Cyclone 'Nada' to make landfall tomorrow; Tamil Nadu, Puducherry on alert

Tropical cyclone 'Nada' is forecast to make landfall on the southern coast of India, on early December 1CHENNAI: Cyclonic storm named 'Nada', likely to make landfall along coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the morning of December 2, has revived memories of the calamitous floods that the state endured due to unprecedented rain 12 months ago.


On Wednesday morning, the Met office said, the system, which formed over the southwest Bay of Bengal, was 730km east southeast of Puducherry. The cyclone is likely to cross the Tamil Nadu coast - between Vedaranyam and Puducherry - early on December 2 morning, IMD, Chennai, cyclone warning director S Balachandransaid.
"Chennai and coastal districts of Tamil Nadu will receive rain from Thursday morning," he said.

Light to moderate rainfall will accompany the cyclone's approach along the TN and Puducherry coasts on Thursday, with wind speeds ranging between 50km- ph and 80kmph. Squally winds and showers are likely to damage temporary structures and thatched huts and cause minor damage to power and communication lines, an IMD bulletin said. 
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Cyclone-Nada-to-make-landfall-tomorrow-Tamil-Nadu-Puducherry-on-alert/articleshow/55716513.cms

Unusual Weather Patterns: Mini-Ice Age / Arctic Vortex / Temps Plunging!

Solar minimum is the period of least solar activity in the 11 year solar cycle of the sun. During this time, sunspot and solar flare activity diminishes, and often does not occur for days at a time. The date of the minimum is described by a smoothed average over 12 months of sunspot activity, so identifying the date of the solar minimum usually can only happen 6 months after the minimum takes place. Solar minima are not generally correlated with changes in climate but recent studies have shown a correlation with regional weather patterns.

Solar minimum is contrasted with the solar maximum, where there may be hundreds of sunspots.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_minimum

https://youtu.be/oZAgtUUdB2c

With the new solar minimum upon our planet, think about prosperity and thriving with your communities during this next 30 years. Life will change for billions of people on our planet.

Adapt 2030 brings you barely reported cold weather events across our planet so you can prepare for this new cold era and keep abreast of food prices and solutions for our new era of existence.

http://beforeitsnews.com/weather/2016/12/unusual-weather-patterns-mini-ice-age-arctic-vortex-temps-plunging-2445667.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter# 

Sydney weather: City and western suburbs set to sizzle in two-day heatwave

RESIDENTS in the Hunter Valley are being told it’s too late to leave as a large bushfire threatens homes near Cessnock.

There are two separate fires burning near the town of Abermain with fire fighters from both the Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW battling the two blazes.

The RFS has advised that residents in the areas of Forbes Street, Charles Street, York Street, Ridley Street, Albury Street, Carrs Road, Coolibah Road, Banksia Road, Acacia Road and Waratah Close should remain in place and take advice from firefighters on the ground.

Maitland Road is currently closed in both directions.

One resident said there was a lot of smoke in the area and that the fire was coming ‘scarily’ close to homes.

She said her partner’s grandmother lived directly across the road from where the fire was burning.

“We were able to get her out of there earlier, thankfully,” she said.

“It is a little bit scary as the fire is coming pretty close to homes and people are stuck by the closed roads.”

Sydneysiders escape the heatwave at Bondi Beach

Earlier, hundreds of commuters were forced off trains and packed onto a platform ‘like sardines’ at Redfern when signals at Central station failed for more than 30 minutes during Sydney’s extreme lunch hour heat.

The failure came as temperatures soared into the high 30s, with Penrith expected to hit a scorching 39C and the city heading for a top of 36C.

About 30 trains were affected by the signal failure between 12.20pm and 12.55pm, the Transport Management Centre said.

One passenger told The Daily Telegraph she was concerned for more vulnerable passengers who had to endure the scorching heat.

“We were told to get off the train at Redfern and it was absolutely sweltering. I felt sorry for the older people, there were loads of people with suitcases too carrying stuff up the stairs,” the passenger said.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/sydney-weather-city-and-western-suburbs-set-to-sizzle-in-twoday-heatwave/news-story/4b8a1cd0734da79a8dd5100dd3530ae7

Farmers Narrowly Dodge Environmental Storm

Waiting until soil temperature drops and stays below 50°F is crucial to safely apply fall anhydrous ammonia. It’s also critical to use the correct nitrogen stabilizer.

Narrow escape only emphasizes the importance of sound nitrogen management

Now would be a good time to thank Mother Nature. She saved many farmers from an environmental black eye by preventing what could have been a perfect storm of nitrogen pollution this past spring.

Next time we might not be so fortunate, warns Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie. The perfect storm that wasn’t shows how critical it is for farmers to be the best possible nitrogen stewards.

“The dangerous situation was caused by unusual weather from October 2015 through June 2016,” Ferrie explains. “Those conditions made it harder for some nitrogen inhibitors to do their job of holding nitrogen in the stable ammonium form. If ammonium converts to nitrate, it can move from fields to water supplies.”

Nitrate levels of 10 ppm or more in drinking water are hazardous for pregnant women and young children.
Here’s what happened: By the end of October 2015, many acres in the Midwest were abnormally dry or suffering moderate drought, according to the drought monitor maintained by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USDA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Then soil temperatures refused to follow the usual pattern, such as 2014, of dropping below 50°F and staying there. “It was Nov. 22 before soil temperatures fell below 50°F in many areas,” Ferrie says. “By Nov. 26, they rose back up above 55°F. They continued to move up and down across that line until Dec. 27, when they finally stayed below 50°F.”

When soil temperature falls below 50°F and stays there it’s safe to apply anhydrous ammonia. At higher temperatures, soil microorganisms remain active and convert the stable ammonium form to nitrate, which can be leached out by water.

When soil temperatures reached 50°F, some farmers began to apply nitrogen. “No one anticipated soil temperatures above 50°F would return in November and December,” Ferrie says.

Responding to the warm soil temperature, microbes began converting the fall-applied ammonium into nitrate. The industrious microscopic creatures didn’t stop there—they also broke down and converted naturally-occurring organic nitrogen, which had been stored in the soil, into nitrate.

“Even fields where no nitrogen fertilizer had been applied showed an uptick in nitrate levels,” Ferrie says. “As we analyzed soil in various fields, we often found 7 ppm to 10 ppm nitrate levels in fields following either corn or soybeans.”

http://www.agweb.com/article/farmers-narrowly-dodge-environmental-storm-naa-darrell-smith/

Arctic sea ice hits record monthly low for 7th time in 2016

Scientists say Arctic sea ice was at its lowest level for November by far

By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Though this is when the Arctic is supposed to be refreezing, scientists say sea ice there hit record low levels for November. In the crucial Barents Sea, the amount of floating ice decreased when it would be expected to grow.

Arctic sea ice extended for 3.5 million square miles (9.1 million square kilometers). That's 309,000 square miles (800,000 square kilometers) below the record set in 2006 — a difference larger than state of Texas. The National Snow and Ice Data Center says it was the seventh month this year to set a record low.

"There's crazy stuff going on up there. It's bad," said Rutgers University marine scientist Jennifer Francis.

The data center calculated that ice in the Barents Sea, just outside Norway, shrank by 19,300 square miles (50,000 square kilometers) during what is supposed to be a cold month, but wasn't. That area is important because recent research links sea ice there to changes in extreme weather in lower latitudes, though scientists have not come to a consensus on that link yet.

"Almost certainly there will be unusual weather events this winter," Francis said.

The sea ice reached levels not seen since satellites started to monitor the region in 1979. Some Arctic air was 18 degrees warmer (10 degrees Celsius) than normal and seawater was 7 degrees (4 degrees Celsius) above normal, preventing sea ice from forming. Data center scientist Julienne Stroeve blamed natural weather patterns and man-made global warming.

http://www.usnews.com/news/news/articles/2016-12-06/arctic-sea-ice-hits-record-monthly-low-for-7th-time-in-2016

Record warm weather in November may be factor in late egg-laying

Winnipeg goose lays eggs so late, she may have set — or laid — a record

 

Provincial Game Bird Manager Frank Baldwin and a biologist with Canadian Wildlife Service were alerted to the nest located near Route 90 last weekend. (Frank Baldwin)

Spring was still in the air for one Canada goose that remained in Winnipeg to tend to a nest of eggs, while her pals were flying south. —

It could be the latest egg-laying on record for a goose in Canada.

Provincial Game Bird Manager Frank Baldwin and a biologist with Canadian Wildlife Service were alerted to the nest located near Route 90, last weekend. The two were surprised when they discovered the adult female, along with a nest of five intact eggs. He said the birds usually nest in April and early May. 

Provincial Game Bird Manager Frank Baldwin said Canada geese normally nest in April and early May (Frank Baldwin)

"This really caught our attention because it's you know four to five months sort of out of sync with when these birds are normally nesting," said Baldwin. 

Baldwin said typically the bulk of Canada geese will begin their migration by mid November. He said due to weather, the decision was made to obtain a permit from the federal government to remove the eggs in an effort to encourage the bird to migrate. 

"We thought that the chances of those eggs actually being viable was very low," said Baldwin. "With the weather and the storm that was forecast, we thought there was a good chance that she might get stuck here if she had an intact nest bowl."

Baldwin said after further investigation one egg had an embryo and would have hatched. After speaking with experts he said it appears that the discovery is unprecedented. 

"It's just really an uncommon thing to have a winter, a December goose nest," said Baldwin. "It's so uncommon that we've done some reviews in the literature, spoken to biologists across the United States and we can't find any published account of nesting Canada geese beyond September." 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/goose-december-eggs-winnipeg-1.3890263

DNR: Mallards abundant for WV’s winter waterfowl season

Mallards are a staple species for West Virginia’s waterfowl hunters, and state wildlife officials believe there will be plenty of mallards to hunt during the winter segment of the waterfowl season. Credit: Photo courtesy USFWS 

If what Mike Peters has seen is any indication, West Virginia’s duck hunters might enjoy a pretty good winter.

Peters, waterfowl project leader for the state Division of Natural Resources, said he saw higher-than-normal numbers of mallards during the early November segment of the state’s duck season.

“That’s not normal for me,” he added. “I’ve never seen that many local mallards before.”

Peters hunts primarily in the state’s northern counties — Monongalia, Barbour and Marion — but he said he has received similar reports from hunters in other locales.

“I talked to some folks in the Eastern Panhandle who said they saw more mallards, too,” Peters said. “Other hunters I talked to said they saw good numbers of mallards during the [early October] season segment. It looks like mallard numbers are up here in the state.”

Weather during the season’s winter segment almost always determines whether Mountain State waterfowl hunters enjoy good hunting or endure poor hunting. Peters doesn’t expect this winter to be any different.

“If we have a mild winter like we did last year, we could have some pretty good hunting,” he said. “Last year, at least in [the northern] part of the state, we got a lot of ducks that came down from the north and just stuck around all winter. We had pretty good numbers of black ducks and mallards for the entire season.”

Peters said a severe cold snap in the Great Lakes region also could result in pretty good hunting, but only if the weather in West Virginia stays relatively mild.

“Ducks always come in when lakes and rivers to the north of the state freeze over,” he explained. “They’re looking for open water. As long as we don’t have a freeze-up here, the ducks will stay. But if our waters start to freeze over, those birds will move out and head farther south.”

The season’s winter segment, which will open on Dec. 14, arguably provides more variety for hunters than either of the season’s two earlier segments. The early portion of the season mainly features wood ducks and mallards, with a sprinkling of teal. The middle segment features mallards and black ducks along with some gadwall and widgeon.

Under the right weather conditions, winter-segment hunters could see just about anything. The mallards and black ducks usually still are around, along with gadwall and widgeon. But during really cold weather, Peters said species not usually seen in the Mountain State begin to show up.

“That’s when the diving ducks start coming down — canvasbacks, redheads, greater and lesser scaup, buffleheads and goldeneyes,” he explained.

Finding open, unfrozen water is a key to successful wintertime hunting. In warm or moderate winters, that’s not usually a problem. During severe cold snaps it can become difficult. But even during the worst freeze-ups, Peters said die-hard waterfowl hunters always have the state’s major rivers to fall back on.

“It would be really unusual to have the Ohio or Kanawha freeze over,” he said. “Even during the coldest winters, Ohio River hunters couldn’t care less. It would take an awful lot for the Ohio to freeze.”

The winter segment of the waterfowl season will end on Jan. 28. Legal shooting hours for ducks and geese are from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. In addition to their West Virginia licenses, all hunters must purchase a federal waterfowl stamp and must obtain and carry a free Harvest Information Program card.

- See more at: http://www.wvgazettemail.com/outdoors/20161210/dnr-mallards-abundant-for-wvs-winter-waterfowl-season#sthash.8dF2roSo.dpuf

Raw: Severe Weather Hits Great Lakes Region

https://youtu.be/WJWHCWigzi4

The National Weather Service issued lake effect snow warnings across much of northeast Ohio Saturday as cold air streams across the Great Lakes. Similar conditions are forecast for parts of the upper Midwest and the Northeast. (Dec. 10)

http://www.oleantimesherald.com/raw-severe-weather-hits-great-lakes-region/youtube_ce6ccd70-7b86-5e1c-b3bb-c764732b0e38.html

Climate change could be driving the seabird to starvation, amid reports of mass puffin die-offs worldwide in recent years.

S.J. KRASEMANN/GETTY IMAGES

Two horned puffins perch on Alaska’s St. Paul island. Hundreds of puffins have washed up dead on the island’s rocky shores.

The puffins were not supposed to be there. Though the birds are a common sight on the Alaskan island of St. Paul, they typically fly the coop before October, heading south to overwinter.

But a few bedraggled birds had been discovered on the wind-swept, rocky shoreline of the North Pacific island during the first week of October. “It was odd because we don’t usually see them here this time of year,” said Aaron Lestenkof, who monitors the local environment as one of St. Paul’s island sentinels. 

Stranger still, the puffins didn’t startle and move away when people approached them. Some fell over onto their bellies, too weak to waddle.

Local conservationists began investigating the cause of the orange-beaked birds’ incapacity. Then their probe took a grim turn.

“By mid-October the dead ones started showing up,” Lestenkof told The Huffington Post over email last week.

“The first week collecting birds, I went out every day and was picking up a carcass every 15 feet in some areas.” 

Lestenkof had collected dozens of dead puffins within days, the lifelong resident of the island said.

“In past years, we would find about two or three dead puffins in a season, which was fairly common,” said Paul Melovidov, another sentinel who has spent weeks combing beaches for puffin carcasses and photographing the finds. “When you have 40 to 50 dead and fully intact puffins arrive on your shore within a week, it’s cause for alarm.”

At least 250 dead puffins have since been found on St. Paul, according to reports.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dead-puffins-st-paul-alaska-climate-change_us_582ea97ce4b099512f823237 

Cayman facing driest year on record

(CNS): The director general of Cayman’s National Weather Service has revealed that 2016 is likely to be the country’s driest year on record. At the end of October statistics for this year showed a deficit of more than 19 inches in the average annual rainfall. “We are looking set to have the driest year in our history, something that has been constant throughout this year, with only January having average or above rainfall,” John Tibbetts told a conference of weather experts in Grenada earlier this month.

Official figures from the National Weather Service indicate that Cayman had just 27.53 inches of rain by the end of October. With average rainfall over the last 30 years suggesting that the country might have expected over 47 inches during these 10 months, the shortfall is significant.

Since the Cayman Islands started keeping records in the 1950’s the driest year to date was 1997, when the weather service measured total rainfall of 35.61 inches, and unless we see a sudden deluge over the rest of November or next month, 2016 will be a record-breaking dry year.

November usually produces around six and a half inches but so far has managed only a fraction of an inch, so the country is almost certain to record its lowest ever annual rainfall.

Tibbetts said that while a weak El Nino or neutral pattern has persisted this year, leading to lower than normal rainfall, it is possible that a weak La Niña may form in the remaining weeks of 2016. This would tend to suppress chances of drought towards the end of the year and during the upcoming dry season. At the same time, such a change may also tilt the odds towards increased flash floods and long-term flooding potential in countries which are prone to such things.

At the meeting of Caribbean Meteorological Council (CMO), Tibbetts also spoke about the hurricane season for Cayman.

Delegates focused on a new satellite system in the region that is expected to revolutionise the way that met offices receive data as well as the outcome of the most recent World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) meetings.

Policy matters, such as the Global Framework for Climate Services and priority activities for aeronautical meteorological services, were on the agenda and Tibbetts said the common concerns shared by countries in the Caribbean were also discussed.

“These regional meetings allow us to stay abreast of changes in the WMO, to discuss opportunities for training and equipment, discuss weather impacts on other countries to see how they handled the situation, and how we might improve our own,” he said.

The 16-member CMO coordinates joint scientific activities by national meteorological services, establishes joint technical facilities, provides joint training facilities, and promotes a reliable severe weather warning system to safeguard the region.

https://caymannewsservice.com/2016/11/cayman-facing-driest-year-in-history/ 

A 19th century plague revived in an age of climate change As seas warm, cholera may find the world a bit more hospitable

The aftermath of Hurricane Matthew in Jeremie, Haiti © AFP

A 19th-century plague has descended on Haiti, sending entire communities fleeing since Hurricane Matthew struck in October. Two hundred years ago this same disease rode into China and Afghanistan along trade routes. It incited riots in Russia. It sailed tore through tenements in Paris, London and New York. In following decades it resurfaced in waves until its apparent retreat.  

In Haiti and beyond, cholera is back. Not only is it better adapted to the modern world but its resurgence following the hurricane shows how it may grow stronger as our climate changes.

Untreated, a person stricken with cholera in the morning can die in the afternoon — but a simple and inexpensive treatment can reduce a victim’s chance of death to less than 1 per cent. Yet cholera has been able to kill thousands in Haiti and infect hundreds of thousands more because the poverty and destruction that can spread it impede access to timely treatment. Cholera arrived in Haiti after the devastating earthquake of 2010; Hurricane Matthew has compounded the problem by spreading contaminated water.

The persistence of the disease in Haiti is a tragedy but it is not random. It is part of a larger global pattern of cholera re-emergence. Hurricane Matthew reveals the impact severe weather can have. More subtle environmental changes may have helped it take hold in Haiti in the first place — and may help other diseases thrive worldwide.

https://www.ft.com/content/33e07bdc-a5c4-11e6-8898-79a99e2a4de6

Lack of Tornadoes Continues with Only One Reported in U.S. Since Mid-October

The trend of the low number of tornado reports this year in the U.S. has continued through mid-November.

No tornadoes had developed in the U.S. this month through Nov. 21. In fact, the last tornado that occurred prior to that date was on Oct. 14, when two tornadoes were reported in Oregon.

However, the streak came to an end on Nov. 22 when one tornado was reported nine miles west-northwest of Manhattan Airport in Riley County, Kansas. An airline pilot reported that a weak funnel contacted the ground for less than two miles, but there was no visible debris or damage.

20-year average number of tornadoes in November, compared to the number of tornadoes through Nov. 22, 2016.
(Greg Forbes/ The Weather Channel, NOAA/SPC)

The lack of tornadoes is unusual because this time of year is considered the "second" tornado season.

Record Low Number of Tornadoes Year-to-Date

Dr. Greg Forbes, a severe weather expert at The Weather Channel, has tallied 897 tornadoes so far this year, through Nov. 21. This is about 24 percent below average, or 288 fewer tornadoes, than typically occurs, according to the 20-year average through mid-November.

Only three months in 2016 have experienced an above-average number of tornadoes: February, March and August. August would have also been below average except for an tornado outbreak in Indiana and Ohio.

February was 191 percent above average for tornadoes with 102 confirmed tornadoes compared to the 20-year average of 35. Interestingly, 61 of the 102 tornadoes reported occurred Feb. 23-24 from the South to the mid-Atlantic, making it the second largest outbreak of the year.

May, usually the most active month, had the most tornadoes so far this year. The U.S. experienced 216 tornadoes in May, compared with the average of 276. The largest outbreak of 2016 was May 22-26, with 73 tornadoes.

October saw a total of 20 tornadoes reported, 68 percent lower than average.

https://www.wunderground.com/news/lack-of-tornadoes-through-mid-november-2016 

How record low sea ice could mean a more extreme winter in New England

If you follow science and climate news even a bit closely, you likely have heard that the sea ice in the Arctic region this year has been way below average. It’s so low that even without any sun right now in that region, the ice isn’t expanding. This lower ice coverage itself isn’t new; scientists have noticed for years that the extent and the depth of the ice in the Arctic has been shrinking.

The image below shows the current extent of Arctic ice.  Note how low it is this year.

Arctic sea ice has been hitting monthly lows nearly all of 2016. —National Snow / Ice Data Center

Our reliable data for sea ice only goes back to 1979, which is a relatively short period.  However, the trend is clear, and the ice is shrinking. While of course nearly everyone cares about the planet’s health, many of us might not understand how something like Arctic sea ice can affect the weather in New England.

A few years ago, a research paper about the diminishing sea ice appeared in IOP Science. It was written by Jennifer A. Francis from the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers University and Stephen J. Vavrus with the Center for Climatic Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

As of late October, sea ice was not even close to average across the Arctic. —NSIDC

What was interesting about this paper was how it equated the disappearing ice with changes to the jet stream over the mid-latitude part of the planet—where we all live. The research found that the jet stream has become wavier and parts of it have become stuck in places for longer periods of time.

The reason for this change, it was hypothesized, was as the Arctic warms and there is less of a gradient of temperature between the north and the south, the jet stream weakens and moves in a more erratic way.

While the mechanisms are complicated, the basic premise was this:  As the ice disappears or thins, heat from the oceans, which had been capped by the ice, is allowed to escape into the atmosphere. This leads to warming, a weaker jet stream, and a jet stream that becomes stuck for longer periods of time in one position. That leads to some areas being exceedingly cold, others warm, some dry and some wet—in other words, more extremes. The more wavy the jet stream, the more extreme the weather. The jet stream typically oscillates with some regularity between a flat state or zonal flow and a wavy one or meridional flow.

http://www.boston.com/weather/weather-wisdom/2016/11/23/how-record-low-sea-ice-could-mean-a-more-extreme-winter-here-in-new-england 

Thunderstorm asthma kills 3 in Australia: What is it?

An unusual combination of weather conditions leading to a freak illness known as thunderstorm asthma has left three people dead in Australia.

An unusual combination of weather conditions leading to a freak illness known as thunderstorm asthma has left three people dead in Australia.

Hundreds of people were rushed to hospital Monday with breathing problems in the southern Australian state of Victoria as emergency services struggled to cope.

During a four hour period Monday, Ambulance Victoria received more than 1,900 calls, or one call every four to five seconds. An extra 60 ambulances were deployed, as well as police and firefighters.

Freak incident

Thunderstorm asthma occurs when a storm hits during a period of unusually high rye grass pollen, said Robin Ould, chief executive of the Asthma Foundation of Australia.

“When you have a perfect storm coming together (of) a very high pollen day, high humidity, and a thunderstorm, the grains of rye grass absorb water with the humidity and they break up into thousands of pieces,” Ould said.

“Normally with rye grass the pollen would be trapped by nose hairs. When it breaks up it goes straight to the lungs.”

The pollen irritates the lungs’ bronchial tubes, causing them to become inflamed and filled with mucus and making it hard for people to breathe.

Pollen levels peak in late spring. When this combines with strong winds, rain and high temperatures, as it did in Victoria this week, it can lead to incidents of thunderstorm asthma.

Edward Newbigin, a professor of biosciences at the University of Melbourne, said that many of those affected may never have had an asthma attack before.

“I imagine it was absolutely terrifying,” he said.

Of more than 2,500 people surveyed by the university, 74% said they experienced asthma during the storm. Of those, 32% had never experienced an asthma attack before.

http://fox43.com/2016/11/23/thunderstorm-asthma-kills-3-in-australia-what-is-it/ 

New Weather Instrumentation Promises More Accurate Forecasts and Warnings

The Energetic Heavy Ion Sensor was designed, built and calibrated by University of New Hampshire researchers.

Weather instrumentation developed by researchers at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Space Science Center for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather satellite was launched into space Saturday, November 19, from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Safer Travel with Radiation Detection

The UNH researchers designed, built and calibrated the Energetic Heavy Ion Sensor (EHIS), part of the Space Environmental In-Situ Suite (SEISS) of instruments. The sensors allow scientists to monitor the level of energetic ions, from protons to nickel, over long periods. These ions populate the near-Earth space environments and are the main cause of radiation damage in space, affecting communications, GPS satellites, commercial airlines and spacecraft. In addition to causing mechanical damage, these ions can cause biological harm to pilots and astronauts who spend time in the increased heavy ion environment. By monitoring the levels of radiation, scientists would be able to recommend re-routing planes to reduce long-term radiation exposure to the pilots and crews who tend to fly the same routes day after day.

The Path to More Accurate Weather Predictions

The EHIS is part of advanced technology known as the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R (GOES-R), instrumentation that permits meteorologists to more accurately predict adverse weather conditions.

Described in a press release as “the meteorological equivalent of going from black and white imagery to ultra-high-definition color TV,” the GOES-R satellite can deliver images of severe weather every 30 seconds with four times greater image resolution. The satellite scans the Earth five times faster than previous technology using triple the number of spectral channels. This will improve hurricane tracking and intensity forecasts, as well as the forecasting of tornadoes, thunderstorms, flooding and other severe weather conditions.

The GOES-R instrumentation is NOAA’s biggest satellite advancement to date.

http://electronics360.globalspec.com/article/7720/new-weather-instrumentation-promises-more-accurate-forecasts-and-warnings