A range of observations show that a shift in land-atmosphere coupling exacerbated the hot drought experienced in Europe in 2018.
Boundary layer processes
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A New Way to Fingerprint Drivers of Water Cycle Change
Simulations of tropical ocean convection help distinguish climate effects resulting from large-scale changes in atmospheric circulation from those resulting from higher temperatures.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A “Super” Solution for Modeling Clouds
Climate models struggle to accurately portray clouds because the models cannot resolve the scales at which clouds form. A new study demonstrates a potential fix for the problem.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
What Drives Surface Winds in a Deep Valley?
Surface winds in a Himalayan valley are found to vary daily and seasonally due to factors including pressure gradient, advection, turbulent vertical mixing, and the presence of glaciers.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Wind Speed Governs Turbulence in Atmospheric Inversions
Measurements made during a field campaign in Idaho indicate that the speed of winds 2 meters above Earth’s surface determines the type of turbulence present in nighttime inversions.
Posted inScience Updates
Great American Eclipse Data May Fine-Tune Weather Forecasts
Measurements taken by an automated national meteorological monitoring network during the 2017 total solar eclipse illuminate how the land and atmosphere respond to a sudden loss of sunlight.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Offshore Wind Turbines Can’t Yet Withstand Category 5 Hurricanes
A new study suggests that more robust turbine design is needed to weather high winds.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Radar Study Examines Pulsing Tropical Climate
In the Madden-Julian Oscillation, shear forces caused by air layers slipping and sliding near the equator play a critical role in forming enormous thunderstorms and monsoons.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Urbanization Threatens Drought-Reducing Clouds in California
Since the mid-20th century, increased urbanization along the southern California coast has raised nighttime temperatures, resulting in less morning fog and cloud cover.