Category Archives: Climate Change

Climate Change Part 3. The gases in air

Posted on 08/07/2007 by peggy

The gases in the air important to climate change are called “greenhouse gases.” To understand what a greenhouse gas does, you first have to understand a little about radiation. Not the science-fiction stuff that changes cockroaches into giant monsters that … Continue reading →

Posted in Atmosphere, Carbon, Climate Change, Earth System Science | 5 Comments

What affects Earth’s climate?

Posted on 07/16/2007 by peggy

When I arrived at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, in the 1970s, I started hearing the debate about whether the global climate was getting warmer or cooler. From the “warming” graph in the previous blog, … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Earth System Science | 2 Comments

It is getting warmer!

Posted on 07/05/2007 by peggy

Figure 1 shows how Earth’s average temperature has changed over time from two research groups – one the National Climate Data Center in the United States, and the second from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia … Continue reading →

Posted in Air Temperature, Atmosphere, Climate Change, Earth System Science | 11 Comments

Are there more storms than there used to be?

Posted on 05/11/2007 by peggy

The work of Roger Pielke, Sr., discussed in the last blog, suggests that thunderstorms might be more common than they were 100 years ago. Are they? My first job in science was as a college student. Ten hours a week, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atmosphere, Climate Change, Earth System Science | Leave a comment

Land use and storms

Posted on 05/02/2007 by peggy

Do you ever hear something you just can’t stop thinking about? About ten years ago, I heard a talk by Roger Pielke, Sr., where he compared the weather over northern Texas for two days, 100 years apart. The weather – … Continue reading →

Posted in Atmosphere, Climate Change, Earth System Science, Hydrology, Land Cover | 3 Comments