Monthly Archives: July 2013
Global Seasonal Outlook (August – October 2013)
The data for the global temperature and precipitation outlooks are provided by the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI). The IRI was established as a cooperative agreement between NOAA’s Climate Program Office and Columbia University. It is part of The Earth Institute, Columbia University. The data for these maps are constructed primarily from several climate models, with some minor tweaks by climatologists. Continue reading
June 2013 Climate Digest
Each month, we will provide information regarding the previous month’s climate. Overall, preliminary data analysis suggests that June 2013 was the 5th warmest on record, tied with 2006 (since 1880). Major stories include drought in the United States, Tropical Storm Andrea, and the continued absence of El Niño or La Niña. Continue reading
Causes and Effects of Tropical Widening
With the help of satellite data, scientists studying the Tropics and other climate zones have been tracking changes over time. Here the Tropics is highlighted in orange. Recent studies show the Tropical zone is expanding toward the poles. Why do we care if the Tropics expands? This widening spreads Tropical diseases to new places and drought to the Subtropics, where much of the world’s population lives. Continue reading
