Support the Arctic Sea Ice Forum and Blog

Author Topic: General Drought Stuff  (Read 106628 times)

Tor Bejnar

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 4606
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 879
  • Likes Given: 826
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #50 on: January 31, 2015, 07:32:38 PM »
From http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/factsheet/seawater-desalination-solution-or-problem/
(emphasis added)
Quote
5. Fisheries and marine environments will be threatened.
Many proposed ocean desalination plants are now planning to rely on “once-through” intake structures — an outdated technology that sucks in ocean water to cool the power plant. These intakes kill fish and other organisms that cannot free themselves from the intakes or that get sucked into the plants.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, these intake structures kill at least 3.4 billion fish and other marine organisms annually. This amounts to a $212.5 million loss to anglers and commercial fishermen. California‚ power plant intake structures, alone, are responsible for the loss of at least 312.9 million organisms each year, resulting in a $13.6 million loss to fishermen.

As power plants begin to shift away from once,through cooling, a real danger exists that some desalination plants will use these intakes, and marine life destruction will continue.

Further, the brine, or super salty wastewater created from the desalination process, also has the potential to upset our delicate coastal ecosystems.

Dilution doesn't happen instantaneously.
Arctic ice is healthy for children and other living things because "we cannot negotiate with the melting point of ice"

jbatteen

  • New ice
  • Posts: 83
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 0
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #51 on: February 01, 2015, 06:24:13 AM »
Then run the exhaust pipe further out to sea, and/or mix it in with some ocean water before discharging.  That's just an engineering problem.  Nothing is free.  If we harvest rainwater, that's depriving plants and animals on the continent of water they might have used.  If we harvest groundwater, it isn't sustainable, it can cause sinking, and it takes from plants that might have been able to tap that water.  I'd argue that desalination is among the least impactful sources of water.  The world ocean has far more water than we could dream of using on the continents.  It's the only way anyhow.  Groundwater is unsustainable and relying on rainwater is dangerous at best, see Brazil.  Finding ways to build the intakes and outputs so that their impact on nature is minimized is an engineering problem, not a showstopper.

AbruptSLR

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 19703
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 2268
  • Likes Given: 286
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #52 on: February 03, 2015, 05:23:04 PM »
The linked Scientific American article indicates that decision makers around the world have not yet fully woken-up to the climate change driven water crisis that is coming soon to many regions of the world:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/world-has-not-woken-up-to-water-crisis-caused-by-climate-change/
“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.”
― Leon C. Megginson

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #53 on: February 12, 2015, 09:46:41 PM »
Sobering new study in the journal Science Advances says the U.S. is on track for a record-breaking megadrought this century.
"Evidence suggests that Western North America will be drier at the end of the 21st century than any period of the last 1000 years."

A good write-up in Quartz describes their methodology.  Then:
Quote
They then hitched the three drought trackers to two greenhouse gas emissions scenarios: one that assumes we do nothing, and the other imagines that we curtail emissions like our lives depended on it. From these pieces, they could generate megadrought predictions for the last half of the 21st century.
http://qz.com/343515/the-us-is-on-track-for-a-record-breaking-megadrought/


I was curious as to the results if "we curtail emissions like our lives depended on it" -- they used the RCP 4.5 scenario -- compared to the "do nothing" RCP 8.5 scenario graph shown in the Quartz article.  The graph below is from the paper's supplementary material.  Not much difference!

The paper is available here:  http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/1/1/e1400082

People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Laurent

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 2546
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 13
  • Likes Given: 50
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #54 on: February 12, 2015, 11:57:22 PM »

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #55 on: February 13, 2015, 12:39:27 AM »
NASA to host a Q&A on the MegaDrought on reddit.com on Friday. 

@NASAGoddard: @ClimateCentral  NASA is hosting a Reddit AMA on #MegaDrought and drought overall - 3 pm ET Fri., Feb. 13 : Link TBD


EDIT -- update:
@NASAGoddard: @EricHolthaus @ClimateCentral FYI - We've decided to postpone this AMA until a later date when we can scheduled it on Reddit /r/science
« Last Edit: February 13, 2015, 08:27:14 PM by Sigmetnow »
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #56 on: February 13, 2015, 08:54:09 PM »
288-hour total precipitation forecast.

@Weather_West: Nearly the entire #WestCoast may stay dry again for 10+ days at height of climatological wet season. #cawx #cadrought http://t.co/MVncysGs9r
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #57 on: February 19, 2015, 10:07:13 PM »
LCRA: Current drought worst on record for Central Texas
http://kxan.com/2015/02/18/lcra-current-drought-worst-on-record-for-central-texas/
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Laurent

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 2546
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 13
  • Likes Given: 50
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #58 on: February 25, 2015, 12:05:19 PM »
Waiting for the sea
It took just 40 years for the Aral Sea to dry up. Fishing ports suddenly found themselves in a desert.
But in one small part of the sea, water is returning.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-a0c4856e-1019-4937-96fd-8714d70a48f7

Laurent

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 2546
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 13
  • Likes Given: 50
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #59 on: February 25, 2015, 12:23:26 PM »

Laurent

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 2546
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 13
  • Likes Given: 50
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #60 on: March 06, 2015, 08:25:42 AM »
Droughts in the Amazon are speeding up climate change: 'Lungs of the planet' are emitting more CO2 than they capture

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2980190/Droughts-Amazon-speeding-climate-change-Lungs-planet-emitting-CO2-capture.html

Laurent

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 2546
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 13
  • Likes Given: 50
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #61 on: March 08, 2015, 10:29:48 AM »
Why fresh water shortages will cause the next great global crisis
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/08/how-water-shortages-lead-food-crises-conflicts

Quote
The nature of the problem is revealed by US Geological Survey figures, which show that the total amount of fresh water on Earth comes to about 2,551,100 cubic miles. Combined into a single droplet, this would produce a sphere with a diameter of about 170 miles. However, 99% of that sphere would be made up of groundwater, much of which is not accessible. By contrast, the total volume from lakes and rivers, humanity’s main source of fresh water, produces a sphere that is a mere 35 miles in diameter. That little blue droplet sustains most of the people on Earth – and it is under increasing assault as the planet heats up.

Laurent

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 2546
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 13
  • Likes Given: 50
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #62 on: March 10, 2015, 09:50:03 AM »

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #63 on: March 21, 2015, 01:20:04 PM »
World Could Have 40 Percent Water Shortfall By 2030, UN Warns
Quote
Many underground water reserves are already running low, while rainfall patterns are predicted to become more erratic with climate change. As the world's population grows to an expected 9 billion by 2050, more groundwater will be needed for farming, industry and personal consumption.

The report predicts global water demand will increase 55 percent by 2050, while reserves dwindle. If current usage trends don't change, the world will have only 60 percent of the water it needs in 2030, it said.

Having less available water risks catastrophe on many fronts: crops could fail, ecosystems could break down, industries could collapse, disease and poverty could worsen, and violent conflicts over access to water could become more frequent.
...
The report, released in New Delhi two days before World Water Day, calls on policymakers and communities to rethink water policies, urging more conservation as well as recycling of wastewater as is done in Singapore. Countries may also want to consider raising prices for water, as well as searching for ways to make water-intensive sectors more efficient and less polluting, it said.

In many countries including India, water use is largely unregulated and often wasteful. Pollution of water is often ignored and unpunished. At least 80 percent of India's population relies on groundwater for drinking to avoid bacteria-infested surface waters.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/20/water-shortfall-un_n_6908268.html
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #64 on: March 22, 2015, 06:52:46 PM »
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Laurent

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 2546
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 13
  • Likes Given: 50
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #65 on: March 31, 2015, 10:12:09 AM »
Climate change making droughts in Australia worse as rain patterns shift
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/31/climate-change-making-droughts-in-australia-worse-as-rain-patterns-shift

Quote
It’s a bit of false hope that you can adapt infinitely,” he said.

Laurent

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 2546
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 13
  • Likes Given: 50
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #66 on: April 07, 2015, 11:19:24 AM »

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #67 on: April 07, 2015, 08:40:35 PM »
Comparing different countries' responses to drought, from the present (Brazil and the U.S) and lessons learned from the recent past (Ireland and Australia).
http://fortune.com/2015/04/06/brazil-california-water-crisis-drought/
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #68 on: April 24, 2015, 01:30:45 PM »
NASA's SMAP satellite produces first global maps of soil moisture.
http://climate.nasa.gov/news/2275/
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

jai mitchell

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 2357
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 207
  • Likes Given: 60
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #69 on: April 24, 2015, 03:17:23 PM »
World Could Have 40 Percent Water Shortfall By 2030, UN Warns
Quote
Many underground water reserves are already running low, while rainfall patterns are predicted to become more erratic with climate change. As the world's population grows to an expected 9 billion by 2050, more groundwater will be needed for farming, industry and personal consumption.

The report predicts global water demand will increase 55 percent by 2050, while reserves dwindle. If current usage trends don't change, the world will have only 60 percent of the water it needs in 2030, it said.

Having less available water risks catastrophe on many fronts: crops could fail, ecosystems could break down, industries could collapse, disease and poverty could worsen, and violent conflicts over access to water could become more frequent.
...
The report, released in New Delhi two days before World Water Day, calls on policymakers and communities to rethink water policies, urging more conservation as well as recycling of wastewater as is done in Singapore. Countries may also want to consider raising prices for water, as well as searching for ways to make water-intensive sectors more efficient and less polluting, it said.

In many countries including India, water use is largely unregulated and often wasteful. Pollution of water is often ignored and unpunished. At least 80 percent of India's population relies on groundwater for drinking to avoid bacteria-infested surface waters.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/20/water-shortfall-un_n_6908268.html

This
Haiku of Futures Passed
My "burning embers"
are not tri-color bar graphs
+3C today

Michael Hauber

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 1114
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 168
  • Likes Given: 16
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #70 on: April 25, 2015, 01:06:08 AM »
The Australian Bureau of meteorology have a well written report on the current rainfall and drought situation in Australia.

We had a major drought last decade, which was followed by the heaviest two year period of rain ever experienced in 2010-2011.  However the signature of reduced winter rainfall in winter in the South that dominated the drought continued (in a weaker form) through the rainy years, and the drought is back, although not yet particularly strong, in the last few years.
Climate change:  Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, expect the middle.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #71 on: May 09, 2015, 02:55:11 AM »
@EricHolthaus: Great perspective from a @Slate commenter. Arizona is f****d & not just b/c of climate change. ...
http://t.co/JgiDTuKlIP

As Lake Mead hits record lows and water shortages loom, Arizona prepares for the worst.
Quote
If, come Jan. 1, Lake Mead’s level is below 1,075 feet, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which manages the river, will declare an official shortage for the first time ever—setting into motion a series of already agreed-upon mandatory cuts in water outlays, primarily to Arizona. (Nevada and Mexico will also receive smaller cuts.) The latest forecasts give a 33 percent chance of this happening. There’s a greater than 75 percent chance of the same scenario on Jan. 1, 2017. Barring a sudden unexpected end to the drought, official shortage conditions are likely for the indefinite future.
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2015/05/arizona_water_shortages_loom_the_state_prepares_for_rationing_as_lake_mead.1.html
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #72 on: May 11, 2015, 02:27:30 PM »
Taiwan rations water use amid unusual drought
Quote
Taiwanese officials have been warning of possible rationing since last year, when they realized rainfall would be below normal, so the island had time to prepare.
http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-taiwan-drought-20150510-story.html
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Laurent

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 2546
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 13
  • Likes Given: 50
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #73 on: May 11, 2015, 10:37:32 PM »
Emergency in the lake Baikal region: global warming heralds nothing of any good, even for the Russian cold
http://350.org/emergency-in-the-lake-baikal/

Laurent

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 2546
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 13
  • Likes Given: 50
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #74 on: May 12, 2015, 10:34:21 AM »

Laurent

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 2546
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 13
  • Likes Given: 50
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #75 on: May 16, 2015, 06:36:33 PM »

Anne

  • Grease ice
  • Posts: 531
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 13
  • Likes Given: 2
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #76 on: May 17, 2015, 09:19:34 PM »
A long article in The Observer today on the Colorado basin drought:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/may/17/lake-powell-drought-colorado-river

The comments below the article threw up this useful interactive site showing the state of reservoirs in the western USA.
http://www.deanfarr.com/western_water/#/

jai mitchell

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 2357
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 207
  • Likes Given: 60
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #77 on: June 03, 2015, 03:45:49 PM »
The predicted expansion of the Hadley Cell into the midlatitudes appears to be happening earlier than predicted.

source of link below http://www.wri.org/blog/2015/06/global-tour-7-recent-droughts




The Hadley Cell is responsible for the band of 30'N and 30'S deserts around the globe.  The projection of land area to be placed into drought and desertification is expected to grow beginning around 2020.  It now appears that this is happening now much more rapidly than the models have shown.

for more info on projections of drought see:  http://www.eahcp.org/documents/2006_Burke-etal_GlobalDrought.pdf
Haiku of Futures Passed
My "burning embers"
are not tri-color bar graphs
+3C today

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #78 on: June 11, 2015, 11:15:23 PM »
Lake Mead About to Hit a Critical New Low as 15-Year Drought Continues in Southwest
http://ecowatch.com/2015/06/09/lake-mead-critical-low-drought/
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #79 on: June 15, 2015, 06:45:19 PM »
Signs of drought appear to be in Western Canada for the long term
Quote
“All our stations are free of snow now, which is the earliest we’ve seen it,” Dr. Pomeroy said. “Not only was the maximum of snow water available quite low, but the snow melted much earlier – about a month to a month and a half earlier than what we would expect.”

He said the conditions are “eerily like” what he has projected will occur if a global warming of two degrees occurs, which climate-change scenarios consider likely.
...
The decline of winter snow has been felt beyond the Rockies in mountain ranges across B.C. The B.C. River Forecast Centre reported that by June 1, little snow remained and late summer conditions were prevalent even at high elevations. Last week, the town of Osoyoos began water restrictions because of concerns about the potential for drought in the South Okanagan. And on Vancouver Island, alarms are being raised about extreme low water levels in the Cowichan River.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/signs-of-drought-appear-to-be-in-western-canada-for-the-long-term/article24954511/
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #80 on: June 18, 2015, 02:08:16 AM »
The Navajo Generating Station in Arizona -- the West’s largest power-generating facility.
Quote
The power generated enables a modern wonder. It drives a set of pumps 325 miles down the Colorado River that heave trillions of gallons of water out of the river and send it shooting over mountains and through canals. That water — lifted 3,000 vertical feet and carried 336 miles — has enabled the cities of Phoenix and Tucson to rapidly expand.

This achievement in moving water, however, is gained at an enormous cost. Every hour the Navajo’s generators spin, the plant spews more climate-warming gases into the atmosphere than almost any other single facility in the United States. Alone, it accounts for 29 percent of Arizona’s emissions from energy generation. The Navajo station’s infernos gobble 15 tons of coal each minute, 24 hours each day, every day.

http://www.globalpossibilities.org/water-woes-arizona-lake-powell-navajo-nation-colorado-river/
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

oren

  • First-year ice
  • Posts: 9805
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 3584
  • Likes Given: 3922
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #81 on: June 18, 2015, 07:58:37 AM »
The Navajo Generating Station in Arizona -- the West’s largest power-generating facility.
Quote
The power generated enables a modern wonder. It drives a set of pumps 325 miles down the Colorado River that heave trillions of gallons of water out of the river and send it shooting over mountains and through canals. That water — lifted 3,000 vertical feet and carried 336 miles — has enabled the cities of Phoenix and Tucson to rapidly expand.

This achievement in moving water, however, is gained at an enormous cost. Every hour the Navajo’s generators spin, the plant spews more climate-warming gases into the atmosphere than almost any other single facility in the United States. Alone, it accounts for 29 percent of Arizona’s emissions from energy generation. The Navajo station’s infernos gobble 15 tons of coal each minute, 24 hours each day, every day.

http://www.globalpossibilities.org/water-woes-arizona-lake-powell-navajo-nation-colorado-river/

It seems crazy. Isn't pumping water one of solar's best uses? As you can pump intermittently and still get the water flowing over those 336 miles.

plinius

  • Frazil ice
  • Posts: 403
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 0
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #82 on: June 18, 2015, 03:02:57 PM »
Quote
It seems crazy. Isn't pumping water one of solar's best uses? As you can pump intermittently and still get the water flowing over those 336 miles.

Most crazy is your thought that in particular in that region of the US such decisions would be governed by reflections on economic soundness or ecologic sustainability...

Laurent

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 2546
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 13
  • Likes Given: 50
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #83 on: June 18, 2015, 08:17:34 PM »
New Study Uses NASA Data To Confirm We're Officially Running Out Of Water
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/06/18/groundwater-is-running-out-nasa-data-shows_n_7610564.html

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #84 on: June 20, 2015, 12:45:26 PM »
Quote
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
452 PM AKDT FRI JUN 19 2015

AKZ101-111-121-145-210100-
ANCHORAGE-MATANUSKA VALLEY-WESTERN KENAI PENINSULA-SUSITNA VALLEY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ANCHORAGE...EAGLE RIVER...INDIAN...
EKLUTNA...PALMER...WASILLA...SUTTON...CHICKALOON...KENAI...
SOLDOTNA...HOMER...COOPER LANDING...TALKEETNA...WILLOW...CANTWELL
452 PM AKDT FRI JUN 19 2015

...SMOKY SOLSTICE WEEKEND...

YOU MIGHT WANT TO CLOSE YOUR WINDOWS TONIGHT BEFORE YOU GO TO
SLEEP AS SMOKE IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD NORTH FROM THE CARD STREET
FIRE ALONG THE NORTHERN KENAI.

SMOKE IS EXPECTED TO BECOME TRAPPED NEAR THE SURFACE AND BEGIN TO
SPREAD NORTH AROUND MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AND LAST UNTIL MID- MORNING
ON SATURDAY. AREAS MOST IMPACTED WILL BE THE NORTHERN KENAI
PENINSULA...WEST ANCHORAGE...AND POSSIBLY THE SOUTHERN MAT- SU.

SMOKE WILL MOVE BACK IN LATE SATURDAY NIGHT AND BE MORE WIDESPREAD
SUNDAY MORNING. THIS IS DUE TO THE COMBINATION OF WIND AND
TEMPERATURE INVERSION. THE WIND WILL COME FROM A SOUTH TO
SOUTHWESTERLY DIRECTION. THIS WILL DRAW COOLER MARITIME AIR UP
COOK INLET AND TRAP SMOKE PARTICLES UNDER LOW CLOUDS.

SMOKE IN THE MORNING DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN THERE IS A FIRE IN YOUR
NEIGHBORHOOD...OR THAT LOCAL FIRE ACTIVITY HAS INCREASED. THE
ANCHORAGE FORE DEPARTMENT SUGGESTS YOU CHECK FOR A SMOKE COLUMN
AND TRY TO GET A VISUAL CONFIRMATION ON FLAMES BEFORE YOU CALL
911.
http://pafc.arh.noaa.gov/pubfcst.php?fcst=WWAK81PAFC
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #85 on: June 21, 2015, 01:17:01 PM »
Update on the wildfire near Big Bear Lake in California’s San Bernardino National Forest:
California Wildfire Balloons to 16,000 Acres; Thousands Warned of Health Risk of Wildfire Smoke
http://www.weather.com/news/news/san-bernardio-national-forest-california-wildfire

Current U.S. wildfire information site:
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov

This video shows firefighters protecting a house during the Black Forest Fire, and describes what the owners did right to help protect it:
Black Forest Fire video highlights strengths of mitigation and untreated vulnerabilities
http://wildfire.blog.nfpa.org/2013/06/video-footage-highlights-both-the-strengths-of-mitigation-and-the-untreated-vulnerable-areas.html
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #86 on: June 22, 2015, 10:10:28 PM »
Be Thankful, California. At Least You’re Not Puerto Rico.
Quote
Last week, the Puerto Rican government ramped up drinking water rationing for 200,000 users in the San Juan area, permitting households to draw water only every third day. Rainfall deficits have been building up since 2013, drying up rivers and streams at a record-breaking pace. It’s become one of the worst droughts in the island’s history.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/06/22/drought_in_puerto_rico_it_s_much_worse_than_california.html
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

deep octopus

  • Grease ice
  • Posts: 559
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 6
  • Likes Given: 17
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #87 on: June 23, 2015, 05:52:27 PM »
An intense heat wave is going to park in the western US for about two weeks (potentially longer.) Temperatures into the 90s F (32-38 C) for some of the more mountainous/coastal areas of Washington/Oregon/Idaho, and well into the 100s F (38-43 C) in the valley regions where many towns and agricultural areas exist. Not only very hot, but very dry. A certain catalyst for wildfires in this parched area.

jai mitchell

  • Nilas ice
  • Posts: 2357
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 207
  • Likes Given: 60
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #88 on: June 24, 2015, 12:55:31 AM »
An intense heat wave is going to park in the western US for about two weeks (potentially longer.) Temperatures into the 90s F (32-38 C) for some of the more mountainous/coastal areas of Washington/Oregon/Idaho, and well into the 100s F (38-43 C) in the valley regions where many towns and agricultural areas exist. Not only very hot, but very dry. A certain catalyst for wildfires in this parched area.

They are talking about sustained temperatures 26F above the average for the next several weeks (at least!)
Haiku of Futures Passed
My "burning embers"
are not tri-color bar graphs
+3C today

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #89 on: June 24, 2015, 08:39:07 PM »
One-month and three-month NWS temperature outlooks.  (Precipitation charts have "equal chances" above or below normal for the same periods, for Alaska and the U.S. west coast.)
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #90 on: June 24, 2015, 08:45:19 PM »
U.S. drought monitor and outlook.
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #91 on: June 24, 2015, 09:07:51 PM »
Weather.com has a write-up on the approaching heat wave in the northwest U.S. (and Canada).

Quote
Seattle may see highs reach at least the low 90s for several days in a row, starting this weekend. On average, they typically see the 90-degree mark only three days a year.
...
In mid-May, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued a statewide drought emergency, and spring runoff from winter's paltry snowpack was expected to be the least in 64 years.

Seattle has seen only 7 days with measurable rain since May 1, one-third the average number of such days, according to NWS-Seattle. Portland, Oregon, has set a new record June dry streak of 20 straight days through Tuesday, according to NWS-Portland.
http://www.weather.com/forecast/regional/news/record-west-heat-wave-northwest-great-basin-latejun2015
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #92 on: June 30, 2015, 02:21:16 AM »
Quote
@billmckibben: WA State has drought emergency, record temps, and record low snowpack, so 'mind-blowing' wildfire not exactly a shock http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/29/washington-wildfires-wenatchee-disaster-drought
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Laurent

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 2546
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 13
  • Likes Given: 50
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #93 on: July 01, 2015, 08:47:32 AM »
http://1.usa.gov/1KpYY7S

Following the Arctic wild fire post, I tried to get a larger view...ouaou what does that mean ? All that points are fire right now ?

Sigmetnow

  • Multi-year ice
  • Posts: 25754
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1153
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #94 on: July 01, 2015, 05:30:50 PM »
http://1.usa.gov/1KpYY7S

Following the Arctic wild fire post, I tried to get a larger view...ouaou what does that mean ? All that points are fire right now ?

It almost feels that way!

Fires are spreading like crazy in Alaska and scientists are concerned
http://www.businessinsider.com/fires-in-alaska-have-scientists-worried-2015-6
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

deep octopus

  • Grease ice
  • Posts: 559
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 6
  • Likes Given: 17
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #95 on: July 01, 2015, 06:18:05 PM »
Dangerous heatwave is now spanning multiple continents, the result of high pressure ridging that is expanding over western North America, Asia, and Europe.

Today: Up to 103 F in Paris; 102 F in Lille; 98 in Geneva; 93 in Rotterdam; 91 F in Amsterdam

It will reach 107 F in Medford, Oregon today; 108 F on Thursday; and remain in the low 100s F/high 90s F for the foreseeable future. It has already reached 110+ F in parts of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. And it's dry, dry, dry. Absolutely insane.

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=3031

Quote
Unprecedented June Heat on Four Continents; Wimbledon Roasts in Record Heat

Unprecedented June heat scorched portions of four continents during the past week, and many all-time heat records are likely to fall across multiple continents this July as the peak heat of summer arrives for what has been the hottest year in recorded human history. Already on July 1, in Wimbledon, England--site of the classic Wimbledon tennis tournament--players are enduring the city's hottest day in recorded history. The mercury hit 96.3°F (35.7°C) at Kew Gardens, the nearest recording site, topping the previous record of 96.3°F (34.6°C) on June 26, 1976. London's Heathrow Airport has risen to 98.1°F (36.7°C) so far on July 1. This is not only a new all-time July record at that location, but also a July heat record for the UK, topping the previous record of 97.7°F (36.5°C) in Wisley on July 19, 2006.

Tor Bejnar

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 4606
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 879
  • Likes Given: 826
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #96 on: July 01, 2015, 07:40:56 PM »
I enjoy miscalculations getting propagated  ::) 
Quote
96.3°F (34.6°C)
I presume the 34.6°C is correct (from context); the equivalent should be 94.3°F.
Arctic ice is healthy for children and other living things because "we cannot negotiate with the melting point of ice"

deep octopus

  • Grease ice
  • Posts: 559
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 6
  • Likes Given: 17
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #97 on: July 01, 2015, 08:01:03 PM »
Looks like an accidental copy and paste. They've corrected in the blog post! Yes, the previous record there was 94.3 F (or 34.6 C).

Xulonn

  • New ice
  • Posts: 40
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 1
  • Likes Given: 3
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #98 on: July 01, 2015, 08:06:26 PM »
I enjoy miscalculations getting propagated  ::) 
Quote
96.3°F (34.6°C)
I presume the 34.6°C is correct (from context); the equivalent should be 94.3°F.

Good eye, Tor. 

However, Dr. Masters corrected the quote - even before you typed your comment.  He's a "typical" scientist - mistakes are made, pointed out, accepted, and corrected. 

Quote
Thanks, I fixed it to say:

The mercury hit 96.3°F (35.7°C) at Kew Gardens, the nearest recording site, topping the previous record of 94.3°F (34.6°C) on June 26, 1976.

Dr. M.


This is unlike the tactics AGW/WW deniers that infest the blogosphere, where wrongs are seldom corrected - even after nearly half of a century as with the misinterpretation of the "global cooling predictions".)

Tor Bejnar

  • Young ice
  • Posts: 4606
    • View Profile
  • Liked: 879
  • Likes Given: 826
Re: General Drought Stuff
« Reply #99 on: July 01, 2015, 09:58:21 PM »
It wasn't so much the original typo (or whatever caused the error) that I was 'worrying' about [I noted the WU source and then, reading Dr. Master's blog, noted two commenters identifying the error and his 'error corrected' comment], but the quoting of the fairly obvious error.  Sometimes a quote gets quoted multiple times, propagating the typo.

There are many times I've quoted something without checking significant details.  Sometimes I have later checked the details and wished I'd checked first.  (What's the carpenter's rule:  measure twice, cut once.)  An example was my posting about coal seam fires in the "Arctic Fires" thread, only to then read that these fires were near Fairbanks, AK.  (I don't consider Fairbanks to be in 'the Arctic'.)  From Wikipedia:
Quote
Arctic Alaska or Far North Alaska is a region of the U.S. state of Alaska generally referring to the northern areas on or close to the Arctic Ocean.

It commonly includes North Slope Borough, Northwest Arctic Borough, Nome Census Area, and is sometimes taken to include parts of the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area. Some notable towns there include Prudhoe Bay, Barrow, Kotzebue, Nome, and Galena.
Arctic ice is healthy for children and other living things because "we cannot negotiate with the melting point of ice"