The Pattern Of Disastrous Weather And Extreme Swings: Will It Get Worse In 2012?

The Pattern Of Disastrous Weather And Extreme Swings: Will It Get Worse In 2012?

Mods: Disclaimer: I have included a couple long quotes; removing them may disturb the narrative flow of the thread.

I've been keeping an eye the weather and threads related to the weather since I joined back in 2009. Just an armchair, speculative, "what if" kind of eye on it.

I have started on couple of weather related threads and have also run across a number of threads and media reports devoted to weather events such as these:

China Evacuates Ten Of Thousands As Deep Freeze Takes Hold
www.abovetopsecret.com...
by this_is_who_we_are
started on 1/6/2011 @ 12:08 AM

Originally posted by this_is_who_we_are

Southern China's Extreme Cold Forces Evacuation
Last Updated: Wednesday, January 5, 2011 | 11:05 AM ET
The Associated Press
www.cbc.ca...

Freezing temperatures in southern China have forced 58,000 people from their homes and caused about $200 million Cdn in economic losses, the government said Wednesday.

The evacuation came after ice and sleet collapsed the roofs of more than 1,200 homes across the southern regions of Jiangxi, Hunan, Chongqing, Sichuan and Guizhou, the Ministry of Civil Affairs reported.

Freezing weather has also damaged more than 121,000 hectares of crops, including cabbage and rice.

In Guizhou province, 22,800 people were forced out of their homes Tuesday, and drivers abandoned thousands of cars after ice-covered roads were closed, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

China: CMA Started Up Level Four Emergency Response For Freezing Disasters
Source: Xinhua News Agency
Date: 05 Jan 2011
www.reliefweb.int...

Related threads:

Strange Weather - Is "the day after tomorrow" coming true?
www.abovetopsecret.com...

It's Official: 2010 Deadliest Year In A Generation: Meteorologists
www.abovetopsecret.com...

I wouldn't be pushing this except that all of these oddities add up to one big "uh oh".

I know, I know. Before people start saying "There's no proof, it's just winter, nothing to see here, the gulf stream hasn't stopped, the North Atlantic Current is just fine and dandy. It's just a couple of flakes. What global climate change? Ice age who?"

Yes. Before people start offering all all of these "knee-jerk" responses ask yourself this: "Do I have enough firewood for the winter, and what's the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States?" Just in case.

One anomaly can easily be dismissed.
But what about the hundreds of others?
www.abovetopsecret.com...

"It's just a couple'a flakes"

Really?

Strange Weather - Is "The Day After Tomorrow" Coming True?
www.abovetopsecret.com...
by CaptainIraq
started on 1/12/2006 @ 09:07 PM

Originally posted by CaptainIraq
I was just watching the local news and I watched their story on the strange weather. Look back at the past two years. If you

bring it all into perspective, our weather has changed DRASTICALLY.

It mostly started with the Tsunami that ravaged the far eastern parts of the world. This was caused by a MASSIVE

earthquake. Also, volcanoes erupted in that same time frame, and I mean A LOT of volcanoes. It wasnt publicized much, but

the "Ring of Fire" was very active. Look at hurricane Katrina and the others that destroyed part of the souther US. On the

news, it was reported that a large volcano is near having a very big eruption.

Heck, I live in (Colorado Springs) Colorado, and I havent seen 5 inches of snow all winter in my area. A few days ago we got

RECORD winter highs in the MIDDLE OF WINTER in the past 60 years.

The Mayans, an advanced ancient civilization, predicted that the world will end in 2012, is this happening?

Please respond witrh your opinion or any other weather anomylies that you found.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by this_is_who_we_are

Arctic Weather Sparks More Chaos
Dec 20 2010
www.dailypost.co.uk...

Temperatures plunged overnight, with a record low for Northern Ireland seen in Castlederg, County Tyrone, where the mercury plunged to minus 17.6C. The lowest UK temperature overnight was thought to be minus 19.6C, recorded in Chesham, Buckinghamshire.

Forecasters have said the UK is experiencing some of the most severe winter weather in a century, with continued sub-zero temperatures and snowfalls of up to 20cm expected on Monday.

"I wouldn't worry though. It's just a couple of flakes. It's just winter as usual. It's not like there's a blizzard hitting much of the northern hemisphere or anything. I mean, people aren't dying from exposure or anything..."

(Insert sarcasm here)
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by this_is_who_we_are
That's 10 to 12 feet actually.

Western States Facing 'All-Day Onslaught' From Massive Winter Storm
By the CNN Wire Staff
December 19, 2010 6:37 p.m. EST
www.cnn.com...

(CNN) -- A huge winter storm was affecting the West Coast on Sunday, poised to dump up to 10 feet of snow in some higher elevations, and causing flooding and potential mudslides in lower spots while impacting driving conditions and air travel, forecasters said.
A winter storm warning remained in effect through Monday afternoon for California's Sierra Nevada mountains, from Yosemite to Kings Canyon, according to the National Weather Service. "Storm totals of 5 to 10 feet above 7,000 feet are likely," the weather service said, and periods of heavy snow will continue through Monday. High winds are also forecast for the region.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by this_is_who_we_are
Point of interest: This winter was forecast to be a "mild' winter. But now the Northern Hemisphere is hit with staggering blizzard conditions. And it's still fall. Winter begins Tuesday. It's not rocket science.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

continued...

Temperature Swings 110° F In One Week In Oklahoma Town
www.abovetopsecret.com...
by this_is_who_we_are
started on 3/22/2011 @ 03:35 PM

Originally posted by this_is_who_we_are
Temperature Swings 100 Degrees In One Week In Okla. Town
By Liz Goodwin
news.yahoo.com...

Residents in the Northern Oklahoma town of Nowata experienced a nearly 110-degree shift in the weather this week after a cold front brought temperatures down to a record-setting -31 degrees.
Today, it's a balmy 72 degrees in Nowata. Yesterday, it reached 79 degrees.
news.yahoo.com...
www.abovetopsecret.com...

They said 2010 was the deadliest year for distrous weather in a generation:

It's Official: 2010 Deadliest Year In A Generation: Meteorologists
www.abovetopsecret.com...
by this_is_who_we_are
started on 12/21/2010 @ 05:16 PM

2010 Extreme Weather: Deadliest Year In A Generation
SETH BORENSTEIN and JULIE REED BELL 12/19/10 05:31 PM ET

This was the year the Earth struck back.

Earthquakes, heat waves, floods, volcanoes, super typhoons, blizzards, landslides and droughts killed at least a quarter million people in 2010 – the deadliest year in more than a generation. More people were killed worldwide by natural disasters this year than have been killed in terrorism attacks in the past 40 years combined.

"It just seemed like it was back-to-back and it came in waves," said Craig Fugate, who heads the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency. It handled a record number of disasters in 2010.

"The term `100-year event' really lost its meaning this year."
www.huffingtonpost.com...

Then 2011 Immediatley Topped It.

2011 Has Had More Billion Dollar Weather Disasters Than Any Other Year On Record
www.abovetopsecret.com...
by this_is_who_we_are
started on 12/18/2011 @ 03:23 PM

Billion-Dollar Weather Disasters Smash U.S. Record
Published: Wednesday, December 07, 2011, 4:20 PM

WASHINGTON -- America smashed the record for billion-dollar weather disasters this year with a deadly dozen -- and counting. With an almost biblical onslaught of twisters, floods, snow, drought and wildfire, the U.S. in 2011 has seen more weather catastrophes that caused at least $1 billion in damage than it did in all of the 1980s, even after the dollar figures from back then are adjusted for inflation.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration added two disasters to the list Wednesday, bringing the total to 12. The two are the Texas, New Mexico and Arizona wildfires and the mid-June tornadoes and severe weather.NOAA uses $1 billion as a benchmark for the worst weather disasters.
www.nola.com...

And Yes, That's Been Adjusted For Inflation:

Billion Dollar U.S. Weather/Climate Disasters
www.ncdc.noaa.gov...


Narrative/Map


Synoptic Map of Billion Dollar U.S. Weather/Climate Disasters--1980-2010
(Click on the image for a larger view)


The National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) is the “Nation’s Scorekeeper” in terms of addressing severe weather/climate events in their historical perspective. As part of its responsibility of “monitoring and assessing the climate,” NCDC tracks and evaluates climate events in the U.S. and globally that have great economic and societal impacts. NCDC is frequently called upon to provide summaries of global and US temperature and precipitation trends, extremes, and comparisons in their historical perspective.This web page/report describes those events that have had the greatest economic impact since 1980. The authors (Ross and Lott) have also written a paper (PDF version - larger than 1.0 MB), "A Climatology of 1980-2003 Extreme Weather and Climate Events", which provides a climatology of some of these events, and relates the events to population/societal trends and climate change. Also, a 2006 conference paper provides additional details regarding this report.


Chronological List of U.S. Billion Dollar Events
Note: Billion Dollar U.S. Disaster costs have now been adjusted to 2011 dollars using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as noted below.

The U.S. has sustained 114 weather/climate disasters over the past 31+ years in which overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion. The total standardized losses for the 114 events exceed $800 billion. Events are listed below beginning with the most recent. Two damage figures are given for events prior to 2011–the first figure represents actual dollar costs at the time of the event and is not adjusted for inflation. The value in parenthesis is the disaster cost adjusted to 2011 dollars using the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

NOAA
National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS)
National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)
www.ncdc.noaa.gov...

We had one of the mildest winter's I can remember for Michigan, and apparently many, many other locales experienced a much milder winter than usual.
And what do we have for the very outset of 2012? A Heat Wave... and threads like this:


continued...

Winter 2012- Most Extreme Configuration Of The Jet Stream Ever Recorded
www.abovetopsecret.com...
by burntheships
started on 1/18/2012 @ 03:50 PM

Originally posted by burntheships

Remarkably Dry and Warm Winter Due to “Most Extreme Configuration of the Jet Stream Ever Recorded”

December 2011 has brought a jet stream pattern the most extreme on record.

Well, by now I imagine most of us are keenly aware of the unusual weather. We could
go on for days about that. Its one thing to say "hey what about this extreme weather".
Finally to see that this is record breaking weather due to drastic changes in the Jet Stream,
and the Artic Oscillation, and not merely a hundred year record.

Of course, its right on time for this Weather Phenomena, after all its now offically 2012!

And last year brought us some catastrophic weather, record breaking natural disasters.
This leaves me wondering what is coming our way now?

Aside from the obvious extreme drought conditions that are to befall many regions of the United
States, California is experiencing the dryest Winter on record - EVER. California being
the bread basket of the world...this is going to be a game changer for sure, not just those
in The United States, but world wide.

Ok, enough of speculation...onto the facts.

The jet stream controls winter weather, but strange forces are controlling the jet stream this season

Scentific American

The chief suspect behind the mysterious weather is an atmospheric pressure pattern called the Arctic Oscillation, which

circles the high Northern Hemisphere. Its lower edge is known as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Together, the related

features influence the path and strength of the jet stream.Scentific American

...the most extreme configuration of the jet stream ever recorded, as measured by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO).

The Arctic Oscillation (AO), and its close cousin, the North Atlantic Oscillation (which can be thought of as the North Atlantic’s

portion of the larger-scale AO), are climate patterns in the Northern Hemisphere defined by fluctuations in the difference of

sea-level pressure in the North Atlantic between the Icelandic Low and the Azores High. The AO and NAO have significant

impacts on winter weather in North America and Europe–the AO and NAO affect the path, intensity, and shape of the jet

stream, influencing where storms track and how strong these storms become.

During December 2011, the NAO index was +2.52, which was the most extreme difference in pressure between Iceland and

the Azores ever observed in December (records of the NAO go back to 1865.) The AO during December 2011 had its second

most extreme December value on record, behind the equally unusual December of 2006. These positive AO/NAO conditions

caused the Icelandic Low to draw a strong south-westerly flow of air over eastern North America, preventing Arctic air from

plunging southward over the U.S. and Europe. Think Progress

The December Arctic Oscillation (AO) index has fluctuated wildly over the past six years, with the two most

extreme positive and two most extreme negative values on record. Image credit: NOAA/Climate Prediction Center.
en.wikipedia.org...

www.wunderground.com...

This extreme weather comes on the heels of record snowfalls in 2010.

Conversely, December 2010 set record snowfalls in many parts of the U.S. Sure enough, the NAO at that time had some

of the lowest pressures ever observed, allowing the jet stream to move south and stay there. Arctic air descended, picked up

moisture or interacted with warm fronts, and dropped snow. "The December Arctic Oscillation index has fluctuated wildly over

the past six years," Masters notes, "with the two most extreme positive and two most extreme negative values on record."

Two of the most extreme positive and extreme negative values on record..

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by burntheships
reply to post by DAZ21

 

For sure, no snow here. All the ski resorts are like Ghost Towns!

I am no weather expert for sure, I am hoping that some of the resident ATS "experts"
will come along soon and offer some more insights. I'll post more as I learn too.

I was not expecting anything in 2012 to be honest, I am a bit suprised. I am not going
to use the word shocked yet, but thats how it feels to have 70 degree afternoons
in the middle of winter and not a drop of rain anywhere near for months. Oh, yeah
I heard its going to rain...

Ok Charts:

Chart Courtesy of NOAA www.wunderground.com...

Global departure of precipitation over land areas from average for 1900 - 2010.
The year 2010 set a new record for wettest year over land areas in Earth's recorded history.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Weather Seems To Be 2-3 Months Off Cycle
www.abovetopsecret.com...
by timidgal
started on 3/22/2012 @ 12:12 AM

continued...

Historic March Heat Wave..... Smashing Records
www.abovetopsecret.com...
by el1jah
started on 3/19/2012 @ 05:35 PM

Originally posted by el1jah
Historic March Heat Wave Sets New Milestones

The March heat wave continues to shatter longstanding records from the Upper Midwest to the Northeast, with more than 2,200 warm temperature records set during the month so far. It’s quite possible that this March heat wave will be considered an unprecedented event in the U.S. historical record, which extends back to the late 19th century, based on the margin by which records are being exceeded, the wide geographic scope of the heat wave, the duration of the event and the time of year when it is occurring.

According to the HAMweather website, 1,192 record daytime highs were set in the U.S. from March 12-18, along with 708 high minimum temperature records....According to the CapitalClimate blog, so far this month warm weather records have been outpacing cold records by a lopsided ratio of 19-to-1. Since January 1, the ratio has been closer to 14-to-1.

check this out...

The weather pattern resulting in this heat wave is remarkably similar to ones that lead to prolonged periods of extreme heat during the summertime, with a huge dome of high pressure blocking the eastward movement of storms and cooler air off the Pacific. Some meteorologists are studying whether global warming is leading to more such “blocking patterns,” and there are some indications that this may be the case, although there is considerable uncertainty surrounding this question.

I dont have much to add, except it is damn hot and the sun feels much stronger than I ever remember it feeling around this time. It's the equivalent of a hot summer day!

The averages for my region (Toronto) for March are:
High: 2°C/37°F
Low: -3°C/26°F

IT'S CURRENTLY 23°C / 73°F!!!!

Some areas of Ontario have beaten their previous highest recorded temp. by more than 10°C!

Any ideas why all the heat? What's in store for our summer?

Is this why Monsanto is pushing its drought proof corn ?
Monsanto Drought Corn: Seed Giant to Test 'Industry's first ......'

Seed giant Monsanto Co. plans large-scale tests this year of the first government-approved biotech crop developed to deal with drought.

You think monsanto knows something we dont? Like the article mentions this weather pattern can mean an unusually hot summer, which could spell out droughts for North America. Anyone more informed please jump in.

------

Some more sources on the new corn. All of them are within the last week.
Monsanto Tests Biotech

Corn Resitance to Drought
Monsanto tests drought-tolerant

biotech corn
Monsanto's official site on up and comming developments


www.abovetopsecret.com...

So!? What will 2012 bring. Is there a trend? Is extreme weather/and or extreme swings increasing?
Will 2012 continue the trend in record setting?

Is it 20c above average where you are?
I like all the info you've posted, thanks
I wrote up a thread last night, I believe that it's all gone too far.
The European heat wave that killed 35,000 back in 2003 was the eye opener for me.
Did you guys get ice storms over there last winter?
I'm still wearing a jumper at 23c

Down here in Australia we've had a cool/wet summer.
All of the east coast has suffered floods again for the 4th summer in a row.
It has something to do with a weather pattern they are calling el nina or some crap
But we know the truth don't we

when you look at the solar activity and it's effects on our magnetosphere and also the earth's core rotating faster than the mantel, magnetic pole shifts are at extremes and we are passing through some rough territory space wise. add pollution, radiation and what not to the mix and i think it's safe to say we could see some extreme weather for the foreseeable future.

reply to post by LeLeu


It's in the 80's F. I expect a hot, sweltering Summer. And Spring just began. I wonder how much earlier hurricane season will start this year...

Originally posted by LeLeu

I like all the info you've posted, thanks

There were so many reports of odd weather since I started on ATS... I barely scratched the surface. Here's another one:


Frozen Buffalo And Cattle In Vietnam, Floods All Over Western Norway
www.abovetopsecret.com...
by this_is_who_we_are
started on posted on 1/17/2011 @ 01:36 PM

Originally posted by this_is_who_we_are
7,000 dead Buffalo and Cattle in Vietnam
by Wildeagle
started on 1/17/2011 @ 09:32 AM
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by Wildeagle
Dead Buffalo in Vietnam - What is Changing?

Both dead Buffalo and dead cow events are reported in Vietnam and are attributed to the freezing winter the country is experiencing. The dead buffalo and cows have been dying all over the Vietnam providences with the number 7000 being the total of all the deaths combined from all the providences. Vietnam is seeing mass deaths of 700 deaths in one day due to the cold. The livestock is being frozen.

With the reports saying that the dead buffalo and cows in Vietnam are dying from the unusually cold temperatures, this is at least a valid reason for these animals to be dying. Although it is sad, there is a reason for these deaths.

Sorces > www.associatedcontent.com...
www.youtube.com...

Pole shift?
Whatever it is, is heartbreaking. I am so tired of seeing our nature dying like this, in such masses.

edit on 17-1-2011 by Wildeagle because: Made an oopsie!

Melting Snow Isolates Thousands
www.newsinenglish.no...

A sudden rise in temperatures over the weekend set off a series of floods and snow- and rock slides all over western Norway, forcing road closures and isolating towns and villages. By Monday morning, more than 70 local roads and highways were blocked by mounds of snow, or closed for safety reasons.
Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported that even the main E-39 highway was blocked, near Haugen Camping in Jølster, and the state highway department (Statens Vegvesenet) was warning residents against driving.
“There is huge danger of more slides and the situation is highly unpredictable,” Camilla Einarsen of Vegvesenet told NRK. The warning applied to all of western Norway but especially the counties of Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane.

So, to recap: thousands of animals are freezing to death in the tropics, while floods from melting snow are stranding thousands of people in the frigid near-arctic-circle country of Norway.

Yup. Everything is just as normal as can be.
Nothing to see here folks.
This isn't part of anything weird happening globally at all.
Move along, move along.

One more, and then I'll stop cross-referencing and let the reader search the ATS archieve for similar reports.


Northern Lights Could Be Seen In Florida As Poles Shift
www.abovetopsecret.com...
by RUSSO
started on 1/15/2011 @ 03:58 PM

Originally posted by this_is_who_we_are

Originally posted by this_is_who_we_are
So now it's self-evident that, as predicted for 2011/2012, that the poles are indeed shifting. Magnetic pole shift or physical change in the axis of the Earth's rotation aside, where are all the people who denied it would happen? They're all in a confab formulating their next series of denials of course...

I could have posted this in any number of "pole shift" threads. I just happened to randomly choose this one to make my statement, one I'm sure has been posted numerous times already.

-PS

What's next? Let's ask the deniers, and then proceed in the exact opposite direction.

Followup:

Item:

Magnetic Polar Shifts Causing Massive Global Superstorms
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by CitizenNum287119327

Magnetic Polar Shifts Causing Massive Global Superstorms

www.salem-news.com

NASA has been warning about it…scientific papers have been written about it…geologists have seen its traces in rock strata and ice core samples…
Now "it" is here: an unstoppable magnetic pole shift that has sped up and is causing life-threatening havoc with the world's weather.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

The author of the article added links to some interesting articles as well. I've highlighted a couple articles in yellow that delve into the "Mysterious Interstellar Energy Cloud". You may have read about that here on ATS also.

2002 - Scientists may have detected the beginning of the field's next such reversal:
[www.scientificamerican.com...]
2005 - Movement of North Magnetic Pole is accelerating:
[www.physorg.com...]
2008 - Earth's Core, Magnetic Field Changing Fast, Study Says
[news.nationalgeographic.com...]
2008 - Magnetic Portals Connect Earth to Sun
[science.nasa.gov...]
2009 - North Magnetic Pole Moving Due to Core Flux
[news.nationalgeographic.com...]
2009 - The earth's climate is significantly affected by the planet's magnetic field:
[www.terradaily.com...]
Jan 2011 - British Geological Survey *Possible Pole Shift Occurring* South Atlantic Anomaly is Growing:
[www.bgs.ac.uk...]
2009 - A strong, highly-tilted interstellar magnetic field near the Solar System:
[www.nature.com...]
2009 - The solar system is passing through an interstellar cloud that physics says should not exist:
[science.nasa.gov...]

Related article added Feb-08-2011:

Yellowstone Supervolcano, New Ice Age Could Topple US Government - Terrence Aym Salem-News.com
www.salem-news.com...

I just got out of bed this morning and turned the TV on
There are reports that the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia has
received 38cm or 15 inches of rain in 24 hours causing flash floods through the city.
Australia naturally has epic flood but it is getting crazy here now.

reply to post by this_is_who_we_are

Greetings:

More!

Keep it up, as we like the links the easy way you lay it out.

Thank you for your time and participation and sure would like to know what's up where you are, as that large storm system (that looks suspiciously like a hurricane) has you directly in its sights. You can PM all your answers if you so choose, so as not to give away your Ann Arbor, Michigan location.

Some people actually don't carry cell phones so as not to be tracked...(see Sunday's "Panic" rejoinder and blatant Rabun plug.) BTW, in addition to our River Festival, Deliverance II is being filmed here.

Wonder what they think they're up to? You probably are behind on your mail and need to check anyway...


Peace Love Light
tfw
[align=center][color=magenta]Liberty & Equality or Revolution[/align]

Item

Extreme Weather Watch 2012
www.abovetopsecret.com...
by jrmcleod
started on 3/23/2012 @ 12:38 PM

Extreme Weather Watch 2012 is:

Originally posted by jrmcleod
...a thread that users can post information on the extreme weather we experience in the coming year...

...Please feel free to use this thread as a place to post your experiences, warnings, photos, videos, links etc. The more input that is relevant the better.

Item

March Warmth Rewrites Record Books
by Jonathan Erdman, weather.com Sr. Meteorologist
Updated: March 22, 2012 7:30 am ET

We've seen an amazing, historic run of record warmth in March 2012. It's been the talk of towns from Minnesota and Michigan to Tennessee and Georgia for a couple of weeks now.

First, consider the sheer number of daily record highs either tied or broken over the past two weeks. The counts below are courtesy of the National Climatic Data Center. If you pull out your calculator and add the numbers up from March 9 to March 19, the total exceeds 4,300!! This speaks to the widespread nature and longevity of this warm spell. The records from March 20 to March 21 have not been fully compiled at this time and will be added when they become available.

In a typical March, particularly in the nation's northern tier, you may see, perhaps, one or perhaps two days of record warmth before a sharp cold front brings that spring tease to a screeching halt. Not so in March 2012.

Through March 21, International Falls, Minn., self-promoted as the "Icebox of the Nation", has tied or broken daily record highs 11 of the past 12 days! This includes Sunday's 79 degree high, which is the warmest day ever recorded during March in International Falls.
www.weather.com...

March's massive warmth: This shows temperature departures from average for the first half of March 2012. The brown shadings show where temperatures have been most above average.
Images credit: NOAA/CPC

Link

Here is a link to the "Record Extremes" page at wunderground.com. It features a handy search interface and interactive map.

www.wunderground.com...

reply to post by thorfourwinds


Item

Originally posted by this_is_who_we_are
Confirmed by WMO: Extreme Weather Events Are An Increasing Trend
www.abovetopsecret.com...
by this_is_who_we_are
started on 3/24/2012 @ 10:02 AM

reply to post by thorfourwinds



Item

SOLAR STORM HEATS UP EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE
spaceweather.com...

SOLAR STORM HEATS UP EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE: A flurry of solar activity in early March dumped enough heat in Earth's upper atmosphere to power every residence in New York City for two years. The heat has since dissipated, but there's more to come as the solar cycle intensifies.

Full Story: Solar Storm Dumps Gigawatts Into Earth's Upper Atmosphere
science.nasa.gov...

“This was the biggest dose of heat we’ve received from a solar storm since 2005,” says Martin Mlynczak of NASA Langley Research Center. “It was a big event, and shows how solar activity can directly affect our planet.”...

The action produced spectacular auroras around the poles and significant upper atmospheric heating all around the globe.

The storm is over now, but Russell and Mlynczak expect more to come.
“We’re just emerging from a deep solar minimum,” says Russell. “The solar cycle is gaining strength with a maximum expected in 2013.”

More sunspots flinging more CMEs toward Earth adds up to more opportunities for SABER to study the heating effect of solar storms.

“This is a new frontier in the sun-Earth connection,” says Mlynczak, and the data we’re collecting are unprecedented.”

edit on 3/24/2012 by this_is_who_we_are because: typo

The Weather is Getting Worse?

Many would agree that it is. I would agree as well. But there are others who disagree. Fairness and balance dictate that I also present for discussion information of interest to those who support opposing viewpoints. For instance, here is a blog post written as a rebuttal to a recent New Zealand Herald article by Philip Duncan titled "Warmer Planet Means More Severe Storms":

The Weather is Getting Worse?
Posted on March 25, 2012
newzealandclimatechange.wordpress.com...

Philip Duncan at the New Zealand Herald has written a story* that uses the idea that storms are getting worse due to climate change. He is described as a ‘weather analyst’. I have no idea what a ‘weather analyst’ might be, but it is hard to imagine that it has anything to do with science.

The facts about insurance companies paying out more is absolutely true. However, the reason is straightforward. There is more building/population increases in places which are at risk of extreme weather events; for example the massive coastal developments in places like Florida, or the building of housing on flood plains in the UK...

Interestingly, deaths from extreme weather events are actually at a low point, global tropical cyclone activity has reduced, and there is a host of other evidence that questions whether there are more natural disasters than before (see here for links to many other sources, and my previous discussion of an IPCC report on climate change and disasters). In summary, whilst it is correct that insurers are paying out more, there is no evidence that this is a result of climate change creating more extreme weather.


*Warmer Planet Means More Severe Storms
By Philip Duncan
5:30 AM Sunday Mar 25, 2012
www.nzherald.co.nz...

The author backs up the assertion that the weather is not getting worse with quotes and snippets such as this:

This is from Dr. Roger Pielke Jr., who specialises in climate change and natural disasters.

There is seemingly a bottomless well of nonsense on disasters and climate change. I have long ago accepted that such nonsense is, like the presence of arguments rejecting the basic science of climate change, a situation to be lived with rather than changed. Even so, I can still poke some fun.

As just one of his many examples, Dr. Pielke gives the following:

Climatewire reports uncritically a claim coming from Swiss Re that “the financial toll of global weather disasters amounts to between 1 and 12 percent of U.S. gross domestic product annually.” This totals $160 billion to almost $2 trillion."

Reality Check: The actual number for global losses as a percent of US GDP is closer to 0.1%, with the maximum about 1.2% in 2005. The total cost of all hurricanes since 1900 in normalized dollars is about $1.4 trillion. The media (in general) rarely question numbers given to them from the reinsurance industry and on disasters and climate change have a strange aversion to the peer reviewed scientific literature. Innumeracy.

In another post, Dr. Pielke summarises the widespread reporting of connections with climate change and disasters saying the following:

The information above documents a pattern of misrepresentation of the science of disasters and climate change in the Stern Review report, the reports of the IPCC, an the US CCSP. The pattern of misrepresentation has three common characteristics:

1. Reliance on non-peer reviewed, unsupportable studies rather than the relevant peer reviewed literature.

2. Reliance on and featuring non-peer reviewed work conducted by the authors of the assessment reports.

3. Repeated reliance on a small number of secondary of tertiary sources, repeatedly cited such that intellectual provenance is lost.

The evidence presented here, and in great detail via the links, is unambiguous and unequivocal in support of my claims. Though if you would like to refute them with evidence, please do so in the comments. Until the climate science community cleans up its act on this subject it will continue to give legitimate opportunities for opponents to action to criticize the climate science community.
newzealandclimatechange.wordpress.com...

So, there you have it.

Maybe we are just entering a period that us as humans have never experianced before? Not that this kind of weather isn't normal, just not normal to us? If that makes any sense.

Related thread:

This year's weather is strange and getting worse - Maybe, it is the end?
www.abovetopsecret.com...
by KingJod
started on 4/2/2012 @ 10:29 AM

Item

Scientists Say Frequent Extreme Weather Events Not 'Coincidental'
3/31/2012 1:21 PM ET
www.rttnews.com...

(RTTNews) - Extreme weather events, such as heat waves and tropical cyclones, are usually rare and can usually be attributed to causes local to the site of occurrence. However, scientists at the Potsdam Institute of Climate Science are questioning whether the recent rise in frequency of extreme weather incidences is truly "coincidental."

In a paper titled "A Decade of Weather Extremes," published online in a recent issue of Nature Climate Change, scientists argue that there may be a connection between these events and global warming.

Source

By Dim Coumou & Stefan Rahmstorf
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Nature Climate Change (2012) doi:10.1038/nclimate1452
Published online 25 March 2012

Abstract

The ostensibly large number of recent extreme weather events has triggered intensive discussions, both in- and outside the scientific community, on whether they are related to global warming. Here, we review the evidence and argue that for some types of extreme — notably heatwaves, but also precipitation extremes — there is now strong evidence linking specific events or an increase in their numbers to the human influence on climate. For other types of extreme, such as storms, the available evidence is less conclusive, but based on observed trends and basic physical concepts it is nevertheless plausible to expect an increase.
www.nature.com...

www.pik-potsdam.de...