Greetings to one and all! Regardless of where you live, I hope the current weather is to your liking. While much of North America is bracing for a blast of Arctic air with dangerous wild chills, our friends in Australia have been dealing with one of the worst heat waves in that country’s history. A quick note on the publishing date of this blog…starting 2 February 2019, the Tornado Quest Top Ten Science Links will be published on Saturday afternoons. As for this week, there’s plenty of other topics to go over, so let’s get started.
- Algorithms that are frequently used in social media are one of the most quixotic…and worst…part of the online experience. Unfortunately, they make many popular social media platforms beneficial only to the most popular people and/or accounts with the money to get their posts/tweets/photos, etc. pushed to the “top of the list.”
- As of the date of this post (28 January 2019), the USA’s government shutdown has come to an end…for a while. In such precarious times, it’s perfectly understandable why the science community is relieved but very wary of further nefarious actions by the powers that be.
- As the saying goes, we are made of, “star stuff.” “Planetary Collision That Formed The Moon Made Life Possible On Earth.
- Do you love snow? I certainly do! Here’s an interesting read on how that form of precipitation that so many of us love could be affected by climate change…and not for the better.
- Rebuilding after a natural disaster is a daunting task for any community. Unfortunately, some cities are not learning lessons from disasters that almost wiped them off the map. For urban planners, real estate developers, et al., bigger is better…but they couldn’t be more wrong.
- A field of science called paleoclimatology is invaluable in examining climates of the past and what we may be in store for in the future. “Ancient Plants Reveal Arctic Summers Haven’t Been This Hot In 115,000 Years.”
- It takes a thick skin to handle much of the weather in North America and specifically the Great Plains of the USA. In the American South, unique weather hazards exist. Here’s an interesting read on how some southerners deal with their weather and the climate change that is happening before their eyes.
- The USA isn’t the only country with wild weather. The recent heatwave in Australia has been breaking all kinds of records…and this is bound to become a new normal for that continent.
- The recent USA government shutdown prevented NOAA and NASA from releasing their update on climate change. In spite of that unnecessary delay, Berkley Earth was able to release information that showed how 2018 was the 4th warmest year on record.
- To add insult to injury (see previous link)…the Earth’s average concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere could rise by 2.8 parts per million to 411 ppm in 2019.
WINTER WEATHER SAFETY
With some of the coldest air of this winter on its way for much of the USA, here are some helpful links. It’s never too late to review winter weather safety information. These links will help you get started.
National Weather Service Homepage
Winter Weather Safety and Awareness
Winter Storms: The Deceptive Killers
National Weather Service Wind Chill Chart
National Weather Service Printable PDF Wind Chill Chart
Interactive NOAA Weather Radio Coverage Map
Ready.gov Basic Disaster Supply Kit Info
Preparing Your Pets For Disasters And Emergencies
That’s a wrap for this post! I’d like to send a warm “Welcome” to my new followers in social media and a “Thank You” for my long-time followers! Thank you so much for all the support and kind words. Your friendship and loyalty is appreciated a great deal! Remember…there’s no such thing as “boring” weather…just different types of good weather!
Cheers!
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