This visualization shows column integrated water vapor content over North America for the period April to June 2011, during which time one of the most destructive and deadliest tornado outbreaks to impact the United States occurred (April 25-28). Side-by-side comparison of the simulations show greater water vapor content in the simulated future climate, which can…
Read moreCategory: Climate Indicators
Climate Change: Temperature Anomalies
A comparison between present and future (RCP8.5) surface temperature anomalies. A 3-day smoothing has been applied to the output to dampen day to day variability. Movies Movie File (.mov, 118MB, 1920×1080) Images Computational Modeling Nan Rosenbloom and Gary Strand (NCAR/CGD) Visualization and Post-production Tim Scheitlin and Matt Rehme (NCAR/CISL) Model CESM Visualization Software NCAR Command…
Read moreSurface Temperatures from Climate Change vs. Geoengineering
This visualization describes temperature changes relative to years 2015-2024 from unabated climate change (RCP8.5) and stratospheric sulfate aerosol geoengineering (using feedback) simulated by a state-of-the-art coupled earth system model. Geoengineering, often using stratospheric sulfate aerosols, is discussed as a potential means of deliberately offsetting some of the effects of climate change, such as rising temperatures.…
Read more1997 and 2015 El Niño Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies
A brief comparison of changes in sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies between the major El Niño event of 1997-98 and the El Niño event emerging in 2015. The visualization depicts data from the NOAA 1/4° daily Optimum Interpolation Sea Surface Temperature (OISST). The data are combined from sources such as satellites, buoy networks, and ships.…
Read moreDrought Potential in the 21st Century
The United States and many other heavily populated countries face a growing threat of severe and prolonged drought in coming decades, according to a new study by National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) scientist Aiguo Dai. The detailed analysis concludes that warming temperatures associated with climate change will likely create increasingly dry conditions across much…
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