The Clouds Are Changing

Eight years ago, I wrote about the uncertainty surrounding how clouds might impact climate change: Higher temperatures and warmer ocean water will increase evaporation, which should result in more clouds. But clouds have two opposite effects. Because they consist of water vapor—a potent greenhouse gas—high, thin clouds trap the sun’s Read more…

Superstorms

We recently witnessed the death, destruction, and devastation caused by two hurricanes, Helene and Milton. Before that we had Hurricane Beryl, the earliest Category 5 hurricane in history with winds of 165 mph. The five years from 2017 to 2021 saw more Category 4 and 5 hurricanes make landfall on Read more…

Hurricane Helene

Hurricanes form over oceans and are fed by warm water, enabling them to intensify. When they come ashore, they weaken. Almost four years ago I wrote about how climate change helps hurricanes last longer once they leave their oceanic incubator. Hurricane Helene is a perfect example. Helene made landfall near Read more…

Orange Rivers

The Brooks Range is a sparsely populated mountain range located north of the Arctic Circle in northern Alaska and northwestern Canada. Named for geologist Alfred Hulse Brooks in 1925, these mountains stretch about 700 miles from west to east. The rugged Dalton Highway, which runs from near Fairbanks to Deadhorse Read more…