Dan's Wild Wild Science Journal

Found this online today and it’s a must for Earth Science teachers everywhere. This is definitely my longest post ever!

Okay so click on it and download the full size image and then get a poster made!

kudos to Karl Tate at OurAmazingPlanet.com

There is a real pandemic of type two diabetes in America. Until recently it was thought that this was due to the fact that most Americans are overweight and have rather terrible diets. I can always tell the flights to America at Heathrow in London. I just look at the people in the gate area. If most are overweight, the odds are high it’s a U.S. destination.

This same problem is also spreading to Europe but at a bit lower rate than here in the States.

Now, come a couple of studies that indicate strongly that there is another factor.

Dirty air.

Two recent studies have shown a real connection between particulate pollution and diabetes rates. Researchers can even see a difference in rates between people who live near busy streets versus those who live in low traffic areas.

SCIENCE NEWS has a good write up with the details.

A little fact you might not know about air pollution. Around 50% of the vehicles are responsible for 90% of the pollution from transportation. ( I read this somewhere and cannot find the source. Let me know if you know it.)

Are you part of the dirty 50%?

If you drive any type of truck, or a car older than say around 12 years, or a sport utility vehicle, then you are.

If you drive a newer model car then you are in the clean group. I drive a little KIA to work by the way…

This is an excellent story from the AP. It’s about the Gulf of Mexico – AFTER the oil spill.

Pretty powerful stuff isn’t it.

Dan

Click image for full resolution. Image from NASA Aqua satellite.

The amazing and unprecedented Russian heat wave continues. Moscow hit 34C today, which is cooler than the near 38C (100°F) temperatures of the last few days. The fires burning in the drought ravaged peat bogs and forests around Moscow continue to cover Western Russia in a thick pall of smoke.

The intense heat can also be seen from the MODIS sensor on the NASA Terra satellite. This sensor allowed researchers to measure the average ground temperature over Russia from July 20-27th. They then compared that with the normal temperatures you would expect in late July to produce the map below.

Red areas indicate above normal temperatures. Blue is areas where the temp. was below normal from 20-27 July 2010. Image from NASA Terra satellite. Click for higher resolution.

There are some strong indications that the storm track over Russia is about to change and allow some cooler air to reach Moscow. It looks like it will stay quite warm but when you are breaking the record high by 19 degrees day after day, anything cooler is welcome. Keep in mind too that at Moscow’s latitude almost no one has an air conditioner. Until this year they would only be needed a couple of days a year!

Coverage of the heatwave on the BBC is worth reading and do check out the podcast of FOC (From our Own Correspondent) for a first hand account.

As for the climate change connections, see my last post on the Moscow heat. It still holds.

Here in Huntsville, we set a new record today. Today makes 37 days in a row with the morning low at 21C (70F) or higher. We also just had the hottest 10 days ever recorded here. Greenland is looking very nice right now!

Dan

Active region on the sun from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. (Upper left corner of the sun)

CME today from strong sunspot. Courtesy NASA Solar Dynamics Observ.

Space weather experts at NOAA and NASA have been monitoring a very active sunspot over the last few days.

This area has produced several Coronal Mass Ejections (CME). These flares can cause trouble with radio communication and even cause power outages if they hit Earth. Satellites can be especially hard hit. Past solar flares have crippled communication satellites.

A really big flare could cause billions of dollars in damage to the electrical grids and stop HF radio communications for hours.  Commercial passenger flights over the North Pole use HF radio to keep in contact with air traffic control. When there is a large flare the HF frequencies are not usable and these flights must take a longer route.

This sunspot is not facing Earth so these flares have not affected us. The flare is, however,  turning in our direction. If it stays active, then we could see a geomagnetic storm. More than likely the only major effect will be a display of the Aurora in high latitudes.

The folks at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center are only forecasting a 1% chance of a big class M or class X flare, but if you live in the high latitudes, be on the look out for a display of the Aurora Borealis.