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

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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.

Solar Eclipse Webcast from Africa - March 29, 2006

On March 29, 2006 a total solar eclipse was visible from parts of Africa. Scientists from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana webcast live video coverage of this event. Windows to the Universe was a mirror site for the webcast. Although the live webcast is over now, you can watch a replay of the eclipse by clicking on the link below.

Webcast icon Click here to watch a replay of the eclipse webcast. The eclipse peak can be found approximately 2 hours and 6 minutes into the stream.

The middle of the eclipse occurred around 9:10 Universal Time (4:10 AM Eastern time, 2:10 AM Mountain time, or 1:10 AM Pacific time in the United States) on March 29, 2006.

The video will also highlight science being done at various locations throughout Africa. This may include the African LASER Centre, LAMNET (Lasers, Atomic, and Molecular Sciences Network), and the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). SALT is the largest single optical telescope in the southern hemisphere. SALT has a mirror array 10 meters (33 feet) across that is made up of 91 identical hexagonal mirror segments.

Other astronomy programs in Africa include H.E.S.S. and S.K.A. The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) in Namibia detects faint flashes of light in the atmosphere caused by gamma rays. South Africa is one of four countries bidding to host the Square Kilometer Array (S.K.A.), an array of radio telescope dishes that will have a combined surface area of one square kilometer.

Last modified April 27, 2006 by Randy Russell.

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