Monitoring the saltiness of the ocean water could provide an early indicator of climate change. Significant increases or decreases in salt in key areas could forewarn of climate change in 10 to 20 years time. Presenting their findings at a recent European Science Foundation (ESF) conference, scientists predicted that the waters of the southern hemisphere oceans around South Africa and New Zealand are the places to watch.
Palaeoclimate data shows that the ocean's currents (like the Gulf Stream and its North Atlantic deep water partner) are capable of shifting gears very suddenly, but until now it wasn't clear how this occurred. Using a combination of modern observations, numerical models and palaeoclimate data scientists are increasingly realising that salt is the key.
Their results reveal that a build up of salty water can stimulate deep water circulation, while a diluting of the waters is linked to sluggish flow. "Salt plays a far more important role that we first thought," says Professor Rainer Zahn, a palaeoclimatologist at the Autonomous University of Barcelona in Spain.
Salt increases the density of water. Once a pocket of water becomes salty enough it sinks, drawing in additional water from surrounding areas, and initiates an ocean circulation loop called thermohaline overturning.
Earth Changes
If you didn't sleep well Wednesday night, especially in the northwest Denver metro area, blame Mother Nature.
A powerful area of low pressure passing to the north of Colorado produced hurricane-force winds in and near the foothills west of Denver.
Sustained winds of 50 to 70 mph hammered the northwest Denver metro area late Wednesday and early Thursday, with numerous gusts between 80 and 90 mph.
A powerful area of low pressure passing to the north of Colorado produced hurricane-force winds in and near the foothills west of Denver.
|
| ©TheDenverChannel.com |
Sustained winds of 50 to 70 mph hammered the northwest Denver metro area late Wednesday and early Thursday, with numerous gusts between 80 and 90 mph.
In an ironic twist to a sad story, public interest in Kamchatka's Geyser Valley, hit by a pair of devastating mudflows Sunday, has suddenly spiked, a local tour agency representative said Friday.
Inquiries regarding visits to the geyser field have risen sharply. "People, especially foreigners, want to see the result of the natural disaster with their own eyes, the representative said.
Two mudslides June 3 buried nearly two-thirds of the valley, which features some 200 thermal pools and 90 erupting geysers covering an area of 2.5 square miles on the Kamchatka Peninsula, in Russia's Far East.
A spokesman for the Natural Resources Ministry said Thursday that some 30 geysers had survived intact, 10 had been irretrievably lost and the rest were underwater and expected to recover.
Inquiries regarding visits to the geyser field have risen sharply. "People, especially foreigners, want to see the result of the natural disaster with their own eyes, the representative said.
Two mudslides June 3 buried nearly two-thirds of the valley, which features some 200 thermal pools and 90 erupting geysers covering an area of 2.5 square miles on the Kamchatka Peninsula, in Russia's Far East.
A spokesman for the Natural Resources Ministry said Thursday that some 30 geysers had survived intact, 10 had been irretrievably lost and the rest were underwater and expected to recover.
Warren County witnessed a few weeks of near normal weather in March and April, but that pattern did not last long.
May turned out to be one of the warmest and driest on record.
The spring of 2007 March through May was also one of the warmest on the record books.
May turned out to be one of the warmest and driest on record.
The spring of 2007 March through May was also one of the warmest on the record books.
Despite some rainfall at the end of the month, streamflows during May in North Carolina were at or near record low levels, particularly in the western part of the state.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been monitoring and recording streamflow for more than 100 years at many locations throughout North Carolina, including the French Broad River at Asheville, which has been continuously monitored since 1895. Streamflows at this location in May were at or below the streamflow recorded on the same date in 2002, during the most recent severe drought.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been monitoring and recording streamflow for more than 100 years at many locations throughout North Carolina, including the French Broad River at Asheville, which has been continuously monitored since 1895. Streamflows at this location in May were at or below the streamflow recorded on the same date in 2002, during the most recent severe drought.
All of South Carolina is under a moderate drought. That's according to a declaration from the State Drought Response Committee.
State climatologist Hope Mizzell says drying farm land and rapidly dropping stream and river flows led the committee to today's vote to upgrade the drought. Mizzell says a moderate drought doesn't require mandatory action by public water systems or the public, but it is a warning conditions are getting worse.
State climatologist Hope Mizzell says drying farm land and rapidly dropping stream and river flows led the committee to today's vote to upgrade the drought. Mizzell says a moderate drought doesn't require mandatory action by public water systems or the public, but it is a warning conditions are getting worse.
Wild weather brought chaos to Australia's east coast Friday, driving a huge freighter aground in tumultuous seas, sweeping cars into flooded rivers, disrupting flights and cutting power lines.
A storm that rolled through North Idaho Monday night sank a sailboat, blew a hole in a concrete wall and knocked out power to thousands of homes.
Climatologist Cliff Harris said he counted more than 100 hundred lightning strikes during the storm, which lasted two and half hours.
"It was one of the top five thunderstorms since 1990 because of its duration," Harris said. "It was like a war zone."
Climatologist Cliff Harris said he counted more than 100 hundred lightning strikes during the storm, which lasted two and half hours.
"It was one of the top five thunderstorms since 1990 because of its duration," Harris said. "It was like a war zone."
|
| ©Timothy Eberly |
| Multiple bolts of lightning strike the mountains surrounding Coeur d'Alene on Monday night. |
Hong Kong's winters could vanish within 50 years, with the number of cold days declining virtually to zero due to global warming and urbanization, the head of the city's weather observatory warned on Friday.
High winds swept across the Chicago area Thursday. Wind gusts up to 50 mph downed trees and power lines and triggered tornado watches across the region.
The winds caused dangerous conditions on the water. In Waukegan a man died while trying to rescue somebody in Lake Michigan. 19-year-old Joshua Simpson of Zion died after pushing a woman and a man to safety.
The winds caused dangerous conditions on the water. In Waukegan a man died while trying to rescue somebody in Lake Michigan. 19-year-old Joshua Simpson of Zion died after pushing a woman and a man to safety.
