Latest news with #MatthewRodell
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Science
- Time of India
NASA data warns of surge in extreme weather events: Drought and floods intensifying globally
New data from NASA has revealed a dramatic and alarming increase in the severity and frequency of extreme weather events like droughts and floods worldwide. Using advanced satellite observations, researchers found that these events are not only occurring more often but are also lasting longer and impacting larger areas than ever before. The findings show that the number and intensity of these events have doubled in just the past five years compared to the 2003 to 2020 average. While the data isn't yet peer reviewed, scientists say it's a stark early warning that climate change is accelerating environmental disruptions faster than previously expected. NASA's GRACE satellite finds alarming surge in weather extremes The observations come from NASA's GRACE satellite, which monitors changes in Earth's water systems. Researchers were surprised to find that the pace of extreme weather events appears to be increasing even faster than global temperatures themselves. These events, such as long-lasting droughts and catastrophic floods, are closely linked to rising temperatures and are consistent with earlier climate predictions, but the speed of their intensification has shocked experts. Scientists expressing concerns about global warming While the dataset needs more years to confirm a definitive trend, several scientists have expressed concern. Dr Bailing Li, from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, stated that although causation can't be confirmed yet, the growing number of extreme events strongly points to global warming as a driver. Her colleague Dr Matthew Rodell described the trend as "certainly scary," noting that such changes could outpace society's ability to respond or adapt. Water systems at the breaking point NASA researchers measured events using a formula that includes affected area, duration, and wetness or dryness. They found that disruptions to water systems, one of the clearest consequences of climate change, are growing worse. A previous study in Nature Water had already warned that the world's water infrastructure is ill equipped to handle such fluctuations. Global impacts and warnings Experts from the UK Met Office and WaterAid say most cities and water utilities are unprepared for this new climate reality. Sudden transitions, called 'hydroclimatic whiplash,' from dry to wet conditions or vice versa are now more common and more damaging. These rapid shifts are affecting agriculture, infrastructure, human health, and biodiversity in unpredictable ways. Extreme event to affect global economic planning, insurances and infrastructure With the insurance industry relying on historical data to set premiums, the unpredictability of today's extreme weather could destabilize economic planning. The World Meteorological Organization has predicted that global temperatures will likely continue to rise, increasing the risk of devastating events in the next five years. Scientists and climate advocates are urging urgent investments in both emissions reduction and climate adaptation strategies to prepare for the changes already underway.
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Science
- Irish Examiner
Nasa data reveals 'alarming' rise in intensity of weather events
New data from Nasa has revealed a dramatic rise in the intensity of weather events such as droughts and floods over the past five years. The study shows that such extreme events are becoming more frequent, longer lasting and more severe, with last year's figures reaching twice that of the 2003-2020 average. The steepness of the rise was not foreseen. The researchers say they are amazed and alarmed by the latest figures from the watchful eye of Nasa's Grace satellite, which tracks environmental changes in the planet. They say climate change is the most likely cause of the apparent trend, even though the intensity of extremes appears to have soared even faster than global temperatures. The data is not yet peer-reviewed, and researchers said they would need another 10 or more years to confirm to conclusively call it a trend. The data has been co-produced by Dr Bailing Li, from the Hydrological Sciences Laboratory of Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center – affiliated with the University of Maryland's Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, who told the Guardian: 'We can't prove causation yet – we would need a much longer dataset. It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what's happening here, but other events suggest that (global) warming is the driving factor. We are seeing more and more extreme events round the world, so this is certainly alarming. Her colleague Dr Matthew Rodell, chief of hydrologic sciences at Goddard, also counselled caution over the latest data, but admitted that he too was worried about the apparent acceleration of a trend in destructive events. 'It's certainly scary,' he said. The earlier part of the Nasa time series was published in Nature Water in 2023. The researchers used a mathematical formula to calculate the total effect of a weather event in terms of severity measured by the total area affected, the duration of the event and how wet or dry it was. The paper warned that disturbance to the water system would be one of the most significant consequences of the climate crisis. The paper noted that the intensity of extremes was strongly correlated with global mean temperature, more so than with El Niño, the influential ocean current, or other climate indicators, suggesting that continued warming of the planet will cause more frequent, more severe, and longer and/or larger droughts and floods. The Nasa researchers produced the updated statistics at the request of the Oxford-based research organisation Global Water Intelligence, whose head, Christopher Gasson, said water companies are in the firing line of climate change – facing too much water or too little water – or both. He said most water companies are completely unprepared to cope with the changes under way. 'This is extremely scary,' he said. 'The industry needs to attract investment on a massive scale.' Meanwhile, the World Meteorological Organization's [url= report[/url] calculates an 80% chance that at least one of the next five years will top 2024 as the warmest year on record. It says global temperatures are set to continue to increase over the next five years, increasing climate risks and impacts on societies, economies, and sustainable development. The unpredictability of extreme events revealed in the new data is likely to alarm the insurance industry, which bases current premiums on previous trend data. This could have widespread effects across entire economies. The Guardian
