Greenhouse Gas - Methane

Bubbling through melting permafrost in several areas near the Arctic, is Methane.

Methane or also known as what is used for Natural Gas, is a widely used fossil fuel.  The problem is that there should not be high levels of this released into our atmosphere.   I have seen two scientific studies that state that the same ice melt that is shrinking the glaciers, is thawing out the ground where trapped methane gas deposits are now bubbling to the surface.  One area is in  northern Russia, where they say that it is becoming a serious problem.   There is another noted area is in Alaska, where several videos show how the Methane is coming out of the ground.  Large amounts of Methane added to our atmosphere will cause accelerated Global Warming.

I do not like to paint a doomsday picture of our future, however it is better that folks understand the concern regarding this and the impact it has on Climate Change.

Here is a detailed youtube video about this topic, this is an older video from 2009, this problem is now worse because the global temperature has risen since then.

Debris from Tsunami

The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has released a Youtube video about debris that may land on the California coast by 2013. 

If you recall, I wrote about the Earthquake that hit Japan and caused a Tsunami that caused horrific damage.  You can read about my earlier story here; Reporters visit-fukushima-nuclear-powerplant

Now, I would like to know if any of the debris is radioactive, of course this is just a personal thought.

Check out the video here; 

A Weather Ready Nation

The Nation Weather service, along with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other organizations, have been working together on a large scale plan to prepare our country to be a “Weather Ready Nation”. 

 During the next ten years, a major plan is being constructed in time for the 150 year anniversary of the National Weather Service.  Building a Weather Ready nation would involve using the latest technology, preparation, education and training, to help insure protection of lives and would benefit our economy. 

Evidence of climate change is all around us, being prepared to protect lives is a priority, and there is also the need to protect our Nation’s water supply.  New technology, using tools such as computers, Doppler radar, and satellites, would be used by scientists and meteorologists, to monitor our climate both on Earth and space weather, will help to enhance our ability to detect and study significant possible weather events with better accuracy.  Advancement in information technology using such tools as the internet, computer software, social networks and smartphone technology will help to bridge gaps in vital communication and weather alert status information.

Will we be ready for strong weather events such as Hurricanes, tornadoes, or as the NWS states a High Impact Event?

What is a High-Impact Event?

No standard, nationwide criteria define a high-impact event.  It may impact millions of people or one sector, and it may vary in timing or location.  It is any weather-dependent event that significantly impacts safety, health, the environment, economic productivity, or homeland security, such as:

• Major events such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and tsunamis

• Persistent drought

• Thunderstorms in a congested air space

• Rains that trigger flooding and cause agricultural run-off, leading to harmful algal blooms and dead zones

• Geomagnetic storms that disrupt energy distribution and communication systems

• Snow squalls at rush hour

• An above-average hot day

• Coastal inundation

• Changes in Arctic climate

For more detailed information, please read the Strategic plan 2011,  here ; http://www.nws.noaa.gov/com/stratplan/files/2011.06_nws_strategic_plan.pdf

Photos from Irene

I was looking through some pictures that I took this year, and I found a photo that made me recall of the day Hurricane Irene affected our area.  I remember standing in the mud with my tripod back on August 28th of this year.  I was holding my camera with my left hand and I started to walk out closer to the swollen creek where I was a little worried that it was going to rain again. As I walked closer to the water and with each step, I kept sinking into the mud.   Also as I waked closer to the water, I began to notice how high the creek was that day and the magnitude of the flooding that occurred earlier.   I read the weather report  and I knew it was going to rain again, and that the creek could quickly start to rise.  The water was flowing downstream at a fairly quick rate and as you can see the water was over it's normal level.  Because I was there after full brunt of the storm, the water was actually much higher before I arrived that day.  You can see from this pic how the brush was pushed flat and in the direction of the creek flow.

The second photo (below) shows a left angle view from the first photo.  I am sure that the creek water was twice as high as it normally would be.  The first pic shows a small tree right in the flow of the water, and since the water was rushing downstream quickly you can see it was generating waves.

After taking a few more pictures, the rain started again and I had to pack away my gear quickly.  In that last photo, more to the left and out of view, was a work crew cutting through large trees that had fallen and was blocking a public road.  I was able to drive out of that road, which was shut down, but being persistent I drove into the park area anyway.