What's Up In Climate Change? The heat goes on, sea ice spites Antarctica and spotting 'the city' in the storm.
Meteorologist/Science Writer
Monday, February 23, 2015, 9:55 AM - Reviewing the latest news and studies, here's a snapshot of what's up in climate change, including a continuation of 2014's record heat, Antarctica's contributions to sea ice are for naught and scientists spot 'the city' in the storm.
2014's Record Heat Marches On
2014 came in as the undisputed hottest year ever for the globe, and that record heat hasn't stopped with the start of the new year.
According to NOAA, temperature records collected from around the globe show that January 2015 came in as the second hottest month of January, since record keeping began in 1880. It now ranks second only to January 2007.
Credit: NOAA
According to NOAA:
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| Across the globe, much warmer-than-average temperatures were observed across much of central to eastern Asia, much of Europe, parts of western North America and southern North America stretching through Central America into northern and eastern South America, according to the January Land & Ocean Temperatures Departure from Average and Percentiles maps above. Some areas in southern Siberia and Far East Russia were more than 5°C (9°F) warmer than their long-term (1981–2010) monthly averages. Cooler-than-average conditions were notable across part of northern Australia, eastern Canada, and small regions of southern North America. A part of the Northern Territory in Australia was much below average during the month, the only land area around the globe with this distinction. |
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What will this mean for 2015's temperature ranking? That has yet to be seen, especially with an El Nino (known for raising global temperatures) still teasing about whether it will fully develop this year, but but we're certainly not starting things off on the right foot.
Source: NOAA
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In spite of Antarctica, global sea ice continues to decline
Examining the trends of sea ice - in both the Arctic Ocean and the waters surrounding Antarctica, including the seasonal waxing and waning they go through every year - scientists at NASA's Goddard Spaceflight Center found a distinct and not-unsurprising trend.
Despite the increases in sea ice seen around Antarctica, when looking at all sea ice combined, globally, there is a definite, steady decline.
Arctic, Antarctic and global sea ice records show an average loss of 13,500 square miles (nearly 35,000 sq km) every year since 1979.
Image Credit: NASA's Earth Observatory/Joshua Stevens and Jesse Allen
It was specifically the misconceptions surrounding the growth in Antarctic sea ice that led Parkinson to clarify the issue with this study, and she makes the answer quite clear when she addresses it in public.
"When I give public lectures or talk with random people interested in the topic, often somebody will say something in the order of 'well, the ice is decreasing in the Arctic but it's increasing in the Antarctic, so don’t they cancel out?'" Parkinson said, according to NASA. "The answer is no, they don't cancel out."
Source: NASA GSFC
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Spotting 'The City' In The Storm
The idea that large urban centres can influence storms is nothing new, but for the first time, researchers have actually spotted this influence in storms around Atlanta, Georgia.
Atlanta lightning strike. Credit: David Selby
A small, but significant increase (5 per cent) in instances of thunderstorm generation was observed, compared to the rural areas around the city. This is due to the city itself - the heat radiating off concrete and asphalt plus the uplift the air gets from encountering tall buildings - but also likely due to emissions from commuters - particulate matter aerosols that can act as condensation nuclei to build bigger and taller storm clouds.
"Urbanization has led to more thunderstorm initiation events than would have occurred over natural vegetation. These events, which are an illustration of anthropogenic climate change at the local scale, can produce a number of dangerous weather hazards including lightning, strong winds, hail, and flash floods, often with little or no warning," study lead author Alex Haberlie, a PhD candidate at Northern Illinois University, wrote. "City planners, meteorologists, and citizens who live in or near a large urban area should be aware of this increased risk."
Source: Wiley Online Library | Wired | Wikimedia Commons
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Climate Update: CO2 levels at Mona Loa
Source: Keeling Curve, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
