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NASA Science News for Feb. 29, 2012

NOAA and NASA are working on a series of next-generation weather satellites called “GOES-R” that will improve warnings of deadly tornadoes and other severe weather.

FULL STORY: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/29feb_tornadosurprise/

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Trends and tipping points – Andrew Glikson

• Israel Mulls Indian Assistance in Developing Offshore Gas Fields
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• Which Fossil Fuel will Bridge the Gap to a Renewable Energy World?
• Statoil, Exxon Find Natural Gas off Energy-Starved Tanzania
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• Flying Wind Turbine Steals the Show at Energy Department Convention

Neville,

1. Weather variability is increasing along with intensification of the hydrological cycle (evaporation/precipitation) consequent on rising ocean tempratures.

2. Climate zones are shifting, i.e. the arid zone/high pressure ridge are shifting south in western and southern Australia, while the tropical/cyclon belt is shifting southward along the Eastern Australian coastal zone.

Which complicates weather preldictions, as in Andrew Watson’s article:

http://theconversation.edu.au/a-chaotic-beast-probably-wacky-weather-and-climate-forecasting-5182?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+February+28+2012&utm_content=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+February+28+2012+CID_d2676be85d36d8204c1f85d3011da69f&utm_source=campaign_monitor&utm_term=A+chaotic+beast+probably+wacky+weather+and+climate+forecasting

Dr Andrew Glikson Earth and paleoclimate science Australian National University Canberra, ACT 0200 andrew.glikson@anu.edu.au geospec@iinet.net.au P.O. Box 3698 Weston, A.C.T. 2611

—– Original Message —–

“Andrew Glikson” <Geospec@iinet.net.au

Thu, 1 Mar 2012 09:14:19 +1100

Severe Weather prevalence of events

Hi Andrew

With reference to the weather patterns we are seeing.

The current heavy rainfall we are receiving in Eastern Australia cannot be
described as once in a century events. Western Australia is experiencing
heatwaves and bushfires.

Our Eastern Coastline, where a large percentage of our population prefer
to live, is suffering erosion and in some areas inundation from sea events
also being described as once in a century events.

Globally we have seen a big freeze in Europe, killing hundreds of people.
Now we hear that parts of the US and UK are going into drought conditions.
Yet deniers are not recogniising these events are not part of normal weather
patterns.

In Western Sydney the NSW Govt. is developing land for housing estates,
which with the population rise are necessary
However Hydrologists believe that paving over former agricultural land has
it’s problems in respect to natural water flows, which could lead to low level
flooding.With the current heavy rainfall we are seeing communities evacuated
and areas in Western NSW receiving their annual rainfall in one day.

Where I live in Leura we have seen summers becoming hotter with Sydney
temperatures at 1000 metres and winters far warmer. We used to get occasional
snowfalls, I have seen 2 foot falls on the upper mountains. It is very rare now
to see significant snowfalls in this area.

Can you please outline your professional take on the reasons we are seeing such
fluctuations in weather patterns in Australia and are they likely to become regarded
as our future weather patterns. Since the current fronts are said to emanating from
the south, they are not likely to attributed to monsoonal activity, which we see in
Northern Australia.

Regards
Neville Gillmore
Climate change Activist

Tornadoes are on the increase, most likey due to Climate Change

Town ripped apart as tornadoes strafe US

Updated March 01, 2012 08:37:20

Photo: Women search through debris after the Harrisburg tornado destroyed this house and killed its owner. (AFP: Whitney Curtis/Getty Images)

A massive winter storm has unleashed a string of tornadoes across the US Midwest, leaving a trail of destruction and killing at least nine people.

The town of Harrisburg, Illinois was ripped apart by a deadly tornado that stayed on the ground for kilometres, striking while most were still sleeping.

“We’ve got homes toppled, cars thrown in lakes. You can’t imagine how devastating it is until you’re there,” Harrisburg mayor Eric Gregg told CNN.

“In small communities it’s just heart-breaking – we all know each other, we all care very much about each other.”

Rescue crews have been digging through the rubble to search for survivors and Mr Gregg says he hopes the toll in his town of 9,000 people has not risen above the six bodies already recovered.

At least 100 people were injured by the tornado that damaged or destroyed up to 300 homes and 25 businesses.

The tornado also ripped a wall off the local hospital, but staff luckily received a warning in time to get all the patients away from the windows and into the central corridor so nobody was hurt.

The National Weather Service has received 17 reports of tornadoes in six states, battering Nebraska and Kansas, then moving eastward to Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky.

Severe thunderstorms were expected to continue to pound Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee before moving to the eastern seaboard.

Missouri’s governor also declared a state of emergency after at least three people were killed by tornadoes which ripped across the southern portion of the state, causing extensive damage in the towns of Branson, Buffalo, Cassville, Lebanon and Oak Ridge.

The deadly storm marks an early start to tornado season in a region still recovering from record-breaking severe weather outbreaks.

Some 545 people were killed by tornadoes in 2011, which was the deadliest tornado season since 1936 and the third-worst on record, according to the National Weather Service.

AFP

Topics:storm-disaster, weather, united-states

First posted March 01, 2012 07:30:53