When we see records being broken and unprecedented events such as this, the onus is on those who deny any connection to climate change to prove their case. Global warming has fundamentally altered the background conditions that give rise to all weather. In the strictest sense, all weather is now connected to climate change. Kevin Trenberth
HIT THE PAGE DOWN KEY TO SEE THE POSTS
Now at 8,800+ articles. HIT THE PAGE DOWN KEY TO SEE THE POSTS
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
1st Contender for Scariest Animation: Northern Hemisphere Atmospheric Water Vapor Circulation
Tenney, could you unpack this a little? There's a lot going on here, and I don't know enough about world weather systems to see what you're specifically pointing at. The two things I would be most concerned about would be equatorial drought and cyclonic storms in the arctic; is that what this is suggesting?
OK, as long as this pattern of circulation continues, hot air is being driven into the Arctic, melting back the sea ice (Kara Sea ice pretty much gone) at a time when normally that ice is growing.
Also, note that the water vapor that usually travels across the Atlantic into the Amazon is being sucked back across the Atlantic and going north.
All this warm water vapor is pushing out the cold Arctic air and further warming the Arctic.
The water vapor that would normally go to the Amazon and thence to the south is being sucked out, causing drought in the south.
So, what I see is more warm air going north that should have gone south, creating an imbalance between the two hemispheres. In fact, the Antarctic is showing negative temperature anomalies in a big way.
Probability of an Arctic polar cloud cover surrounded by clear sky essentially circling the Earth followed by cloud cover again closer to the equator happening if it wasn't in response to human induced greenhouse gas releases seems like it should next to zero. The idea S pole is going negative and N heat anomaly is increasing is hard to visualize. Perhaps more like a tug of war but N has Methane gas.
Tenney, could you unpack this a little? There's a lot going on here, and I don't know enough about world weather systems to see what you're specifically pointing at. The two things I would be most concerned about would be equatorial drought and cyclonic storms in the arctic; is that what this is suggesting?
ReplyDeletethat frozen moment is indeed wild and weird. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOK, as long as this pattern of circulation continues, hot air is being driven into the Arctic, melting back the sea ice (Kara Sea ice pretty much gone) at a time when normally that ice is growing.
ReplyDeleteAlso, note that the water vapor that usually travels across the Atlantic into the Amazon is being sucked back across the Atlantic and going north.
All this warm water vapor is pushing out the cold Arctic air and further warming the Arctic.
The water vapor that would normally go to the Amazon and thence to the south is being sucked out, causing drought in the south.
So, what I see is more warm air going north that should have gone south, creating an imbalance between the two hemispheres. In fact, the Antarctic is showing negative temperature anomalies in a big way.
Probability of an Arctic polar cloud cover surrounded by clear sky essentially circling the Earth followed by cloud cover again closer to the equator happening if it wasn't in response to human induced greenhouse gas releases seems like it should next to zero.
ReplyDeleteThe idea S pole is going negative and N heat anomaly is increasing is hard to visualize. Perhaps more like a tug of war but N has Methane gas.
Hi Dale, thanks for commenting.
ReplyDeleteYou can see the temperature anomalies here: http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/map/images/fnl/sfctmpmer_01a_30frames.fnl.anim.html