I'm Gonna Need A Batting Helmet (617 hits)
Category: Science & EnvironmentalRating: 0 on 9 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by <Fartman> (View user info) at 2007-08-31 10:20:05 EDT
"We're terrible animals. I think that the Earth's immune system is trying to get rid of us, as well it should." - Kurt Vonnegut
WASHINGTON - As the world warms, the United States will face more severe thunderstorms with deadly lightning, damaging hail and the potential for tornadoes, a trailblazing study by NASA scientists suggests.
While other research has warned of broad weather changes on a large scale, like more extreme hurricanes and droughts, the new study predicts even smaller events like thunderstorms will be more dangerous because of global warming.
The basic ingredients for whopper U.S. inland storms are likely to be more plentiful in a warmer, moister world, said lead author Tony Del Genio, a NASA research scientist.
A unique combination of geography and weather patterns already makes the United States the world's hottest spot for tornadoes and severe storms in spring and summer. The large land mass that warms on hot days, the contours of the atmosphere's jet stream, the wind coming off the Rocky Mountains and warm moist air coming up from the Gulf of Mexico all combine to form a cocktail of potentially extreme and violent weather events.
Harold Brooks, a top scientist at NOAA's severe storms laboratory in Norman, Okla., has soon-to-be-published studies finding results similar to the new NASA study, especially when it comes to hail. Some of the severe hail that should be increasing could be baseball-sized and come down at 100 mph, "falling like a major league fastball," he said.
User Reviews
Submitted by beat_raven (user info) at 2007-09-01 04:35:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by TheUniter (user info) at 2007-08-31 18:16:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Fartman (user info) at 2007-08-31 16:22:35 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2007-08-31 12:16:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I think you need to wear a helmet, but for a different reason.
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Hahahahahahahahahahaha excellent.
Submitted by triangle_man (user info) at 2007-08-31 12:19:35 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
OK that's the bad news
Good news?
Canada will have spring in 10 years or so.
Siberia will be a nice place to live.
Cuba will be under water and Nawlins' will be a shrimp farm.
Quebec will be a tourist destination...do you speak english? Oui, but not to you. BonJour
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2007-08-31 12:16:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I think you need to wear a helmet, but for a different reason.
Submitted by creep_firebombing (user info) at 2007-08-31 12:07:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
No Comment
Submitted by scourge (user info) at 2007-08-31 11:40:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
give me a bat and i'll save some money on tokens for the batting cage
Submitted by icarus1987 (user info) at 2007-08-31 11:28:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
OK. What do you want to do about it?
Submitted by monkeyswithguns (user info) at 2007-08-31 11:05:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
"We're terrible animals. I think that the Earth's immune system is trying to get rid of us, as well it should." - Kurt Vonnegut
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I could say that if you feel so strongly about it, perhaps you could try to start the fad.
I could also say that there is a part of me that agrees with that statement.
But instead I'll just say "Meh."