New Way Found of Monitoring Volcanic Ash Cloud

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101209202037.htm

The eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull in April this year resulted in a giant ash cloud, which -- at one point covering most of Europe -- brought international aviation to a temporary standstill, resulting in travel chaos for tens of thousands.

New research, to be published December 10, in IOP Publishing'sEnvironmental Research Letters, shows that lightning could be used as part of an integrated approach to estimate volcanic plume properties.

The scientists found that during many of the periods of significant volcanic activity, the ash plume was sufficiently electrified to generate lightning, which was measured by the UK Met Office's long range lightning location network (ATDnet), operating in the Very Low Frequency radio spectrum.

The measurements suggest a general correlation between lightning frequency and plume height and the method has the advantage of being detectable many thousands of kilometres away, in both day and night as well as in all weather conditions.

Threshold Sea Surface Temperature for Hurricanes and Tropical Thunderstorms Is Rising

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101108102612.htm

Scientists have long known that atmospheric convection in the form of hurricanes and tropical ocean thunderstorms tends to occur when sea surface temperature rises above a threshold. The critical question is, how do rising ocean temperatures with global warming affect this threshold? If the threshold does not rise, it could mean more frequent hurricanes.

According to a new study by researchers at the International Pacific Research Center (IPRC) of the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM), this threshold sea surface temperature for convection is rising under global warming at the same rate as that of the tropical oceans.

In order to detect the annual changes in the threshold sea surface temperature, Nat Johnson, a postdoctoral fellow at IPRC, and Shang-Ping Xie, a professor of meteorology at IPRC and UHM, analyzed satellite estimates of tropical ocean rainfall spanning 30 years. They find that changes in the threshold temperature for convection closely follow the changes in average tropical sea surface temperature, which have both been rising approximately 0.1°C per decade.

The change in tropical upper atmospheric temperatures has been a controversial topic in recent years because of discrepancies between reported temperature trends from instruments and the expected trends under global warming according to global climate models. The measurements from instruments have shown less warming than expected in the upper atmosphere. The findings of Johnson and Xie, however, provide strong support that the tropical atmosphere is warming at a rate that is consistent with climate model simulations.

Measuring Air-Sea Exchange of Carbon Dioxide in the Open Ocean

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101206101244.htm

A team led by scientists at the National Oceanography Centre have measured the air-sea exchange of carbon dioxide in the open ocean at higher wind speed then anyone else has ever managed. Their findings are important for understanding how interactions between the oceans and the atmosphere influence climate.

The transfer of carbon dioxide across the sea surface depends on many factors and has been difficult to study over extended periods at sea. Understandably, therefore, there has been a lot of uncertainty about actual oceanic carbon dioxide fluxes, especially at high wind speeds.

To address this issue, Prytherch and his collaborators measured carbon dioxide fluxes in the North Atlantic during the High Wind Air-Sea Exchanges (HiWASE) experiment (September 2006-December 2009).

Using an autonomous system called 'Autoflux' installed on the Norwegian weather ship Polarfront, they made nearly 4,000 flux measurements, each one lasting 20 minutes. They also recorded wind speed and other variables such as seawater salinity.

"Our results support the hypothesis that bubbles in whitecaps play a significant role in the global exchange of carbon dioxide and other climatically important gases between the oceans and the atmosphere," said Prytherch.

Greenland Ice Sheet Flow Driven by Short-Term Weather Extremes, Not Gradual Warming, Research Reveals

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101208172318.htm

Sudden changes in the volume of meltwater contribute more to the acceleration -- and eventual loss -- of the Greenland ice sheet than the gradual increase of temperature, according to a University of British Columbia study.

The ice sheet consists of layers of compressed snow and covers roughly 80 per cent of the surface of Greenland. Since the 1990s, it has been documented to be losing approximately 100 billion tonnes of ice per year -- a process that most scientists agree is accelerating, but has been poorly understood. Some of the loss has been attributed to accelerated glacier flow towards ocean outlets.

Now a new study, published in the journal Nature, shows that a steady meltwater supply from gradual warming may in fact slow down glacier flow, while sudden water input could cause glaciers to speed up and spread, resulting in increased melt.

A steady increase of temperature and short-term extreme weather conditions have both been attributed to global climate change. According to the European Environment Agency, ice loss from the Greenland ice sheet has contributed to global sea-level rise at 0.14 to 0.28 millimetres per year between 1993 and 2003.

Primates Are More Resilient Than Other Animals to Environmental Ups and Downs

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101201124347.htm

What sets humankind's closest relatives -- monkeys, apes, and other primates -- apart from other animals? According to a new study, one answer is that primates are less susceptible to the seasonal ups and downs -- particularly rainfall -- that take their toll on other animals. The findings may also help explain the evolutionary success of early humans, scientists say.

"Primates appear to be well buffered against fluctuations in weather and food availability relative to a lot of other animals," said co-author Susan Alberts, a biologist at Duke University and associate director at NESCent.

A number of traits may help shield primates from seasonal ups and downs. "For one thing, they're social," said co-author Karen Strier, an anthropologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Primates live in groups and share information with each other, so they're better able to find food and water in times of scarcity, Strier explained.

"Modern humans have all the same traits these primate species have: we're smart, we have social networks, and we have a broad diet," said Morris. "Modern humans also arose during a period when Africa's climate was changing," Morris added. "So the same traits that allow non-human primates to deal with unpredictable environments today may have contributed to the success of early humans as well."

Winter Temperatures Can Freeze Car Door Locks

Winter's bitter winds can freeze car door locks, windows and doors. Use these quick and easy tips to combat the ice.

Frozen Door Locks:

Nothing can be more frustrating than finding your car door locks frozen when you are ready to leave. One way to prevent this from happening is to place a magnet over the lock overnight, according to Rd.com.

Another way to prevent frozen locks is to dip your key into Vaseline, put it into the lock, and turn the lock back and forth a few times. Repeat this to make sure the Vaseline is well-distributed onto the parts of the lock. This method should be done once a week during winter months, according to Suite101.com. WD-40 can also prevent locks from freezing.

Icy car image by Photos.com

Frozen Car Door:

You can prevent your door from freezing shut by spraying the door frame with spray cooking lubricant like Pam.

If you have not treated the doors and find them frozen shut, try these steps to unfreeze them.

First, try all of the doors (including the hatch) to find the one least frozen. Do not try to force a frozen door open. This can damage the seal around the door.

Next, while wearing gloves, hit the ice with the palms of your hands, and remove the ice as it breaks.

If this method does not work, you can use a hair dryer to melt the ice.

Life-Threatening Cold to Grip Dakotas to New York

Dangerously cold air, perhaps the coldest of this entire winter season, is poised to invade the eastern half of the country over the next few days. In many places, if actual temperatures don't fall below zero, brutal winds will make it feel that way with life-threatening conditions resulting.

Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Indianapolis andMinneapolis are all included in the zone where AccuWeather.com RealFeel® temperatures will be below zero at some point this weekend or early next week. RealFeel® temperatures provide a measure of how cold it will feel with the wind factored in.

Across the Midwest and Great Lakes regions, these values will be below zero for as long as 36 or 48 hours. In Minneapolis, the actual temperature will stay below zero for this long. Cold this extreme can quickly lead to frostbite and life-threatening hypothermia.

What is even more alarming is that a major snowstorm will precede the cold blast from the Midwest to the Northeast. Snow, blowing snow, icy roads, and whiteout conditions will significantly increase the risk of travelers getting stranded out in the horrendously cold air.