NP
Nonlinear Processes in Geosciences

Climate of the Present

Back in Green: The Return of Pineapple Express to California

March 18, 2023
Back in Green: The Return of Pineapple Express to California
Satellite imagery via NASA Worldview from the Terra satellite. Source https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov/

If you Google Pineapple Express you’re likely to end-up with a stoner movie comedy, but for those who live on the West Coast of North America, it has an entirely different meaning. Pineapple Express is a weather phenomenon that refers to a strong atmospheric river that brings heavy rain and moisture to the region. Despite the shared name, the two Pineapple Expresses couldn’t be more di ...[Read More]

El Niño is back: What it Means for Global Warming?

March 16, 2023
El Niño is back: What it Means for Global Warming?
El Niño vs la Niña schematic representation of wind anomalies (arrows) and ocean temperature anomalies (colors). source: https://thecolumn.ahacentre.org/insight/vol-66-getting-to-know-el-nino-la-nina/

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has just announced that the La Niña episode has officially ended, and from autumn onwards, it should give way to an El Niño phase. But what does that mean? And what is the influence of these weather phenomena on global warming?For those who have never heard of La Niña before, here’s an explanation of this phenomenon. The Earth rotates, so there are ...[Read More]

Sea level rise: a global threat in a warming planet

and February 28, 2023
Sea level rise: a global threat in a warming planet
Credit: Marco Anzidei

Over 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by seas and oceans but in the geological past the extension of sea and land has varied several times as sea level changed over time. During the past millions of years, the oceans have cyclically retreated and expanded with the alternating of warmer and colder climatic periods in consequence of the astronomical motions of the Earth, repeatedly changi ...[Read More]

The Great Cold Debate: Is Climate Change to Blame for Extreme Cold Spells?

December 27, 2022
The Great Cold Debate: Is Climate Change to Blame for Extreme Cold Spells?
Average near-surface temperatures showing the extended cold spell over North America on December 24th 2022.

In  December 2022, the United States experienced a severe cold spell, with record-low temperatures being recorded in many parts of the country. While it is natural for cold spells to occur, the question has arisen as to whether climate change is playing a role in the intensity and frequency of these events. There is ongoing debate among scientists about the relationship between climate change and ...[Read More]