27th March - Today's News: Asia Pollution Circles Globe

Pollution from Asia circles globe at stratospheric heights

Randel says more research is needed into the possible effects of the pollutants. When sulfur rises into the stratosphere, it can lead to the creation of small particles called aerosols that are known to influence the ozone layer. The monsoon transport pathway may also have effects on other gases in the stratosphere, such as water vapor, that affect global climate by influencing the amount of solar heat that reaches Earth.

Of course aerosols at that level lead to global cooling ..... Could this be another reason why the Earth is not warming as fast as one would expect given all the various factors that are supposed to be causing warming?

And this neatly leads on to dawn of the Anthropocene Epoch?

...scientists propose that, in just two centuries, humans have wrought such vast and unprecedented changes to our world that we actually might be ushering in a new geological time interval, and alter the planet for millions of years.

And sadly, I think they are right. Whilst any anthopogenic climate change may never be significant enough to show in the geological record millions of years from now, the mass extinctions, vegetation changes, effects of mining and mineral extraction, and the little layer in the rocks of tiny particles of plastic ..... will make this period as noticeable and significant as the K-T Boundary.

Madagascar tropical storm toll rises to 83

Safety advice issued for Iceland volcano visitors

Unusual weather as dust envelopes Nigeria

Armed forces help with drought relief in SW China and in addition, drought causes severe forest losses in China - which in turn can lead to more drought and increased desertification .....

Conservative evangelical embrace God and green - a story I'm linking too mainly to support my contention that a lot of climate change scepticism, especially in the US, is on religious grounds and there there is a grass roots fundamentalist movement that opposes AGW largely for the same reasons it opposes evolution. And it's nice to know that at least some evangelicals are now on the side of science.

China, India to jointly research Himalayan glaciers

And finally today, as I go to press I see the Met Office have just issued the following adavnce weather warning for the Midlands, including Worcestershire: Rain will become heavy and prolonged during Monday night and Tuesday giving totals of between 25 and 50 mm and up to 75 mm over the hills. The rain will also turn to snow in places with the potential for accumulations in excess of 10cm on hills, and perhaps with some accumulations even to low levels. Maybe I will see some snow in Evesham? Hmmm, we'll see! After coming in like a lamb there's no question March is set to go out like a lion. An arctic lion!