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How is rainfall intensity changing?
NOAA maintains observations of temperature and precipitation extremes in the U.S. The data indicate that cold extremes in the U.S. have become less frequent. Since the 1930s, there have been many more record-high temperatures compared to record-low temperatures. With warmer … Continue reading
What is a mesoscale convective complex?
Ordinary thunderstorms are a few miles in diameter and exist for less than an hour. The life cycle of an ordinary thunderstorm contains three stages: cumulus, mature and dissipating.
The cumulus stage is the initial stage of a thunderstorm as warm moist air near the ground rises. The mature stage of an ordinary thunderstorm begins when precipitation starts to fall from the cloud. During the mature stage, the thunderstorm produces the most lightning, rain, and can produce even small hail. The dissipating stage of a thunderstorm occurs when the updraft, which provides the required moisture for cloud development, begins to weaken and collapse. During this stage, the downdraft dominates the updraft and the storm begins to disappear. Continue reading
Who conducts the National Climate Assessment?
The U.S. National Climate Assessment is mandated by the Global Change Research Act of 1990. The assessment has been conducted about every four years since 2000 and is an authoritative scientific analysis of climate change risks, impacts, and responses in the U.S. The resulting report, mandated by Congress, explains how climate change affects every region of the U.S.
The nation completed its fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) in November 2023. The assessment results from an extensive process that includes internal and external review from federal agencies, the public, and external peer review by a panel of experts. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is the administrative agency for NCA5 and certifies that the report meets the standards required by the Information Quality Act and Evidence Act. Continue reading
What is a landspout?
According to the American Meteorology Society’s glossary, a landspout is a colloquial name for a small tornado whose vorticity (a vector that measures local rotation in a fluid flow) originates in the boundary layer and has a parent cloud in its growth stage. Landspouts occur when colliding winds at the surface begin to make a vortex and then a developing thunderstorm passes overhead. The updrafts from that thunderstorm draw the rotating vortex upward and give it a tornado-like appearance. While relatively weak compared to traditional tornadoes, landspouts can be strong enough to cause damage and warrant caution.
The term “landspout” was coined by atmospheric scientists in the 1980s to describe a type of vortex associated with thunderstorms that do not possess a strong mid-level mesocyclone. A mesocyclone is a cyclonically rotating vortex, around 2–10 km in diameter, in a convective storm. Strong tornadoes form in mesocyclones.
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Has the EPA rolled back regulations on greenhouse gas emissions?
On June 11, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin proposed repealing all “greenhouse gas” (their quotes, not ours) emission standards for the power sector under Section 111 of the Clean Air Act.
This proposal is based upon the false assertion that “emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants do not contribute significantly to dangerous air pollution.” This assertion flies in the face of centuries of evolving understanding of the influence that carbon dioxide, the primary by-product of such combustion, has on the radiation balance of Earth’s atmosphere. Continue reading
Category: Climate, Meteorology
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