 26.12 inches of precipitation in a 24-hour span, setting the Golden State's 24-hour precipitation record. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
• 22 January 1985...Mountain Lake Biological Station in Virginia reported a temperature of 30 degrees below zero, which established the all-time record low temperature for the state. (National Climate Data Center)
• 23 January 1780...This date was the coldest day of the coldest month of record in the northeastern U.S. A British Army thermometer in New York City registered a reading of 16 degrees below zero. During that infamous hard winter, the harbor was frozen solid for five weeks, and the port was cut off from sea supply. (David Ludlum)
• 23 January 1971...The temperature at Prospect Creek Camp, AK plunged to 79.8 degrees below zero, the lowest reading of record for the United States. (David Ludlum)
• 24 January 1857...The coldest weather in pre-U.S. Weather Bureau history occurred with temperatures of 50 degrees below zero reported in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The temperature was 30 degrees below zero in Boston, MA and 11 degrees below zero on Nantucket Island. (Intellicast)
• 24 January 1916...The temperature at Browning, MT plunged 100 Fahrenheit degrees in just 24 hours, from 44 degrees above zero to 56 degrees below zero. It was a record 24-hour temperature drop for the U.S. (Weather Channel) (National Severe Storms Forecast Center)
• 24 January 1922...The all-time record low temperature for the state of Wisconsin was set at Danbury when the temperature dipped to 54 degrees below zero. (Intellicast) (This record has been broken by one degree in February, 1996)
• 24 January 1956...Thirty-eight inches of rain deluged the Kilauea Sugar Plantation of Hawaii in 24 hours, including twelve inches in just one hour. The 38.00 inches remains the Aloha State's 24-hour maximum precipitation record. (David Ludlum)
• 25 January 1965...Alta, UT was in the midst of a storm that left the town buried under 105 inches of snow establishing a record for the state. (David Ludlum)

Return to DataStreme Earth Climate Systems Homepage

Prepared by Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D., email hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
© Copyright, 2009, The American Meteorological Society.