With wildfires in the western United States burning nearly 3.56 million hectares (8.8 million acres) in 2020, or about 75% more area than expected in an average year, it’s important to know how droughts, wildfires, and heat waves interact. How do they shape each other’s likelihoods, magnitudes, and impacts?
Researchers with the Pacific Northwest Climate Impacts Research Consortium (CIRC) have projected widespread increases in flood magnitude throughout the Columbia River Basin in a warmer climate. By 2050, much of the Pacific Northwest could experience increased flood magnitudes. The webinar associated with this study, recorded March 5, 2021, is now available online.
On March 15, 2021, the Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments (GLISA), published new guidance, “A Practitioner’s Guide to Climate Model Scenarios.” The guide summarizes differences between the scenarios for the Great Lakes region to show how the choice of model scenario affects future temperature and precipitation projections.
Severe storms might seem like great equalizers, but coastal flooding doesn’t affect everyone the same way. A new study in Climatic Change highlights the factors that make some people in the storm’s path more vulnerable.
Drought frequently strikes the U.S. Southern Plains, so understanding how drought affects water availability has significant economic benefits. But modeling water availability is challenging because so many physical processes must be considered. A new study examines how a frequently used model compares with observations.
Changes foreshadow impacts on lake ecosystems and fisheries.
From Alaska to New Hampshire to Hawaii, NOAA Sea Grant programs are working to help coastal communities build resilience to changing conditions, including changing climate.