Current Events

  • 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.
  • Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley
    The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Io...Read more

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    Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley

    The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. On May 20th, a massive tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, devastating communities - destroying over 100 homes and hitting two elementary schools and a hospital - with many casualties and deaths. Our thoughts are with our friends and colleagues suffering from these storms. For more on the May 20th storms, see the NOAA Storm Prediction Center Storm Report.
  • Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education
    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of ...Read more

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    Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education

    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of sustainability. Here is a link to the one-page bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/documents/hb2366_00_0000.pdf. See report on Bloomberg News.

   Image courtesy of Janine Goldstein

From: Janine Goldstein
Ohnenheim, France, August 8, 2007

Big Storm

Hi! On Monday, I was in France collecting data. The forecasters predicted that a cold front would come through, and the scientists were hoping there would be lots of storms popping up along it. Since the storms were predicted to come during the night, we set up in the middle of the day and stayed all night long. So this was my second over-night operations. Sure enough in the evening a big storm came and blew right over us! There was lots and lots of rain. The picture is of the storm as it was starting to get big and before it hit us. You can see the rain coming out of the bottom of the storm. It's the straight up-and-down part coming out of the bottom of the cloud and hitting the corn.

When the big storm passed, the rain kept coming. It's Wednesday now, and it's still raining - can you believe it! I don't think I have ever seen it rain for two days straight where I am from, in Colorado. The rain isn't hard - it's kind of a fine mist with periods of heavier rain embedded in it - but it just doesn't stop. The ground is completely soaked.

Postcards from the Field: COPS

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