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2009 CGD Press Releases
Record High Temperatures Far Outpace Record Lows Across U.S.
Spurred by a warming climate, daily record high temperatures occurred twice as often as record lows over the last decade across the continental United States, new research shows. The ratio of record highs to lows is likely to increase dramatically in coming decades if emissions of greenhouse gases continue to climb. "Climate change is making itself felt in terms of day-to-day weather in the United States," says Gerald Meehl, the lead author and a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). "The ways these records are being broken show how our climate is already shifting." (Staff: Gerald Meehl) [press release] [study] [related] [related] [related] [related] [related] [related]
Arctic Warming Overtakes 2,000 Years of Natural Cooling
Arctic temperatures in the 1990s reached their warmest level of any decade in at least 2,000 years, new research indicates. The study, which incorporates geologic records and computer simulations, provides new evidence that the Arctic would be cooling if not for greenhouse gas emissions that are overpowering natural climate patterns. (Staff: C. Ammann, B. Otto-Bliesner and D. Schneider) [study]
Scientists Uncover Solar Cycle, Stratosphere, and Ocean Connections
Subtle connections between the 11-year solar cycle, the stratosphere, and the tropical Pacific Ocean work in sync to generate periodic weather patterns that affect much of the globe, according to research appearing this week in the journal Science. The study can help scientists get an edge on eventually predicting the intensity of certain climate phenomena, such as the Indian monsoon and tropical Pacific rainfall, years in advance. (Staff: Gerald Meehl) [study]
New Cause for Past Global Warming Revealed by Massive Modeling Project
By simulating 8,000 years of climate with unprecedented detail and accuracy, a team led by scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has found a new explanation for the last major period of global warming, which occurred about 14,500 years ago. (Staff: Bette Otto-Bliesner, Esther Brady and Robert Tomas) [study] [related] [related]
Solar Cycle Linked to Global Climate, Drives Events Similar to El Niño, La Niña
Establishing a key link between the solar cycle and global climate, new research led by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) shows that maximum solar activity and its aftermath have impacts on Earth that resemble La Niña and El Niño events in the tropical Pacific Ocean. The research may pave the way toward better predictions of temperature and precipitation patterns at certain times during the Sun's cycle, which lasts approximately 11 years. (Staff: Gerald Meehl) [nsf press release]
NCAR Teams with Inter-American Development Bank to Help Latin America Prepare for Climate Change
The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has teamed with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to launch a far-reaching program to help Latin American and Caribbean nations prepare for the impacts of global warming. (Staff: Lawrence Buja)
Melting Greenland Ice Sheets May Threaten Northeast United States, Canada
Melting of the Greenland ice sheet this century may drive more water than previously thought toward the already threatened coastlines of New York, Boston, Halifax, and other cities in the northeastern United States and Canada, according to new research led by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). (Staff: Aixue Hu) [related] [related] [related]
Water Levels Dropping in Some Major Rivers as Global Climate Changes
Rivers in some of the world's most populous regions are losing water, according to a new comprehensive study of global stream flow. The study, led by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), suggests that in many cases the reduced flows are associated with climate change. The process could potentially threaten future supplies of food and water. (Staff: Aiguo Dai) [related] [related] [related] [related] [related] [related] [related] [related]