PMEL in the News
Northwest Washington seeing more extreme heat
Like the rest of the United States, northwest Washington is now seeing more record high temperatures than record lows. While data for Skagit County isn’t readily available, data for neighboring counties to the north and east shows the region is seeing a greater ratio of record highs to record lows compared to the nationwide average. Nick Bond is quoted.
'Monster' El Nino a chance later this year, pointing to extended dry times
Relief for Australia's drought-hit regions could be a long way off, with climate influences in the Pacific and Indian oceans tilting towards drier conditions and a "monster" El Nino a possibility by year's end. Mike McPhaden is featured.
The ocean absorbs billions of tons of carbon every year, and the process is accelerating, study shows
Newly published research analyzed more than 100,000 seawater samples worldwide and found the oceans are absorbing about 31 percent of human-caused carbon emissions. It’s “a huge service the oceans are doing,” says a co-author, in Seattle. Richard Feely is quoted.
What happens when the Bering Sea’s ice disappears?
Record low sea ice in 2018 sent ripples through the entire Arctic ecosystem. Peggy’s data were a bit of a shock. From an anchored vantage point in an expanse of the southeastern Bering Sea west of Alaska, Peggy, or mooring M2, had monitored conditions in the water for 25 years. A line of sensors extended down more than 70 meters to where Peggy was tethered to the seafloor, collecting information on temperature, salinity and other properties of the water. Phyllis Stabeno is quoted and the Arctic Report Card is referenced.
The Ocean Gets Heat Waves Too, and They are Threatening Marine Ecosystems
A new study shows that marine heat waves have become more frequent and more severe as ocean temperatures have climbed. Nick Bond is quoted.