Category: Archive

Guten Tag! On Friday, October 7th, ESSIC faculty and staff will again find themselves transported to a “virtual Munich.” In the spirit of the famous 16-day Bavarian autumnal festival,  the Center will host its 5th-annual Oktoberfest-themed TGIF, featuring soft-pretzels, bratwurst, and a special “beverage” in the Märzen style of the season. (Note: As always, food and drink are generally consumed quickly: Provisions have been made to accommodate a larger volume of revelers, but prompt …

Manisha Ganeshan, an AOSC  PhD student advised by ESSIC / AOSC Professor Dr. Raghu Murugudde, recently defended her thesis entitled, “The role of negative buoyancy and urbanization in warm season precipitation processes over the US.” Ganeshan plans on perforning her post-doctoral work at the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research (GESTAR)….

On the first day of October 2013, the U.S. federal government suspended a large percentage of its operations for the first time in 17 years. Many individuals and agencies have been impacted by the shutdown, including those working in scientific research. Current reports suggest that as much as 55 percent of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) workforce have been sent home without pay. Although some operational weather forecasters will continue to work, much of the long term …

Yes, I confess I was cranky on that Thursday morning.

Maybe it was the infusion of coffee too early in the day, maybe it was that I had not slept too well (jetlag gets me every time, no matter how hard I try to avoid its effects), maybe I was bored, or maybe I was just having one of those days in that my patience was running short. I cannot really tell; but I kept looking at the six people sitting at the podium table (the panelists) while also looking impatiently at the clock in the room,

The nation of Iran is highly vulnerable to the effects of worldwide climate change, due largely to its geographical situation, Dr. Mohammad Soltanieh of the Sharif University of Technology in Tehran said Monday at an ESSIC seminar highlighting climate change in Iran under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). However, the country has made progress in identifying areas where it may be able to adapt, and is looking to the future with an eye toward positive …

Fall foliage is the newest item on the list of concerns about global warming’s impact on the environment, according to a recent article published by NBC News. Warmer temperatures impact foliage by dulling hues, shortening the season and creating a welcoming environment for invasive species. The foliage industry brings in about $25 billion in revenue for states nationwide. A study from Harvard Forest conducted over the course of 23 years, concluded that foliage now turns color later on average …

NBC4 Meteorologists Doug Kammerer and Amelia Segal will be the featured speakers at a special University of Maryland Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC) seminar series event on Thursday, October 17, 2013. Kammerer and Segal who particapated in ESSIC’s severe weather workshop this past July, will present a talk entitled “Television Meteorology and the impact of Social Media,” which highlights the effects of social media on the dissemination and accessibility of …

ESSIC recently hosted a unique research workshop for AOSC grad and undergrad students at its University of Maryland Research Park (M-Square) location. Adam Greeley, president of MetoGrads, a University of Maryland graduate student organization focused around the field of meteorology, organized the event. The workshop was conceived to help build connections between science organizations and students. Four speakers from the UMD Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, the NOAA Center for …

ESSIC Director/AOSC Professor Antonio Busalacchi was once again featured for his expertise in the effects of climate change on the wine industries of the world, this time in The Guardian. The article focused primarily on the wine growing regions of France, and what climate change means for their wine-reliant economy. Since grapevines produce grapes for wine production for about 25-50 years, growers need to consider the long-term effects of global climate change on their region, Busalacchi …