Monday, April 30, 2007
A lot hotter. Click on for 24 hour loop.
Two satellite views are missing from the 24 hour loop, 12 AM and 3AM. The satellite shows temperatures over zero in several views, but, that is still high tropospheric heat as the surface reporting stations don't reflect that. But, in comparing the hemispheric satellite from last week to this there are large masses of air moving off the top ice and reflecting higher temperatures there.
The warmest area is:
Reporting time is 7:00 AM DAVT
Davis, Antarctica
Elevation :: 59 ft / 18 m
Temperatures :: 33 °F / 0 °C (The temperature is actually a hair bit warmer than freezing but it is only reflected on the Fahrenheit scale. It has not moved enough to make the temperature 1 degree above zero C.)
Conditions :: Partly Cloudy
Humidity:42%
Dew Point:19 °F / -7 °C
Wind:40 mph / 65 km/h / from the NE
Wind Gust:-
Pressure:29.10 in / 985 hPa (Rising)
Visibility:19.0 miles / 30.0 kilometers
UV:0 out of 16
Aviation
Flight Rule:VFR ()
Wind Speed:40 mph / 65 km/h /
Wind Dir:50° (NE)
Ceiling:100000 ft / 100000 m
The coldest areas are :
Dome C
Reporting time 10:00 GMT
University Wi Id 8904, Antarctica
Elevation :: 10761 ft / 3280 m
Temperature :: -76 °F / -60 °C
Wind :: 2 mph / 4 km/h /
Pressure :: in / hPa (Rising)
Aviation
Flight Rule :: NA
Wind Speed :: 2 mph / 4 km/h /
Wind Dir :: ° ()
Ceiling :: -
Vostok, Antarctica
Reporting time 7:40 AM Vost
Elevation :: 11220 ft / 3420 m
Temperature :: -56 °F / -49 °C
Humidity :: 40%
Dew Point :: -64 °F / -53 °C
Wind :: 8 mph / 13 km/h / from the SSW
Wind Gust :: -
Pressure :: in / hPa (Rising)
Visibility :: 12.0 miles / 20.0 kilometers
Aviation
Flight Rule :: VFR ()
Wind Speed :: 8 mph / 13 km/h /
Wind Dir :: 200° (SSW)
Ceiling :: 100000 ft / 100000 m
Perhaps I'll revisit this tomorrow.
April 30, 2007
2309 gmt
West Pacific Satellite
This is the heat source for the equatorial heat mass that spawned those vortices into Antarctica. There is a heat mass crossing Australia and one north of New Zealand. The heat is building here because of the tropical nature of the islands. There is humidity there. Heat transfer requires clouds. Clouds require air particles and moisture to collect around them. On a dry planet the areas that still generate their own humidity will serve as an engine/conduit for heat transfer. Realizing this may be a pattern, the significance is that this pattern could repeat itself regardless of the sun's migration north. The equatorial islands may be the only area on the planet with enough humidity to generate these heat transfer systems, especially in the southern hemisphere.
May 1, 2007
0033 gmt
Pacific Global Satellite
The vortex approaching the peninsula can be noted at 6:00. There are two others each at 5 and 7:00. The equator is sparse of air masse because the current vortexes approaching Antarctica have broken away from the equator. The equatorial air will build again with each rotation of Earth. Also noted is the vortex now at the west coast of North America.
12 Hour Loop
April 30, 2007
9 PM
Winds of Antarctica
At 11:00 is the movement of frigid air from the continent. At 3 to 4:00 is the arrival of air from the Australian Pacific. The vortex from the Mid-Pacific east of the Indonesian Islands is approaching west of the peninsula. It will arrive within a day or two and cause high temperatures in the area of the ice sheets.
Still notable and larger in area is the southwest stagnation of wind over WAIS (the big blue spot). There is a 'settling' of increased temperatures. Overall the continent reporting stations are below zero C, but, the temperatures are lower than they have been. Vostok is down in the negative fifties.
April 30, 2007
6 PM
Antarctica Jet Stream
The peninsula is at 10 o'clock. It is across from the southern tip of South America. The water mass to the right is the Southern Atlantic. The frigid air from the Blue Ice is noted to be moving off the continent over the South Atlantic just east of the peninsula. Opposite that rush of air off the continent is the approaching vortex over the Pacific with air arriving to the ice continent from warmer origins. The wind patterns also reveal surface air moving in the same direction. It is safe to say the air distrubance in the Pacific is the cause of the change in air temperatures and climate conditions currently over Antarctica.
April 30, 2007
1928 gmt
South Pole Satellite
There is an episodic heat shift over Antarctica. There has been a significant heat build up over the Pacific Islands and Indonesia. As a result there was still enough 'heat' below the equator to spawn a fairly significant vortex, seen in this image at 9:00 to 10:00. I believe this is one episode that will resolve over a few days. The question is, will the West Pacific continue to build these large heat systems.
Georgia Wildfire keeps Florida road closed
April 29, 2007
Jacksonville, Florida
Photographer states :: Headed to Waycross...At about 6pm, the ash had stopped falling, but the sky was dark with smoke
April 30, 2007 18:15 EDT
WAYCROSS, Ga. (AP) -- A combination of high wind gusts and no rain continues to make life miserable for firefighters battling a massive wildfire in southeast Georgia that has blackened 125 square miles over the past two weeks.The 16-mile stretch of Route One between Waycross and Jacksonville, Florida, remains closed. And ash from the fire has blanketed homes, cars and businesses as far away as Orlando, Florida.The Georgia Forestry Commission says 830 firefighters from Georgia and neighboring states are battling the blaze, which is nearly two-thirds contained. But the fire is expected to continue burning at an intense pace for much of the week.It was sparked on April 16th when a tree fell on a power line.
WAYCROSS, Ga. (AP) -- A combination of high wind gusts and no rain continues to make life miserable for firefighters battling a massive wildfire in southeast Georgia that has blackened 125 square miles over the past two weeks.The 16-mile stretch of Route One between Waycross and Jacksonville, Florida, remains closed. And ash from the fire has blanketed homes, cars and businesses as far away as Orlando, Florida.The Georgia Forestry Commission says 830 firefighters from Georgia and neighboring states are battling the blaze, which is nearly two-thirds contained. But the fire is expected to continue burning at an intense pace for much of the week.It was sparked on April 16th when a tree fell on a power line.
United States: Supreme Court Rejects EPA’s Position On CO2
How quickly they forget.
In a landmark decision regarding global warming and greenhouse gas emissions that likely will have significant impact on electricity generation facilities, on April 2, 2007, the United States Supreme Court ruled 5-to-4 against Bush administration efforts to avoid regulating greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles.
In 1999, a group of 19 private organizations (including many environmental groups) petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") to regulate emissions of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide ("CO2"), under the mobile source provisions of the federal Clean Air Act ("CAA"). EPA denied the petition and concluded that the CAA did not authorize the agency to issue mandatory regulations to address global climate change issues and – even if it had the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions – the agency stated it would be unwise to do so at that time because a causal link between greenhouse gas emissions and purported global climate change had not unequivocally been established.
These private organizations – joined by the State of Massachusetts and other state and local governments – appealed EPA’s decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The D.C. Circuit affirmed the EPA’s decision to avoid regulating greenhouse gas emissions.
In a strong rebuke to the EPA, the sharply-divided Supreme Court held that greenhouse gases fall well within the CAA’s definition of air pollutants and held that EPA has the statutory authority to regulate emissions of such gases from new motor vehicles. The Court further held that EPA’s decision that it was unable to regulate greenhouse gases is contrary to the CAA. The Court stated that EPA’s ultimate decision to regulate greenhouse gases must relate to whether such gases cause or contribute to air pollution that might reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare.
The Court stated that, under the clear terms of the CAA, EPA can avoid taking further action regarding greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles only if it determines that greenhouse gases do not contribute to climate change or if the agency provides some reasonable explanation as to why it cannot or will not exercise its discretion to determine whether such gases do contribute to climate change. The Court found that EPA’s "laundry list" of reasons not to regulate had nothing to do with whether greenhouse gas emissions contributed to climate change and, further, if the scientific uncertainty of that causal effect is so profound that it precludes EPA from making a reasoned judgment, EPA must state so affirmatively.
In a landmark decision regarding global warming and greenhouse gas emissions that likely will have significant impact on electricity generation facilities, on April 2, 2007, the United States Supreme Court ruled 5-to-4 against Bush administration efforts to avoid regulating greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles.
In 1999, a group of 19 private organizations (including many environmental groups) petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") to regulate emissions of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide ("CO2"), under the mobile source provisions of the federal Clean Air Act ("CAA"). EPA denied the petition and concluded that the CAA did not authorize the agency to issue mandatory regulations to address global climate change issues and – even if it had the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions – the agency stated it would be unwise to do so at that time because a causal link between greenhouse gas emissions and purported global climate change had not unequivocally been established.
These private organizations – joined by the State of Massachusetts and other state and local governments – appealed EPA’s decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The D.C. Circuit affirmed the EPA’s decision to avoid regulating greenhouse gas emissions.
In a strong rebuke to the EPA, the sharply-divided Supreme Court held that greenhouse gases fall well within the CAA’s definition of air pollutants and held that EPA has the statutory authority to regulate emissions of such gases from new motor vehicles. The Court further held that EPA’s decision that it was unable to regulate greenhouse gases is contrary to the CAA. The Court stated that EPA’s ultimate decision to regulate greenhouse gases must relate to whether such gases cause or contribute to air pollution that might reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare.
The Court stated that, under the clear terms of the CAA, EPA can avoid taking further action regarding greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles only if it determines that greenhouse gases do not contribute to climate change or if the agency provides some reasonable explanation as to why it cannot or will not exercise its discretion to determine whether such gases do contribute to climate change. The Court found that EPA’s "laundry list" of reasons not to regulate had nothing to do with whether greenhouse gas emissions contributed to climate change and, further, if the scientific uncertainty of that causal effect is so profound that it precludes EPA from making a reasoned judgment, EPA must state so affirmatively.
Day after tomorrow
April 30, 2007
22:53:55 gmt
This is the view looking northwest from Glacier Bay toward Canada. Well, no one said there would be snow, ice and glaciers from any view of Glacier Bay National Park, did they? That is something fairy tales are made of. Don't tell the kids but their chance of seeing real glaciers at their national park is long since gone !
U.S., China oppose climate report - JOKING !
April 30, 2007
22:57:35 gmt (Alaska is about 10 hours behind GMT) So that is about 2:00 PM in the afternoon. This is a current picture from Glacier Bay looking southeast toward the lower 48 states.
The weather at Glacial Bay National Park (Crystal Wind Chime) is freezing ????????
Elevation :: 33 ft / 10 m
Temperature :: 50 °F / 10 °C
Conditions :: Mostly Cloudy
Humidity :: 47%
Dew Point :: 30 °F / -1 °C
Wind :: 12 mph / 18 km/h / 5.1 m/s from the SSE
Pressure :: 29.97 in / 1015 hPa (Falling)
Windchill :: 46 °F / 8 °C
Visibility :: 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers
UV :: 3 out of 16
Clouds :: Mostly Cloudy 8000 ft / 2438 m
(Above Ground Level)
Aviation
Flight Rule:
VFR (PAGS)
Wind Speed :: 12 mph / 18 km/h / 5.1 m/s
Wind Dir :: 150° (SSE)
Ceiling :: 8000 ft / 2438 m
Temperature :: 50 °F / 10 °C
Conditions :: Mostly Cloudy
Humidity :: 47%
Dew Point :: 30 °F / -1 °C
Wind :: 12 mph / 18 km/h / 5.1 m/s from the SSE
Pressure :: 29.97 in / 1015 hPa (Falling)
Windchill :: 46 °F / 8 °C
Visibility :: 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers
UV :: 3 out of 16
Clouds :: Mostly Cloudy 8000 ft / 2438 m
(Above Ground Level)
Aviation
Flight Rule:
VFR (PAGS)
Wind Speed :: 12 mph / 18 km/h / 5.1 m/s
Wind Dir :: 150° (SSE)
Ceiling :: 8000 ft / 2438 m
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)