Dr. Jeff Masters' WunderBlog

Field Notes from a Catastrophe book review

Posted by: Dr. Jeff Masters, 12:43 PM GMT on July 14, 2006

Elizabeth Kolbert is a writer for the New Yorker magazine. A three-part series she wrote for the magazine in 2005 has been converted into a short, well-researched, and very readable book on climate change called, "Field Notes from a Catastrophe" ($15 from amazon.com). The science presented is excellent, and I couldn't find any errors. Kolbert visits leading climate change scientists in the field, spending time in the Arctic, Greenland, Dr. James Hansen's laboratory, and in United Nations climate change meetings. We get to see the science the way these scientists see it, which is a very powerful way to emphasize the major climate changes that are already underway on our planet.

Kolbert delivers a memorable description of a visit to Alaska, where record temperatures have begun melting permafrost that formed at the beginning of the last ice age, 120,000 years ago. She visits the remote island of Sarichef, five miles off the coast of the Seward Peninsula. A subsistence hunting village has existed there for centuries. However, the entire population of 591 must be relocated to the mainland because the island is eroding away. The problem? Lack of the customary sea ice in the fall has allowed storm surges from the powerful storms that hit during that season to push far inland. Kolbert talks to an Inuit hunter named John Keogak, who lives in Canada's Northwest Territories, 500 miles north of the Arctic circle. He and his fellow hunters started seeing robins for the first time a few years ago. The Inuits have no word for the bird in their language. Kolbert travels to "drunken forests" where the trees lean at crazy angles due to the collapse of the permafrost beneath. In one of many of the odd and amusing observations the book is sprinkled with, she writes:

A few blocks beyond the drunken forest, we came to a house where the front yard showed clear signs of ice wedge melt-off. The owner, trying to make the best of things, had turned the yard into a miniature golf course.

As the title implies, this is not a cheerful book, and Kolbert paints a gloomy picture of the how climate change is affecting the planet. I highly recommend the book for those interested in reading about climate change. Three and a half stars.

Jeff Masters

Permafrost Collapse (akalaska)

Climate change is causing rapid coastal erosion in the Arctic. As the permafrost melts, the land falls into the ocean. (Elson Lagoon, Barrow, Alaska)

Coastal Erosion (akalaska)

A scientist is taking high-precision GPS measurements of coastal erosion in the Arctic, due to melting permafrost. The coast is eroding at the rate of 3-12 feet per year.

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201. thelmores 6:52 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
"An impressive circulation just west of Tampa now on the vapor loop moving Westward.Need to watch this circulation also!!" if this ULL you speak of, gets over the trough already in place...... then what! LOL Member Since: September 8, 2005 Posts: 0 Comments: 3748

207. thelmores 6:58 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
"thelmores....It will then be caught in the loop current and an Al Core will form immediately!" Member Since: September 8, 2005 Posts: 0 Comments: 3748

208. Skyepony (Mod) 6:59 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
Credit NOAA Highlights of NOAA's article covering temps. & percip. for the 1st 1/2 of the year. July 14, 2006 � The average temperature for the continental United States from January through June 2006 was the warmest first half of any year since records began in 1895. It was the second warmest June on record for global land- and ocean-surface temperatures since records began in 1880 (1.08 degrees F/0.60 degrees C above the 20th century mean) and the sixth warmest year-to-date (January-June) (0.90 degrees F/0.50 degrees C). Another article of intrest NOAA had posted was NOAA ISSUES UNSCHEDULED UPDATE TO U.S. SEASONAL DROUGHT OUTLOOK Member Since: August 10, 2005 Posts: 144 Comments: 29266

211. thelmores 7:01 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
hey GULF...... you been "snortin" the catnip again! LOL Member Since: September 8, 2005 Posts: 0 Comments: 3748

221. Cavin Rawlins 7:15 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
can someone tell me what is a permalink.... Member Since: July 24, 2005 Posts: 407 Comments: 19076

223. txweather 7:17 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
gulf I have an archive, but am unsure how far the hurricane centers go. Years ago they had them on hard copy but unasseable but anybody else. how far back to you need.

224. weatherguy03 7:18 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
Yep, we should have big tropical development this weekend..LOL Member Since: July 5, 2005 Posts: 581 Comments: 29680

225. seflagamma 7:18 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
Just got thru catching up... and got some good links from some of you; Fran and Skye also liked looking at your links! Keep an eye out on that wave leaving the west coast of Fla... you can see some spinning but didn't folks say the shear was just too high for anything to form? gotta go again, will check back later. Gams Member Since: August 29, 2005 Posts: 286 Comments: 40483

226. weatherguy03 7:20 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
Gamma, GulfScot dreams of spinning! Member Since: July 5, 2005 Posts: 581 Comments: 29680

232. txweather 7:29 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
Gulfscottsman, I havwe some Tropical Updates archived, I hope they are the years/time you want. TX

233. txweather 7:31 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
I have those do you want them. just PM me your email or I could post.

234. weatherguy03 7:31 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
Thanks for quoting me, its an honor. What are you impying? Since you took that out of contex. Member Since: July 5, 2005 Posts: 581 Comments: 29680

235. Skyepony (Mod) 7:31 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
The discussions & outlooks were posted on Dr Master's blogs as well. Many with headers so you might even try the WU site search. Member Since: August 10, 2005 Posts: 144 Comments: 29266

238. quakeman55 7:33 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
I dunno about all this quietness everyone...it's almost too quiet right now. This quietness could spell danger in the coming days/weeks... Member Since: March 31, 2002 Posts: 1 Comments: 1276

239. supercell216 7:35 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
Doubt it quakeman. Wind shear will remain pretty significant until at least the beginning of August. This is just like an average season.

240. txweather 7:37 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
I see you point scottsman here's one. guess the storm I made it easier and guess when it developed. 1030 PM EDT SUN AUG 21 2005 A TROPICAL WAVE CONTINUES TO PRODUCE AN AREA OF CLOUDINESS AND SHOWERS OVER HISPANIOLA AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS... AND EXTENDING NORTHWARD OVER THE ADJACENT ATLANTIC OCEAN FOR A COUPLE HUNDRED MILES. THIS SYSTEM REMAINS DISORGANIZED AND IS NOT EXPECTED TO DEVELOP INTO A TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO AS IT MOVES WESTWARD.

241. quakeman55 7:40 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
I say it is only a matter of time before something booms, and that time is coming shortly. I say we have at least two storms before we get out of July. Member Since: March 31, 2002 Posts: 1 Comments: 1276

242. quakeman55 7:40 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
And at least one will be a hurricane. Member Since: March 31, 2002 Posts: 1 Comments: 1276

243. stormhank 7:40 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
hi everyone, does anyone have a link to view eastern atlantic// west african coast satellite? thanks Member Since: September 8, 2005 Posts: 0 Comments: 1375

244. supercell216 7:42 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
It cannot be ruled out, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a storm-less July.

246. supercell216 7:43 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
Stormhank, Meteosat-8, just choose the type of image and/or loop

247. quakeman55 7:44 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
What exactly is causing the shear anyway? I don't see any big troughs or anything in the Caribbean or anywhere that would be causing it. Some shear is obvious to spot, but some isn't so easy to analyze. Member Since: March 31, 2002 Posts: 1 Comments: 1276

248. supercell216 7:44 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
I'm 90% sure there won't be a hurricane in the Atlantic basin until at least the middle of August. Wind shear remains high and SST's are much lower than last year.

249. supercell216 7:45 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
Most of it is due to strong upper level trades in the tropics. That creates a gradient between the upper levels and the calm lower levels.

250. EdMahmoud 7:46 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
Not tropical weather, but GFS MOS for Pierre, SD tomorrow is 44.6� Celcius, not Farenheit!

251. supercell216 7:46 PM GMT on July 14, 2006
112.3 degrees F!!!

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