Author: Travis Swaim

Higher temperatures in the springtime could prompt larger, more devastating fires in Canada’s boreal forests, a study finds. The region, which stretches across northern Canada, could be at risk if the change follows a similar climate scenario that happened more than 3,000 years ago, researchers concluded in a study published yesterday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers used sedimentary charcoal records from lakes around the North American boreal forests …

Mathew Biddle has compiled an Arctic regional climatology. The Arctic Ocean is an area of intense activity both for environmental and commercial interests. To facilitate study of the region a new set of high-resolution long-term mean surface/subsurface temperature and salinity fields was created. These mean fields incorporate a great deal of data not previously available. To view Biddle’s work, visit here….

Leading urban planners, academics and government scientists are warning that the idea of a stormproof NYC is being swept away by society's attempt to return to normalcy after Superstorm Sandy.  The storm caused tens of billions of dollars of damage to property and killed 100 people.

Experts are also saying that avoiding focus on the Northeastern United States' vulnerability to rising sea levels will lead to further massive infrastructure collapse and even more deaths as more catastrophic

Of all the words used to describe Californian Russ George over the past decade, most scientists would probably agree on one in job description in particular: “rogue geoengineer.”

Bashed worldwide as a “climate hacker,” self-proclaimed entrepreneur and businessman Russ George is a man with a vision.

It all started in 2007 when George founded Planktos, a company aimed to “restore damaged habitats” through altering plankton ecosystems and reforestation.

One of the company’s first projects

On November 12, in Tokyo, Dr. Robert Adler spoke at the “Water for Life: Symposium on the Role of Space Data” in Tokyo. In his speech, titled “Global Flood and Landslide Estimation Using Satellite Rainfall Information,” Adler spoke about his work with precipitation observations using the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite. Better known as TRMM, the event was held by both NASA and the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA). The symposium was both a review and celebration of the satellite’s …

Dr. Raghu Murtugudde was appointed to several new positions with climate institutions this past November. First, Murtugudde was appointed as a member of the Research Advisory Council of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM). The institute’s web-site vision statement states that its aim is to “create a world centre of excellence in basic research on the ocean-atmosphere climate system required for improvement of Weather and Climate Forecasts” Murtugudde was also appointed to …

According to a report by the Interdisciplinary Center on Climate Change at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, less than half of the existing ski resorts operating within the Northeast United States will be economically viable within 30 years, if average temperatures were to rise 2.5 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit.

The US ski industry faced its worst season in history last year, with skier visits down 20 percent. The industry “faced the heat” due to average snowfall declines of 50 percent, with

Dr. Maria Tzortziou co-authored an article detailing the Chesapeake Modeling Symposium for the September/October edition of the of the NASA Earth Observer publication “Chesapeake Modeling Symposium 2012 – Interfacing Between Modeling, Management, and the Public: TMDLs, Politics, Litigation, and Conflicting Stakeholder Interests”. The article gives an overview of the plenary talks, the panel discussion, and a summary of the special sessions. A longer version of the article can be downloaded …

ESSIC Director Antonio Busalacchi was featured in a new report by AlJazeera News on Researching Climate Change in the United States. Busalacchi discussed the impact of the earth's warming temperatures coupled with the increase in notable climate events. "There's no doubt about the background claim that around the world it's warming," said Busalacchi. "On top of that warming trend, we're going to have extreme events, and the two are actually conflated …

On Tuesday December 4, ESSIC Director / ConE Chair Professor Antonio Busalacchi of will speak on the impact of Climate Change on the Chesapeake region at a luncheon hosted by the Chesapeake Project Faculty Learning Community (CPFLC).  RSVP is required since space and food are limited. The CPFLC encourages all UMD faculty to find unique ways of integrating sustainability across the curriculum.  The event will lead into a discussion forum to allow those present to voice their thoughts and …