The Map Room has a link to current snow cover maps. We had a few snowflakes here in Denver today, but the ground is bare. Let it snow!
Category: Meteorology
Brrrrrrr
Next day update -- The temperature here in Lakewood was even colder this morning (12/15/08): -11°F (-24°C). I love winter! It's a little cold this morning: -1°F (-18°C) here in Lakewood, Colorado, and -15°F (-26°C) in my hometown of Billings. But I love winter! My comment to my wife this morning was, "I'm glad we …
Pliocene and Quaternary sea levels
Tying into a post from earlier tonight: global Pliocene and Quaternary sea levels, from the US Geological Survey. The natural range of sea level for the past 3 million years is from a high of 35 meters above present sea level, to a low of 120 meters below present sea level: The +35 m value …
The Pliocene as a model for the 21st century?
The US Geological Survey has a news release regarding climate during the mid-Pliocene Epoch, between 3.0 and 3.3 million years ago: Getting Warmer? Prehistoric Climate Can Help Forecast Future Changes. Scientists used paleontological data (i.e. fossils) to reconstruct surface water and deep-ocean temperatures, as well as ocean circulation patterns. Here are some of the findings: …
Continue reading The Pliocene as a model for the 21st century?
White Christmas?
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas... Here's a probability map from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): The map is based on data from 1961 to 1990. Grace and Peace
Ice-free Arctic
I was watching CNN today (not something I normally do; I was standing in a line at the post office) and the story was about record melting of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. The prediction was that the Arctic could be ice-free in the summer within five years. And I was reading Geology.com News …
Hurricane Ike — headed for Galveston & Houston
The deadliest natural disaster in US history was the Galveston hurricane of 1900 (they didn't name hurricanes back then). The storm surge from this category 4 hurricane washed over much of Galveston Island, killing 6,000 to 12,000 people. Galveston is now protected by a seawall, and much of the city has been raised to a …
Continue reading Hurricane Ike — headed for Galveston & Houston
Hurricane Ike — here we go again?
The five-day forecast for the path of Hurricane Ike (presently a category 4 hurricane), from the National Hurricane Center: Pray for the people in the path of this storm, in the Bahamas, Cuba, and the US Gulf of Mexico coast. Grace and Peace
Hurricane Gustav
Speaking of New Orleans, here is the NOAA prediction for the most likely path for Hurricane Gustav (actually, it is Tropical Storm Gustav right now, but it should strengthen and become a hurricane again soon). It is unlikely that Gustav will be a category 4 or 5 hurricane like Katrina, but it could still do …
Water vapor distribution
From NASA's Earth Observatory, a global (or at least oceanic) water vapor distribution map: Dark blue areas have high levels of water vapor in the atmosphere. As expected, these areas are primarily over warm tropical oceans. This satellite-derived data is used to correct sea level information determined by radar from space. I include it here …
Myanmar cyclone #2
With the hardness of our hearts, it is easy to look at massive tragedy such as the cyclone (hurricane) that hit Myanmar (Burma) this week and then quickly turn away and forget. John Piper has "6 ways to react to the cyclone" Be softened to the pain nearby. Pray for the followers of Christ in …
Vog
This might be a new word for you: vog. Vog is volcanic smog, produced when sulfuric acid and other gases emitted by volcanoes mixes with oxygen and water vapor in the presence of sunlight. It can cause or aggravate respiratory problems among humans and damage plants. Below is an image showing this noxious gas around …
Myanmar cyclone flooding
Cyclone Nargis (a cyclone is the same thing as a hurricane or typhoon) struck Myanmar (Burma) this week. Over 10,000 people are dead, and more will die of disease in the upcoming days and weeks. Satellite imagery shows the extent of flooding, and could be useful in saving lives if action is taken quickly. The …
Another spring flooding image
Here's another image related to this week's heavy rainfall and flooding in Missouri and adjoining states: In this image, red areas (very tiny) received greater than 200 mm (8 in) of precipitation, orange areas receive more than 150 mm (6 in), and yellow areas received more than 100 mm (4 in). The image and a …
Spring flooding
The USGS has an online map called WaterWatch, which portrays conditions from stream gaging stations. Parts of Missouri and Arkansas have received a foot of rain this week, and that storm system has spread to the east. Black dots on the map are areas that are currently the highest above normal. The map is clickable--you …
Google Earth & microclimate
Google Earth came in handy today for illustrating microclimate. At lower elevations in the Bridger Range near Bozeman, Montana, dense pine forests form on north-facing slopes, whereas grass dominates the south-facing slopes. There is enough of a difference in soil temperature and moisture between the two sides of the ridges to make a significant difference …
Plant hardiness zones
Welcome to The GeoChristian. Out of over 600 posts on my blog, this one on plant hardiness zones is the one people find second most often via search engines. The purpose of The GeoChristian is twofold: 1. To enhance science literacy within the Evangelical Christian community. 2. To present a Biblical Christianity that is hostile …
27 Storms — hurricanes of 2005
I'm beginning a unit on weather and climate in high school Earth Science tomorrow, and am scouring Google videos for movies depicting weather patterns from space. One excellent video I came across is 27 Storms: Arlene to Zeta, which shows relationships between ocean surface temperatures and storm tracks. It was produced by NASA and NOAA, …
Today is the winter solstice, but it has been winter for a while already
Today is the winter solstice---the shortest day of the year---but by some definitions, it has been winter for a few weeks already. The meteorological definition of winter is that it is the coldest three months in temperate zones, that is, December, January, and February in the Northern Hemisphere. Alternately, it could be defined as starting …
Continue reading Today is the winter solstice, but it has been winter for a while already
California Fires
These two images of the Los Angeles area were taken a little over three hours apart on October 21, 2007, showing the rapid growth of the fires that have already destroyed hundreds of structures and forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people. The fires spread rapidly due to hot, dry Santa Ana winds, …
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