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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.
This picture shows the mission patch for STS-102.
Click on image for full size
Courtesy of NASA

Discovery's Off!
News story originally written on March 8, 2001

The Discovery shuttle as part of the STS-102 mission launched today at 5:42 a.m. CST. The shuttle is headed for the International Space Station (ISS).

The Discovery shuttle is bringing the 2nd crew for the ISS. These team members are Yury Usachev, James Voss and Susan Helms. The Discovery shuttle will then give the 1st ISS crew a ride home! The 1st crew of the ISS, Yuri P. Gidzenko, Sergei K. Krikalev and William M. Shepherd, have been aboard the station since November 2000. I'm sure they are anxious to come home to Earth where they can grab a hot shower and a pizza whenever they want!

Discovery is also carrying the Leonardo Multipurpose Logistics Module to the ISS. This Italian-built module is acting as a moving van for lab materials that will be put into the Destiny laboratory.

Last modified March 9, 2001 by Jennifer Bergman.

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