Current Events

  • 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

    x

    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

    x

    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

    x

    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.

Postcards from the Field: Climate Science from the Southeast Pacific

VOCALS Postcards by Name


Brigitte Baeuerle

Katie Beem

Wiesje Mooiweer Bryan

Carlye Calvin

Dr. Patrick Chuang

Jake Crouch

Rhea George

Lelia Hawkins

Dr. Taehyoung Lee

Matthew Miller

Dione Rossiter

Dr. Jeff Snider

Dr. Cynthia Twohy

Dr. Robert Wood

Dr. Paquita Zuidema

Last modified September 5, 2008 by Julia Genyuk.

Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!

Our online store includes fun classroom activities for you and your students. Issues of NESTA's quarterly journal, The Earth Scientist are also full of classroom activities on different topics in Earth and space science!

Windows to the Universe Community

News

Opportunities

You might also be interested in:

Traveling Nitrogen Classroom Activity Kit

Check out our online store - minerals, fossils, books, activities, jewelry, and household items!...more

Brigitte Baeuerle

Hello everyone. My name is Brigitte Baeuerle and I am the Manager for the Field Project Services facility within NCAR’s Earth Observing Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado. I work with a small group of Project...more

The largest human geoglyph - the Giant of the Atacama

On our way from Arica to Iquique, we visited one of the largest human geoglyphs - the Giant of the Atacama. Etched into the side of a solitary mountain, the 393 feet high human figure is one of many depictions...more

Growing olives in the Apaza Valley

The woman in this picture is Ester, a lively and energetic local Arica resident who visited the operations center after a local newspaper reported on VOCALS. Ester took me to the Apaza Valley, which is...more

Environment of Extremes

Hola, This picture was taken from the air before landing in Arica. The first time I came to Chile I was wondering what possessed me to come to such a desolate place. While the Pacific Ocean in this part...more

The Stray Dog Problem

Hola again, Over the last two weeks, I have seen many dogs linger outside the hotel, restaurants and on the pedestrian mall hoping for a morsel of food. A little female we started calling Juanita waits...more

Close encounter with a sea lion

Hola again, On Sunday afternoon we took a stroll through town and ended up near the local harbor. Barking dogs, strange noises and a significant stench of old fish lead us to a group of humongous sea lions...more

Planning an Aircraft Intercomparison Flight

Hola, In this picture, Rob and the other aircraft scientists are planning the seventh VOCALS research flight, which will happen early on the morning of Halloween. Part of the reason for this flight is...more

Shop Windows to the Universe

Ready, Set, SCIENCE!, by the National Research Council, focuses on K-8 science classsrooms. Check out the other publications in our online store, as well as classroom materials.

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part by the National Science Foundation and NASA, our Founding Partners (the American Geophysical Union and American Geosciences Institute) as well as through Institutional, Contributing, and Affiliate Partners, individual memberships and generous donors. Thank you for your support! NASA AGU AGI NSF