On Tornadoes and Climate
The Joplin twister, which a GOES satellite observed on May 23, has promoted many people to wonder if climate change has fueled the recent spree of storms. The answer: possibly La Nina (Reuters), no (Agence France-Presse), and not likely (Climate Central).
Should We Use Levees to Build in Floodplains?
The swollen Mississippi raises an old question with no easy answers. (Highly Allochthonous)
Can NYC Adapt to Rising Seas? As sea level rises, urban areas near the coast like New York City will undergo more frequent and intense episodic flooding following major storms, as well as permanent inundation of some low-lying areas. (Goddard Institute for Space Studies)
Keep Away From the Woods
Satellites spot illegal logging in remote Paraguayan forest where indigenous tribes have minimal contact with the outside world. (Wired)
Déjà vu as Russia Burns
An event reminiscent of last summer’s devastating wildfires, Russia is coping with hundreds of wildfires in Siberia. (What on Earth)
Here Comes the Smoke
A huge swath of smoke from Mexican wildfires has crossed the border and is moving toward Oklahoma. (SmogBlog)
A Hot and Wet Future?
The future will be hot, at least, hotter than the present. But temperature isn’t the only thing that will change with global warming — so will the water cycle. (Open Mind)
Welcome to Earth Matters, the news and notes blog of Earth Observatory. And welcome to an ongoing conversation about our amazing planet.
Earth Matters will be composed by the science writers, data visualizers, and web developers of Earth Observatory and of NASA’s Earth Science News Team. We are former journalists and scientists, communications majors and science majors, news hounds and would-be poets…all who work with NASA-funded scientists to share what they see and learn.
In this blog, we will discuss what we see–and cannot see–from NASA’s perch above the Earth. We’ll try to answer your questions, share what we are reading and viewing, and update you on Earth news and events that might not show up in your local media. We will share some thoughts on our editorial decision-making; why did we or didn’t we cover that story. We’ll follow up on past stories that have new relevance.
This blog should also be composed by you. What do you want to see? What do you think about what you see? What’s interesting about your corner of the world?
Earth is an amazing planet, and the one that matters most to us. We love watching it in all of its beauty and fury, its texture and color, its history and its future. Let’s have a conversation about it.