Strange thunderstorms hitting the Arctic are getting longer
The longest thunderstorm in the history of Arctic observation was recorded in July 2022—marking an increase in extreme weather activity in a region that is generally devoid of such events.
This storm was reported by scientists from the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute at the Russian hydrometeorological observatory on the Severnaya Zemlya peninsula, just north of Siberia. Thunderstorms are usually concentrated in the warmer parts of the planet so it is surprising to see one of this duration so near the North Pole.
Tropical forests face ‘substantial carbon loss’ as humid areas contract
The reduction of humid regions in a warming climate could cause “substantial carbon loss” across the tropics by the end of the century, a new study finds.
The research, published in Nature Climate Change, assesses the potential changes in the distribution of wet and dry regions in tropical ecosystems by 2100 – under two different emissions scenarios – and the subsequent carbon loss that may occur due to these shifts.
The study projects a decrease in the extent of humid regions of tropical ecosystems and an expansion of areas with intense dry periods over the next several decades.
Come rain or come shine: How is climate change impacting precipitation along Kachemak Bay?
Last year in Homer, a warm, dry spring gave way to a very damp, gray summer. For Paul Castellani of Will Grow Farm, handling whatever the weather brings is business as usual. He and his wife Jen have been growing vegetables at their property near Anchor Point for two decades.
“It wasn’t an extraordinary summer,” Castellani said, “except for the way that the two types of conditions were so separated.”
The early dry spell meant the Castellanis had to pay close attention to irrigating their carrot beds to make sure the seeds stayed moist, although cool, clear nights offered their crops some much-needed morning dew. But by the end of the season, getting their storage onions to cure with the cloudy, rainy conditions was a challenge.
Continue reading (or listen) on KBBI.
Extreme cold snaps: Why temperatures still plummet to dangerous levels even as the planet warms
Even as the world smashes through one all-time heat record after another and speeds towards critical warming thresholds, brutal waves of deadly cold can still arrive in bomb cyclones that bring icy weather and deep snow – and add fuel for those who deny the climate crisis is real or significant.
But some scientists say that climate change – and more specifically rapid warming in the Arctic – may actually be increasing the likelihood that frigid, polar air can dive south.
Global climate change
Mark Oppenheim leads a discussion on climate change and the role of humanity, with special guests: Dr. Nathaniel Keohane, President of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions; Dr. R. Max Holmes, President and CEO of Woodwell Climate Research Center; & Erich Pica, President of Friends of the Earth & Friends of the Earth Action.
It’s in the rules to play dirty in this new soil-themed board game
Scientists designed the free-to-play game ‘Dirty Matters’ to help us appreciate this overlooked substance.
Scientists who research soil by day and play board games at night designed a new activity they hope will make their jobs easier to explain to their family, and even more importantly, the world.
Tanvi Taparia, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Copenhagen, studies how soil biology affects plant health and growth, which in turn affects how much food farmers can produce. She helped design a board game, wittily named Dirty Matters, that illustrates soil’s role in achieving food security, clean water, and carbon storage, three of United Nations sustainable development goals. The game is free and available to download for the public online. Interested players can print out the board game, cards, and characters.
Indigenous land rights help protect Brazil’s forests
Territories in Brazil’s fragmented Atlantic Forest where Indigenous peoples enjoy secure land rights have seen measurably less deforestation than similar areas in which land tenure is weak or non-existent, researchers reported Thursday.
The findings, published in the journal PNAS Nexus, are the first to quantify the benefits of enhanced Indigenous land rights for Brazil’s tropical rainforests, and add to a growing body of peer-reviewed literature highlighting more broadly the advantages of Indigenous stewardship.
Measuring the big old trees on federal land, and how much carbon they hold
The clock is ticking on President Biden’s executive order on old-growth forests: last April, he gave the Interior Department a year to complete an inventory of old-growth forests on federal land.
A couple of conservation groups got out ahead of the federal government. Woodwell Climate Research Center teamed up with Wild Heritage and the Natural Resources Defense Council for their own inventory, recently published in a science journal.
It measures the age(s) at which trees can be consider mature–it differs for species and location–and measures the carbon captured and sequestered by trees. We unpack the major findings in a visit with lead author Richard Birdsey from Woodwell, and Dominick DellaSala from Talent, the chief scientist at Wild Heritage.
Listen on Jefferson Public Radio.