Monthly Archives: January 2019

A surprising amount of melting on the underside of Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier.  A hollowed-out area has been discovered where the melting has gone far beyond all expectations:  “It’s big enough to have contained 14 billion tons of ice, and most … Continue reading →

What scientists are now saying about the risk of explosive methane release (Yale e360).  There was a time, not long ago, when a number of prominent climate scientists had genuine concerns about how rapid climate change might affect the gigantic … Continue reading →

Scientists say we should get used to polar vortex outbreaks.  It is linked to a phenomenon known as “sudden stratospheric warming” (SSW), which has a splitting effect on the vortex and is growing more frequent.  “That warmth splits the polar … Continue reading →

Fiery thunderstorms that arise from wildfires are growing in strength and frequency (Yale e360).  Their power can send smoke into the stratosphere, like volcanoes.  “Researchers say they are now documenting an average of 25 single-pyroCb events a year in western … Continue reading →

A region in southeastern Iran is becoming uninhabitable because of heat and drought (National Geographic).  In Sistan and Baluchistan, “many horrors are already playing out. As a distant and isolated province with an almost entirely agrarian economy, it’s been poorly … Continue reading →

An important new study foresees vulnerability in a major carbon sink.  The terrestrial biosphere currently absorbs about 25% of the CO2 that human activity adds to the atmosphere each year.  A similar amount is absorbed by the oceans, and scientists … Continue reading →

Scientists now have data that directly links climate change and human migration.  “IIASA-led research has established a causal link between climate, conflict, and migration for the first time, something which has been widely suggested in the media but for which … Continue reading →

New findings about Greenland’s loss of ice mass enable predictions of a faster rate of sea level rise.  Researchers have analyzed the reasons for the unexpectedly high rate of surface melting in recent years and have concluded that the trend … Continue reading →

New research finds evidence that the cooling effect of pollution-based aerosols in certain types of clouds is twice as great as current models are estimating.  The finding is important because it “shows that the heating effect of greenhouse gases is … Continue reading →

The interaction between the US health care industry and climate change (Vox).  This fine article contains a range of observations, covering such things as the effects on patients, the industry as a major source of emissions and toxic waste and … Continue reading →