A new technique can remotely sense strong electrical fields within storm clouds.
precipitation
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Using Multiple Satellites Gives a Fuller View of Cloud Structure
The unique strengths of different satellites reveal different facets of cloud systems and precipitation.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Irrigation in Asia Affects Rainfall in Africa
Up to 40% of the total rainfall in arid parts of East Africa may be caused by water vapor from farming practices in South Asia.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Climate Change Influences the Dynamics Behind Tropical Cyclones
A new model reveals how cumulus convection, humidity, and tropical circulations interact as global temperatures rise.
Posted inScience Updates
Forecasting India's Water Future
The NORINDIA project sheds light on how climate change could affect monsoons, droughts, and glaciers in northern India.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Could We Have Predicted What El Niño Would Bring?
Researchers take a retrospective look to see if precipitation and flooding due to El Niño could have been predicted a priori.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Modeling Weather over Mountainous Terrain
Scientists use high-resolution models to study how the jagged terrain of the Earth's mountains influences precipitation.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Does El Niño Intensity Affect Precipitation in California?
Modeling experiments demonstrate that strong El Niños greatly increase odds for wet winters over California's principal watersheds compared to impacts of weak and moderate El Niños.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Soil Crusts Play a Dual Role in Desertification
Rain falling on bare soil can form a hard crust that prevents further infiltration. But do these crusts worsen land degradation or help to prevent it?
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Aerosols Make Cumulus Clouds Brighter but Shorter Lived
Computer simulations show that although adding aerosol particles to clouds can make them more reflective, the cooling effect from clouds is largely counterbalanced by a reduction in overall cloud cover.