Category Archives: Climatology and Meteorology

Shade Parking Offers Little Protection for Kids in Cars

Photo by Riley from Christchurch, New Zealand.

‘Tis the season for 110-degree days, excessive-heat warnings and trolling the parking lot for a shady spot. But new research suggests those in the shade might not have it made after all — especially if they are young children.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
For Children In Cars, Shade Offers Little Protection From Lethal Heat

On Rarefied Pluto, Dunes Arise from Methane Puffs

Photos courtesy NASA/ Johns Hopkins University / Southwest Research Institute

Scientists analyzing Pluto data from the New Horizons spacecraft believe they have, for the first time, found dunes made of frozen methane.

On a planet with atmospheric pressure 100,000 times lower than Earth’s, the phenomenon is as remarkable as its explanation.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
Scientists Discover Methane Dunes on Pluto

In Southwest U.S., Stream Flows May Increase After Wildfires

Photo by U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Wildfires in the Lower Colorado basin can increase streamflow in the river, even during dry conditions, and even while Arizona endures a 20-plus-year drought, according to a recent study.

The 30-year study examined long-term regional fire effects at 168 sites across the contiguous U.S.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
Study: Southwest Wildfires Boost Stream Flows

Ground Subsidence Could Worsen Rising Seas in Coastal Areas

Areas of San Francisco Bay Area at risk from sea level rise. Graphic courtesy Arizona State University/Manoochehr Shirzaei)

A new study suggests official flood risk plans for the San Francisco Bay Area may underestimate inundation due to sea level rise over the next century by nearly 4 to 91 percent.

Other coastal cities could face similar effects, even under best-case scenarios.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
ASU Scientist: Sinking Ground Will Worsen Rising Seas In San Francisco Bay Area

Global Warming and the Future of Wind Power

Predicted wind power changes in North America, 2080-2100. Map courtesy of Kristopher Karnauskas and Macmillan Publishers Ltd: Nature Geoscience, copyright 2017.

Alternative energy sources like wind offer a way to lessen a country’s carbon footprint. But global warming trends could soon change the way the wind blows.

As rapid arctic warming shrinks the heat gap between the North Pole and equator, Northern Hemisphere winds could lose some oomph — up to 40 percent over the next century, depending on region.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
Winds Of Climate Change: How Global Warming Could Alter The Wind Power Landscape