Tag Climate change
No one-size-fits-all approach in a changing climate, changing land
As climate change alters habitats for birds and bees and everything in between, so too does the way humans decide to use land. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Aarhus University in Denmark have, for the first time, found a way to determine the potential combined impacts of both climate and land-use change on plants, animals and ecosystems across the country. Read More
Climate conundrum: Conflicting indicators on what preceded human-driven warming
When the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently requested a figure for its annual report, to show global temperature trends over the last 10,000 years, the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Zhengyu Liu knew that was going to be a problem. Writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science today, Liu and colleagues describe a consistent global warming trend over the course of the Holocene, our current geological epoch, counter to a study published last year that described a period of global cooling before human influence. Read More
Buried fossil soils found to be awash in carbon
Soils that formed on the Earth’s surface thousands of years ago and that are now deeply buried features of vanished landscapes have been found to be rich in carbon, adding a new dimension to our planet’s carbon cycle. Read More
Video: Uncommon unrainbow brings dash of color to sky
It’s a rainbow. It’s a sun dog. No, it’s a fire rainbow, which isn’t actually a rainbow at all. Read More
Study shows tropical cyclone intensity shifting poleward
The latitude at which tropical cyclones reach their greatest intensity is gradually shifting from the tropics toward the poles at rates of about 33 to 39 miles per decade, according to a study published today (May 14, 2014) in the journal Nature. Read More
Research by UW shapes national climate report
University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers, including many affiliated with the Nelson Institute, contributed to the third U.S. National Climate Assessment released by the White House on May 6. Read More
Prominent climate scientist Mann to speak at UW–Madison
Michael Mann, creator of the well-known “hockey stick” graph depicting a sharp recent increase in our planet’s temperature, will deliver the fifth annual Len Robock Lecture on Thursday, April 17 at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Read More
Climate research shows changes in Midwestern winters
A study predicting snowfall changes in the Midwest is helping to better illustrate what winters could look like later this century. Read More
Initiative reaches out to state residents on climate change
As climate change impacts the diversity and distribution of species statewide, University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers, wildlife officials and others are collaborating to inform the public about these changes and ways to adapt. Read More
Now you see it: Airplane images reveal sand dunes in heart of Badger State
Newly created laser images of central Wisconsin show fields of dunes, most of which have never been seen before, that were blowing in the wind as recently as about 11,000 years ago. Read More
New techniques sharpen climate record found in fossil shells
Locked inside the fossil shells of a marine plankton are the secrets of past climate. Read More
National Weather Service director to speak at UW–Madison
Louis Uccellini, head of the National Weather Service and a University of Wisconsin–Madison alumnus, will bring the service’s plan to build a “Weather-Ready Nation” to the UW–Madison campus Thursday evening. Read More
Report examines sensitivity of coastal areas to climate change
A new study of the nation’s coastal areas and surrounding communities examines the potential risks that these areas would face from a changing climate. Read More
App makes smartphone users ‘king or queen’ of weather satellites
Not long ago, Liam Gumley found himself in a meeting sitting between frustration and inspiration. Read More
Delving into a climate puzzle with the push of a button
As University of Wisconsin–Madison graduate student Jen Kaiser settles into life in Smyrna, Tenn., this summer, her days develop a rhythm. She wakes up early, checks the weather forecast, and heads to Sewart Air Force Base. Read More
Understanding the past and predicting the future by looking across space and time
Studying complex systems like ecosystems can get messy, especially when trying to predict how they interact with other big unknowns like climate change. Read More
Filmmaker, glaciologist, artist to receive honorary degrees May 17
Honorary degrees will be bestowed on three individuals considered to be pioneers in their fields at UW–Madison commencement in May. One is a groundbreaking documentary filmmaker, another is a trailblazing glaciologist, and the third is a world-renowned glass artist. Read More
Thin clouds drove Greenland’s record-breaking 2012 ice melt
If the sheet of ice covering Greenland were to melt in its entirety tomorrow, global sea levels would rise by 24 feet. Read More
Publication tells how climate change data affect natural resource decisions
A wide array of natural and human systems are feeling the effects of Wisconsin's changing climate. But the state is adapting in a variety of ways to a warmer, wetter climate that is projected to see more frequent droughts, heat waves and heavy rainfalls by mid-century. Read More
Warming ‘seesaw’ turns extra sunlight into global greenhouse
Earth's most recent shift to a warm climate began with intense summer sun in the Northern Hemisphere, the first pressure on a seesaw that tossed powerful forces between the planet's poles until greenhouse gases accelerated temperature change on a global scale. Read More