Monthly Archives: October 2014

Is human activity to blame for climate change?

Posted on October 20, 2014 by WeatherGuys Editor

A recent debate between candidates for Congress in the Wisconsin’s 1st District — U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, and Democratic challenger Rob Zerban — included questions about the role of human beings in producing discernible changes in the climate over the last 150 years.

Unfortunately, this question, which is a matter of evidence, analysis and conclusion as all scientific questions are, has become a source of partisan political divide. Continue reading →

Category: Climate

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What happened during last week’s lunar eclipse?

Posted on October 15, 2014 by WeatherGuys Editor

What happened during last week’s lunar eclipse? Our recent lunar eclipse, visible in Madison at 5:25 a.m. Wednesday, resulted from the Earth being directly between the sun and the moon, thereby casting a shadow on the moon. The degree of … Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology, Phenomena

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What is the status of the ozone hole?

Posted on October 6, 2014 by WeatherGuys Editor

Ozone occurs about 18 miles above the surface. Ozone is both caused by and provides protection from damaging ultraviolet energy emitted by the sun. The development of an atmospheric “ozone layer” allowed life to move out of the oceans and onto land.

The ozone hole occurs high over the continent of Antarctica. It is not actually a hole, but rather the appearance of very low values of ozone in the stratosphere. Typically, the Antarctic ozone hole has its largest area in early September and lowest values in late September to early October. Continue reading →

Category: Climate, Meteorology

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