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☆ And the Winner Is … the Slowest!
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-02 | by ( Cara Buckley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Every year, in the waters off the California coast, hundreds of tankers, car carriers and container vessels from dozens of shipping companies take part in an unusual race. Awards are given to companies whose fleets voluntarily reduce speeds in marine areas where endangered whales migrate through and feed in. The prize, known as Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies, comes with a sculptural whale-tail trophy and bragging rights. “That’s the motivation right there.”The real winner may be ocean life. Slower ships also generate less ocean noise and fewer greenhouse gases and other air pollution.

Persons: “, ”, Sean Hastings Organizations: National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration Locations: California

☆ A key to Biden’s lagging wind energy goal will set sail after the election
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-30 | by ( Brian Cheung | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The United States is producing less than 1% of the wind power it wants to generate by 2030. And as Eric Hines, the director of Tufts University's offshore wind energy graduate program, puts it, "We're going to need somewhere on the order of five of these installation vessels in just a few years." The Biden administration wants the U.S. to generate 30,000 megawatts from wind power within the next five and a half years. As of last year, that figure stood at just 42 megawatts, putting the nation far behind Europe — which added 18,300 megawatts of new wind energy capacity in 2023 alone, according to WindEurope. ("There are no known links between large whale deaths and ongoing offshore wind activities," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has said.)

Persons: it's, Eric Hines, Biden, Donald Trump Organizations: White, Tufts, Republican, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Dominion Energy Locations: States, U.S, New Jersey, Brownsville , Texas

☆ Hurricane Beryl intensifies into ‘very dangerous’ Category 3 storm as it approaches the Caribbean
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-30 | by ( Dalia Faheid | Sara Tonks | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The National Hurricane Center says Beryl is expected to be an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 hurricane when it reaches the Windward Islands by late Sunday or early Monday. A tropical storm warning has been issued for Martinique, and a tropical storm watch is in effect for Dominica. The first hurricane of the season is unusually earlyBeryl’s rapid intensification is very unusual this early into hurricane season, according to Brennan. If Beryl reaches Category 4 intensity before Thursday, July 4, it would be the earliest recorded Category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic. Cars line up at a gas station Saturday in Bridgetown, Barbados, as hurricane Beryl approaches.

Persons: Beryl, ” Mike Brennan, CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield, Brennan, Vincent, “ Beryl, ” Brennan, “, Wilfred Abrahams, Chandan Khanna, Ralph Gonsalves, ” Gonsalves, Saint Lucia, Philip J, Pierre, Phil Klotzbach, that’s “, ” Organizations: CNN, National Hurricane Center, NHC, National Oceanic, Hurricane Center, NOAA, Home Affairs, Getty, National Disaster Management Agency, Colorado State University, Weather Service Locations: Barbados, Windward, Islands, Windward Islands, Caribbean, St, Lucia, Grenada, Tobago, Martinique, Dominica, Lesser, Atlantic, El, Bridgetown, Grenadines, “ Kingstown, ”, Saint, Pacific

☆ Beryl strengthens into a hurricane in the Atlantic, forecast to become a major storm
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A major hurricane is considered Category 3 or higher, with winds of at least 111 mph (178 kph). Beryl also is the strongest June tropical storm on record that far east in the tropical Atlantic, according to Klotzbach. Beryl is the second named storm in what is predicted to be a busy hurricane season, from June 1 to November 30 in the Atlantic. He said one was the first hurricane of 1933, the most active hurricane season on record. An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, seven of them hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

Persons: Beryl, Philip Klotzbach, St, Vincent, Michael Lowry, Sabu Best, Tomer Burg, Brian McNoldy, Mia Mottley, Musku, Ralph Gonsalves, Storm Alberto, Lowry, Mark Spence, I'm Organizations: Barbados, Colorado State University, National Hurricane Center, University of Miami, South Africa, Grenadines, Cricket, Atmospheric Administration Locations: Caribbean, Barbados, Lucia, Grenada, St, Grenadines, Martinique, Dominica, Tobago, Florida, Jamaica, Mexico, Miami, India, South, Bridgetown, Pittsburgh, Trinidad and Tobago, Port, Spain, South Florida

☆ Fact check: Sea levels are already rising faster per year than Trump claims they might rise over ‘next 497 years’
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

And he said of Biden: “He said it again last night, that global warming is an existential threat. The global average sea level is currently rising more per year than Trump claimed that people say it will rise “in the next 497 years.”NASA reported in March that the current global average sea level rise in 2023 was 0.17 inches per year, more than double the rate in 1993. And a World Meteorological Organization report this year said the rate of sea level rise between 2014 and 2023 was about 0.19 inches per year. In other words, sea level rise is already more than an eighth of an inch annually – and it is accelerating. In fact, Trump’s claims about sea levels are highly inaccurate for the area near Mar-a-Lago, which is on the Atlantic.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s, ” Trump, Biden, “, Trump, Gary Griggs, Griggs Organizations: CNN, NASA, Meteorological Organization, University of California, Oceanic Locations: Virginia, Santa Cruz, Gulf of Mexico, Trump’s, Florida, Mar

☆ Record summer travel is starting. What it means for airline fares and flight delays
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Kaya Ginsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Mario Tama | Getty ImagesSummer air travel is expected to soar in the United States. Last summer, a record-breaking summer for airports, there were air traffic jams and near collisions amid challenges in flight coordination. Based on air traffic patterns and airport density, New York City and Florida are subject to the highest risk of backups. "There is still a shortage of air traffic controllers, but it hasn't led to the worst outcomes that we were expecting when we were talking about the shortage of air traffic control workers even a year ago." With production delays, airlines pay billions to fly less fuel-efficient and more costly and aged jets.

Persons: DAL AAL, Mario Tama, —, Ed Bastian, CNBC's, Robert Isom, Guy, Clint Henderson, Henderson, They've, hasn't Organizations: Los Angeles International Airport, Getty, Transportation Security Administration, TSA, Boeing, weren't, Delta Air, American, Federal Aviation Administration, Atmospheric Administration, Midwest, Goods, United Airlines, American Airlines, ATC, Independence, Customs, Flyers, FAA, Airbus, Labor, Southwest Airlines Locations: Los Angeles , California, United States, East Coast, U.S, New York City, Florida

☆ Beryl is first hurricane of 2024 Atlantic season
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Eric Zerkel | Sara Tonks | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Beryl is the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph with stronger gusts, according to a 5 p.m. EST update from the National Hurricane Center. That this formed so early in the season – and in this part of the Atlantic – is a sign of the hyperactive hurricane season to come, according to research from Phil Klotzbach, a hurricane expert and research scientist at Colorado State University. Normally, ocean temperatures aren’t warm enough in this region in June and July to help tropical systems thrive. That’s hardly the case this year, and one of the reasons behind record-high hurricane season forecasts over the past few months. Both have low odds of developing over the next week, but given the unusual early season action and favorable ocean temperatures, they will have to be watched closely.

Persons: Beryl, St Lucia, Vincent, Philip Klotzbach, Phil Klotzbach, “ Beryl, ” Dr, Mike Brennan, CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield, ” Brennan, “, ”, El Niño, Wilfred Abrahams, Saint Vincent, Ralph Gonsalves, ” Gonsalves, Saint Lucia, Philip J, Pierre Organizations: CNN, National Hurricane Center, Lesser, St, Colorado State University, National Oceanic, Hurricane Center, NHC, Home Affairs, National Disaster Management Agency Locations: Barbados, Windward, Caribbean, Islands, St, Grenadines, Grenada, Martinique, Tobago, Mexico Gulf, Lesser, El, Mexico, “ Kingstown, ”, Saint

☆ It's getting so hot, EMTs are putting overheated people in iced body bags
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThis summer, medical professionals will use body bags to save lives. To treat heat-related illnesses, emergency medical professionals in Phoneix started using modified body bags called "immersion bags," The New York Times reported. Quickly submerging a heat stroke patient in icy water is one of the most effective ways to quickly bring down the body temperature. In one case, it only took eight minutes to effectively drop the person's body temperature. AdvertisementSpecial body bags for cooling baths will be standard equipment for ambulances and fire trucks in Phoenix.

Persons: —, Phoneix, They've, Sam Shen, Alexander St, John, Stephen Brashear, Shen, Grant Lipman, Lipman, Ross D Organizations: Service, Phoenix, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Business, New York Times, Guardian, Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University, Harborview Medical, AP, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Franklin Locations: Seattle, Washington, Phoenix, Arizona , California, Texas

☆ New satellite will do double duty monitoring Earth and space weather
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Forecasters will soon be able to see real-time mapping of lightning activity on Earth and keep a closer eye on solar storms unleashed by the sun thanks to a new weather satellite. The weather satellite lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:26 p.m. What sets GOES-U apart from other satellites is that it’s carrying a new capability to keep an eye on space weather. The coronagraph will provide continuous observations of the solar corona, or the hot outer layer of the sun’s atmosphere, which is where space weather events originate, said Elsayed Talaat, director of NOAA’s Office of Space Weather Observations. The instrument’s capabilities will allow NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center to issue warnings and watches one to four days in advance and “mark a new chapter in space weather observatoions,” Talaat said.

Persons: ”, Ken Graham, Elsayed Talaat, ” Talaat, Steve Volz, ” Graham, Sullivan, Pam Sullivan Organizations: CNN, NASA, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Environmental, SpaceX, Kennedy Space Center, NOAA, National Weather Service, YouTube, GOES, Atmospheric Imaging, NOAA’s, Service Locations: Florida, Africa, New Zealand, Central, South America, Caribbean

☆ Tropical Storm Alberto makes landfall in Mexico; Texas faces flooding and heavy rain
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Storm Alberto, the first named tropical storm of the hurricane season, was located approximately 305 miles south-southeast of Brownsville, Texas and formed earlier today in the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico. The first named storm of the hurricane season made landfall in Mexico on Thursday, bringing heavy rain and flooding to the country's Gulf Coast and Texas. Tropical Storm Alberto is moving inland over Mexico with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, the National Hurricane Center said in an update at 7 a.m. local time. A Tropical Storm Warning that was in effect for the Texas coast from San Luis Pass southward to the mouth of the Rio Grande was lifted early Thursday. Alberto's center was forecast to move west into Mexico before weakening and most likely dissipating by Thursday night, the National Hurricane Center said.

Persons: Storm Alberto, Alberto, Greg Abbott Organizations: Storm, Tropical, National Hurricane Center, Gov, Texans, Texas, M Forest Service, Texas National Guard, Chinook, National Weather Service, Atmospheric Administration Locations: floodwater, Surfside Beach , Texas, Brownsville , Texas, Southwestern Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, Coast and Texas, Texas, San Luis, Rio Grande, Rio, Tecolutla, Surfside Beach, Brazoria County, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Nuevo, Monterrey, Allende

☆ Luxury homes on these beaches are losing value fast, as effects of climate change hit hard
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

watch nowAs sea levels rise and storms intensify, coastal real estate is seeing flooding and erosion like never before. From Dana Point, California, to Long Island, New York and Nantucket, Massachusetts, some of the nation's priciest coastal real estate is in an increasingly precarious position due to climate change. Various risk models have shown myriad projections for falling real estate values, but the effects of climate change are already hitting the market — and at a faster pace than most expected. A Nantucket home listed last summer for just over $2 million sold early this year for just $600,000. "There have been several," said Shelly Lockwood, a real estate agent on Nantucket.

Persons: Dana, Shelly Lockwood, Lockwood, that's, it's, Kay Tyler, he's, Chris Farley, Farley, Diana Olick, Olick Organizations: National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Nantucket, Boston Globe, First, CNBC Locations: Dana Point , California, Long, , New York, Nantucket , Massachusetts, Nantucket, Montauk, Gulf Coasts, United States, Lockwood

☆ El Niño Is Over. What Does That Mean for Summer?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Austyn Gaffney | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

El Niño, the natural climate pattern linked to warmer conditions in the tropical Pacific Ocean, has ended, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on Thursday. The counterpart pattern known as La Niña, defined by cooler equatorial sea surface temperatures, is expected to develop soon. A strong El Niño has cycled through the atmosphere since last June, leading to a wetter than normal winter, especially in the Southeast and in California, where a mind-boggling 51 atmospheric rivers dumped rain and snow. That’s because, while El Niño conditions can rip apart storms that develop in the Atlantic Basin, hurricanes and tropical cyclones are more likely to form under La Niña. Calm conditions produced by La Niña combined with warm ocean temperatures will intensify the activity likely to occur during hurricane season.

Persons: El Niño, La Niña Organizations: National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, La Locations: California, El

☆ Triple-digit temperatures to hit parts of California and Arizona in early-season heat wave
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Evan Bush | Dana Griffin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A view of transmission towers in flames as Corral Fire continue in San Joaquin County, California, United States on June 2, 2024. "It's coming early," said Eric Kurth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento, California. The forecast suggests temperatures may climb to 113 degrees Fahrenheit in Phoenix and could reach 108 in California's Central Valley. The National Weather Service is forecasting a heat wave throughout much of the Southwest and parts of California from Tuesday through Thursday as a ridge of high pressure centers over the region. Following a bout of extreme pre-summer heat in Texas and Florida , California and Arizona are next in line for temperature spikes.

Persons: It's, Eric Kurth, Cecile Juliette, Kurth Organizations: National Weather Service, Fire, California Department of Forestry, Atmospheric Administration, Southwest, Associated, for Disease Control, AP Locations: San Joaquin County , California, United States, Sacramento , California, Phoenix, Central Valley, California, Texas, Florida , California, Arizona, Tracy , California, San Francisco, U.S, Maricopa County

☆ Khosla Ventures backs weather balloon startup that uses AI to upend forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Windborne uses a new type of weather balloon, for example. Windborne's balloons can fly for weeks, as opposed to today's government-launched weather balloons which stay aloft for just a few hours and can't reach remote locations. The world currently lacks weather data for 85% of the atmosphere, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Windborne just closed a $15 million round with lead investor Khosla Ventures. In addition to Khosla Ventures, Windborne is backed by Footwork VC, Pear VC, Convective Capital, Ubiquity Ventures and Susa Ventures.

Persons: John Dean, Dean, Sven Strohband, Windborne Organizations: National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Investors, Google, World Meteorological Organization, Khosla Ventures, Weather Company, Economic, Windborne, Susa Ventures Locations: California, Susa

☆ Hurricane season will bring 4 to 7 major storms, NOAA predicts. How to prevent catastrophic damage to your home
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

With scientists predicting yet another active year for storms, making your home hurricane resistant has become a more valuable precaution. "Already, we are seeing storms move across the country that can bring additional hazards like tornadoes, flooding and hail," he said. A separate forecast from hurricane researchers at Colorado State University predicts an "extremely active" hurricane season in 2024 due to record-warm tropical and eastern subtropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures. If installing new hurricane windows isn't in the budget, shutters are lower-cost options to protect windows and other openings, said Chapman-Henderson. Talk to your insurer about possible discounts Strengthening your home against disasters may help lower your insurance cost.

Persons: Irma, Warren Faidley, Alicia Silverstone, Erik A, Hooks, Phil Klotzbach, Klotzbach, Jeff Ostrowski, Leslie Chapman, Henderson, Jennifer Languell, Chapman, Kin, Melissa Cohn, William Raveis, Bankrate's Ostrowski, Ostrowski, Loretta Worters, Worters, Languell Organizations: Getty, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Finance, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Hurricanes, Colorado State University, Department of Atmospheric, Fluid Dynamics, Climate, Energy Solutions, Swiss, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Federal Alliance, Safe, Safe Homes, Department of Energy, Trifecta, William Raveis Mortgage, Insurance, Institute, Homeowners Locations: Miami , Florida, U.S, windstorms, Florida, In Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, dsireusa.org

☆ Auroras could appear over the next week as solar activity increases
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The center, a division of the National Weather Service, issued a modern geomagnetic storm watch, known as a G2, for Friday and Saturday. Unlike the G5, or extreme geomagnetic storm, that occurred on May 10, moderate storm watches are not uncommon, according to the center. But the aurora-causing solar flares and coronal mass ejections currently spewing from the sun are a result of the same sunspots that triggered solar activity in May, according to Dr. Ryan French, solar physicist at the National Solar Observatory in Boulder, Colorado. “The frequency of things is decreasing, but you only need one to cause a large geomagnetic storm. The solar storm on May 10 was the most successfully mitigated space weather storm in history, Dahl said.

Persons: Ryan French, Lokman Vural, “ It’s, ”, Shawn Dahl, Dahl, ” Dahl, “, That’s, there’s Organizations: CNN, United, National Oceanic, Prediction, National Weather Service, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Solar Dynamics, auroras, ”, European Space Agency Locations: United States, Midwest, New York, Idaho, Boulder , Colorado, Rochester , New York, Sweden, South Africa

☆ A Texas coastal engineer says a simple home-buying decision saved his house from Hurricane Harvey — and could help other home-owners in flood zones
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-25 | by ( Ellyn Lapointe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Advertisement2024 may be the worst hurricane season in history3D rendering of Category 4 hurricane near the US State of Louisiana. FrankRamspott/Getty ImagesA coastal engineer at Texas A&M University, Figlus is an expert on flooding. AdvertisementDespite rising flood and hurricane risk, a whopping 140,000 people moved to Houston, Texas, last year. This online service provides a detailed breakdown of flooding risk in a given area. AdvertisementAll in all, Figlus thinks people can still live in flood zones relatively safely, as long as they understand the risks.

Persons: Jens Figlus, Figlus, Hurricane Harvey, Harvey, Wager, jhorrocks, David J, Phillip Organizations: Service, Business, Texas, M University, Figlus, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, University of Pennsylvania, Simpson, Census, FEMA Locations: Texas, Louisiana, of Louisiana, Atlantic, what's, Houston, Houston , Texas, Gulf, Galveston Bay, Hurricane

☆ The wreck of a legendary WWII US submarine has been found at the bottom of the South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewResearchers say they have located the final resting place of one of the most storied vessels of World War II: the USS Harder. Lost 52 is headed by entrepreneur and ocean explorer Tim Taylor, along with diving entrepreneur Christine Dennison. A black-and-white image of the USS Harder on February 1944. The Lost 52 team has previously located at least six other US submarines. Finding the Harder "highlighted the importance of ocean data collection and the significance of underwater robotic technology," Taylor told BI.

Persons: —, Tim Taylor, Christine Dennison, Insider's Elias Chavez, Samuel Dealey, Harder, Samuel J, Cox, Taylor Organizations: Service, Heritage Command, Business, NHHC, Heritage, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration Locations: South China, Japan, Philippines, Dasol, Tiburon

☆ This high schooler won $10,000 because he saw a mysterious outbreak killing sea turtles in his Hawaii hometown and decided to do something about it
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Ellyn Lapointe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

He kept seeing green sea turtles with cauliflower-like tumors. And it would just encapsulate the green sea turtles," he said. A green sea turtle afflicted with fibropapillomatosis at the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida in the Florida Keys. Green sea turtles are crucial for the health of reefs worldwide, as they eat algae that would otherwise suffocate the coral. He donned his diving gear and set up motion-sensing underwater cameras to snap photos of green sea turtles.

Persons: —, Maddux Alexander Springer, Springer, fibropapillomatosis, Pablo Cozzaglio, Peggy Scripps, It's, Hugh Gentry, they're, salicornia, Narrissa, Mitchell Pettigrew, that's, he'll Organizations: Service, Business, Turtle Hospital, Getty, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Google, Springer, Communication, Regeneron, Science, Engineering, Reuters, Hawaii Division, Nature, Hawaii's Department of Health, Honolulu Civil, University of Oregon, Oregon State University Locations: Kāneʻohe, Marathon , Florida, Florida, AFP, Oahu, Hawaii, Kāneʻohe Bay, Kāneʻohe Bay . State, Cavan, Hawaii's, cesspools, Honolulu

☆ Opinion | The Northern Lights I Did Not See
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Margaret Renkl | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I spend a fair amount of time looking at the sky, for the sky is nearly always full of magic. What I am never looking for is the Northern Lights. Even with an extreme solar storm underway, as it was on May 10, the news seemed unlikely to affect us here in Nashville. “Northern lights become visible further south as solar activity rises — but not in Tennessee,” read the headline in Nashville’s daily newspaper. To long for a glimpse of the Northern Lights in Middle Tennessee is not a helpful exercise for the muscle that performs hope in the human heart.

Persons: ” Organizations: National Oceanic, Prediction Locations: American, Nashville, Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, Sweden

☆ Extreme weather blunts the US military's technological edge
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewMore extreme weather is scrambling the high-tech systems that have given the US military its edge. For example, severe weather can degrade navigation systems such as GPS and sensors on precision-guided munitions. Heavy rain ground aircraft and drones, intense heat exhausts troops, dust storms gum up tank engines, and storms damage ships at sea. The problem is that tactical units on the front lines, or in remote areas, often lack the connectivity to receive weather reports. "NOAA [the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration], the private sector and universities are actively working to improve global weather models," Regens said.

Persons: —, James Regens, Napoleon, Jason Serrit, Regens, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Business, Royal United Services Institute, Waterloo, Staff, US Air Force, Antiphon Solutions, North America, Pentagon, NOAA, National Oceanic, Administration, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: British, Iran, Iraqi, California, Oklahoma, Europe, NATO, Forbes

☆ Heat Stress Is Hitting Caribbean Reefs Earlier Than Ever This Year
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Catrin Einhorn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As the world’s coral reefs suffer a fourth global bleaching event, heat stress in the Caribbean is accumulating even earlier than it did in 2023, the previous record year for the region, according to data made public on Thursday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “I hate that I have to keep using that word ‘unprecedented,’” said Derek Manzello, coordinator of the agency’s Coral Reef Watch Program. Officials said conditions were quickly changing to a neutral state, with a cooler La Niña forecast for this summer or fall. But right now, temperatures in the Caribbean off Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Colombia are hitting levels that previously haven’t been seen until weeks later, an ominous signal after the heat that ravaged reefs across the region last year. A study of the reefs off Huatulco in Oaxaca, Mexico, found coral mortality ranging from 50 percent to 93 percent, depending on the reef area.

Persons: “, ’ ”, Derek Manzello, El Organizations: National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Reef Watch Locations: Caribbean, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Colombia, Oaxaca, Mexico

☆ Sun releases the strongest flare in current cycle from the same region that triggered auroras this weekend
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Kaila Nichols | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —After causing the dazzling waves of aurora borealis this weekend, our Sun isn’t done yet: The strongest solar flare of the current solar cycle occurred Tuesday afternoon, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center. That storm was the most extreme geomagnetic storm since 2003, the center said. Solar flares usually take place in active regions of the Sun that include the presence of strong magnetic fields. “The Sun’s activity waxes and wanes over an 11-year period known as the solar cycle,” the Solar Dynamics Observatory said on X. Researchers have been seeing more intense solar flares as we inch closer to the cycle’s end.

Organizations: CNN, National Oceanic, Prediction, NASA’s Solar Dynamics, NASA, Space, Solar Dynamics

☆ Where to See the Northern Lights on Sunday Night
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Amanda Holpuch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The spectacular aurora borealis, the nighttime light display triggered by solar flares that has been so unusually prevalent since Friday, could be visible again on Sunday night in much of the United States as a powerful geomagnetic storm continues. The aurora borealis, or northern lights, has been observed from locations much farther south than usual, including much of the United States, England and some parts of Central America. The glowing green, pink and purple lights will be visible again on Sunday night in places with clear, dark skies, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center. “There’s a chance that what’s coming at us later today could be quite comparable to what we saw Friday into Friday night,” Mike Bettwy, the operations chief of the Space Weather Prediction Center, said on Sunday. “Our forecast is for it to be right up to that level.”

Persons: “ There’s, Mike Bettwy Organizations: Central America, National Oceanic, Prediction Locations: United States, England, Central

☆ Musk's Starlink satellites disrupted by major solar storm
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Starlink, the satellite arm of Elon Musk's SpaceX, warned on Saturday of a "degraded service" as the Earth is battered by the biggest geomagnetic storm due to solar activity in two decades. Starlink owns around 60% of the roughly 7,500 satellites orbiting Earth and is a dominant player in satellite internet. Musk said earlier in a post on X that Starlink satellites were under a lot of pressure due to the geomagnetic storm, but were holding up so far. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has said the storm is the biggest since October 2003 and likely to persist over the weekend, posing risks to navigation systems, power grids, and satellite navigation, among other services. The thousands of Starlink satellites in low-Earth orbit use inter-satellite laser links to pass data between one another in space at the speed of light, allowing the network to offer internet coverage around the world.

Persons: Elon Musk, Elon, Starlink, Musk Organizations: Starlink, SpaceX, U.S . National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration Locations: Izyum, Kharkiv, Ukraine

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