Tag: Climate

ESSIC / AOSC Professor Raghu Murtugudde was featured in a recent segment for NBC Nightly News on the relative strength of Typhoon Haiyan vs. that of Huricanne Katrina.  Murtugudde commented that although the total number of yearly storms may not increase, more category 4 and 5 storms are likely. Murtugudde also spoke with WTOP FM 103.5 investigative reporter Nick Iannelli, about the surprisingly quiet 2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season and the possible reasons behind the …

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Maryland's wine industry, while not a powerhouse in the world of vino, has seen tremendous growth over the past decade and the state has the potential to become a major center of wine production in time, experts said.   But to realize that potential, the state has a number of challenges to overcome — competition from better known wine producing states, the perception that Maryland produces low quality wines and the impact of a changing climate on …

Researcher: Antonio Busalacchi Grant Sponsor: NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center Amount: $1,213,968 in additional funding bringing the total to $7,789,484 Grant Study: "Collaborative Earth System Science Research between NASA/GSFC and UMCP"   Researchers: Guojun Gu Grant Sponsor: NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center Amount: $134,799 Grant Study: "Environmental Factors Controlling Cloud Population Distributions in the…

Experts warn that global warming and a rise in carbon dioxide levels could dramatically increase the spread of plants such as poison ivy, while altering the growing season and coverage of other plants species. Poison ivy is an example of a species benefiting from rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and warmer temperatures, which are both ideal for maximizing its growth potential. Since the 1960s, poison ivy growth and its potency have doubled. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture …

ESSIC and NOAA scientists addressed an audience of local media and broadcast meteorologists to discuss how new scientific developments can be applied to severe weather forecasting. ESSIC Director and ConE Chair, Professor Antonio Busalacchi, began the discussion by explaining issues of aging U.S. weather satellites. Based on current predictions, the U.S. stands to retain only a fraction of its current weather-related satellites by the next decade. A decline in observational satellites could …

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay Alumni Association recently named ESSIC/ AOSC Professor Raghu Murtugudde as a contributor to its award winning in-house magazine, Fundamatics. The In-house Communication Excellence Awards (ICE Awards), created by the Shailaja Nair Foundation of Mumbai, India, awarded Fundamatics three excellence awards in the 2013 competition, including Best Magazine Among Educational Institutes, Most Imperative Content and Best Overall Magazine-Gold. Fundamatics …

ESSIC/AOSC Professor Sumant Nigam was recently named the Distinguished Alumnus Award (DAA) recipient of the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) for 2013. Each year IIT Kanpur works with its alumni to honor individuals who have made a mark in their respective fields of expertise. The public engineering institution located in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, considers the DAA as its most significant award granted to alumni, in recognition of their outstanding achievements. The ITTK …

I’ve been a fan of snowstorms since I can remember, probably because I grew up in the Willamette Valley of Oregon where significant snow is a once-per-decade event (at least there was one storm of consequence in the 10 years that I remember).  I moved to Silver Spring in June 1961 and rewarded with consistently snowy winters – the 60s averaged almost 2’ per year at National airport (DCA).  Occasionally we would have a winter without much snow, but it was rare to get two in a row.  Last