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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.

    Image courtesy of Robin Frisch-Gleason.

From: Robin Frisch-Gleason
McMurdo Station, Antarctica, October 30, 2007

A Visit to Scott's Discovery Hut, Antarctica

Out at the end of Hut Peninsula, on an arm extending from the center of McMurdo Station into the frozen Ross Sea, sits Discovery Hut. Discovery Hut was built by the British explorer Robert Falcon Scott during the Discovery Expedition of 1901-1904. On that expedition, his ship became locked in the closing sea ice in February of 1902, and he and his men built this hut to endure the long Antarctic winter.

The hut has been restored, and it is quite a remarkable place to visit. It is like stepping back into time 100 years, and seeing the food, cooking utensils, beds, and other gear laid out just as they were so long ago. Wandering through the hut, one feels a profound connection to Antarctic exploration history, and a sad reminder of the hardships that befell so many explorers. From the hut, one can gaze in one direction up Observation Hill and see the memorial cross for Scott, who died on the return from the south pole in the Terra Nova expedition of 1910 - 1913. Just beyond the Discovery Hut is a cross commemorating George T. Vince, a member of the Discovery Expedition, who fell to his death off the cliff face near the hut.

One is reminded frequently of the dangers of the Antarctic. Yet somehow, these dangers compel me all the more to follow in the footsteps of these explorers and bring their thrill of discovery back to life.

Postcards from the Field: ANDRILL

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