PMEL in the News
Polar Vortex: Temperatures Fall Far, Fast
Meteorologists called it “weather whiplash” — a drop of roughly 50 degrees in a matter of hours that took temperatures from 55 in Central Park on Monday morning to a record low of 5 overnight and an expected high on Tuesday of only 10. The last time temperatures in New York fell that much in such a short time, Warren G. Harding was in the White House.
Arctic caught a break in 2013, as long-term warming continues
The Arctic caught a bit of a break in 2013 from the recent string of record-breaking warmth and ice melt of the last decade. But the relatively cool year in some parts of the Arctic does little to offset the long-term trend of the last 30 years: the Arctic is warming rapidly, becoming greener and experiencing a variety of changes, affecting people, the physical environment, and marine and land ecosystems.
Shrinking Arctic Sea Ice Means Scorching US Summers
Thirty years of shrinking Arctic sea ice has boosted extreme summer weather, including heat waves and drought, in the United States and elsewhere, according to a study published today (Dec. 8) in the journal Nature Climate Change.
Arctic ice may help alter hurricane paths
A hurricane hunter aircraft sent to the Arctic to study ice formations returned this month with critical data that might explain why an increasing number of tropical storms seem to be taking irregular paths.
Scientists say as climate changes, odds increase for deadly storms
Research Meteorologist Nick Bond said the group is trying to find out what is happening in the marginal ice zones along the shores. He said diminishing ice is creating more open spaces that could lead to warming temperatures and changes in the normal global weather flows. One theory is that disruption may have redirected Hurricane Sandy toward the Atlantic Coast last year.