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  • Irish Chronicles Document Links Between Volcanoes and Weather
    A study of over 40,000 written entries in Irish Annals and ice core measurements shows a strong corr...Read more

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    Irish Chronicles Document Links Between Volcanoes and Weather

    A study of over 40,000 written entries in Irish Annals and ice core measurements shows a strong correlation between the occurrence of volcanic eruptions and extreme cold weather in Ireland over a 1200 year period. Data analyzed in this study cover the period from 431 to 1649, during which time up to 48 volcanic eruptions are identified in Greenland ice core records through deposition of volcanic sulfate in annual layers of ice. You can find the study (open access), published on 6 June 2013 in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters, at http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/8/2/024035/article. Find out more about how volcanoes can influence climate.
  • EF-5 Tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma Widest Ever Recorded in US
    The EF-5 tornado that hit El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31st was the widest ever recorded in the US, acco...Read more

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    EF-5 Tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma Widest Ever Recorded in US

    The EF-5 tornado that hit El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31st was the widest ever recorded in the US, according to the National Weather Service in Norman Oklahoma. The tornado, which remained on the ground for 40 minutes and reached 2.6 miles across (4.2 km), took the lives of 18 people including storm chasers Tim Samaras, Paul Samaras and Carl Young. For more information on the tornado, visit http://ow.ly/i/2hfDG.
  • Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm
    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm rep...Read more

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    Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm

    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm repeatedly. Daily levels of CO2 can vary due to weather, and there are seasonal trends as well. The level of atmospheric greenhouse gases continues to increase, now over 120 ppm since the Industrial Revolution began. For more on the Keeling Curve, see http://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/. Find out more about greenhouse gases and warming.
Air moves into a Low pressure system. It pushes any air that was there upwards.
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Low Pressure Systems

You may have seen a weather map with a red L on it. This red L means there is a low pressure system over that area of the map. Just what does that mean?

There are no exact measurements that would make a system a Low. It's all relative! If a certain system is a Low pressure system, that means it has lower pressure then the areas around it.

The differences in pressure from one place to another on Earth are what cause wind. You see, air wants to move from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. Away from areas of high pressure and into areas of low pressure...

The Coriolis Force also adds rotation to the movement of air. In the Northern Hemisphere, air moves clockwise around a High and counter-clockwise around a Low.

Air moves into a Low pressure system. It pushes any air that was there up. As the air rises, water vapor condenses into clouds that can bring precipitation. That's why many people see a red L on weather chart and know there is a good chance of "bad" weather - cloudy skies and possibilities of rain or snow.

Last modified April 19, 2009 by Jennifer Bergman.

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