Category Archives: Climate Issues

Climate Issues, Education, Nutrient Management, Soils

NASA’s Aquarius Returns Global Maps of Soil Moisture | The Water Network | by TallyFox

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NASA’s Aquarius Returns Global Maps of Soil Moisture | The Water Network | by TallyFox.

via NASA’s Aquarius Returns Global Maps of Soil Moisture | The Water Network | by TallyFox.

Scientists working with data from NASA’s Aquarius instrument have released worldwide maps of soil moisture, showing how the wetness of the land fluctuates with the seasons and weather phenomena.

Soil moisture, the water contained within soil particles, is an important player in Earth’s water cycle. It is essential for plant life and influences weather and climate. Satellite readings of soil moisture will help scientists better understand the climate system and have potential for a wide range of applications, from advancing climate models, weather forecasts, drought monitoring and flood prediction to informing water management decisions and aiding in predictions of agricultural productivity.

Launched June 10, 2011, aboard the Argentinian spacecraft Aquarius/Satélite de Aplicaciones Científicas (SAC)-D, Aquarius was built to study the salt content of ocean surface waters. The new soil wetness measurements were not in the mission’s primary science objectives, but a NASA-funded team led by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers has developed a method to retrieve soil moisture data from the instrument’s microwave radiometer.

The Aquarius measurements are considerably coarser in spatial resolution than the measurements from the upcoming NASASoil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, which was specifically designed to provide the highest quality soil moisture measurements available, including a spatial resolution 10 times that offered by Aquarius.

Climate Issues, Water~Energy Nexus

Bipartisan Report Tallies High Toll on Economy From Global Warming – NYTimes.com

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Bipartisan Report Tallies High Toll on Economy From Global Warming – NYTimes.com.

via Bipartisan Report Tallies High Toll on Economy From Global Warming – NYTimes.com.

More than a million homes and businesses along the nation’s coasts could flood repeatedly before ultimately being destroyed. Entire states in the Southeast and the Corn Belt may lose much of their agriculture as farming shifts northward in a warming world. Heat and humidity will probably grow so intense that spending time outside will become physically dangerous, throwing industries like construction and tourism into turmoil.

That is a picture of what may happen to the United States economy in a world of unchecked global warming, according to a major new report released Tuesday by a coalition of senior political and economic figures from the left, right and center, including three Treasury secretaries stretching back to the Nixon administration.

Climate Issues, Green Infrastructure, Innovation In Sanitation, Integrated Water Resources, Sustainable Water Management, Urban & Suburban, Water

Where Can I Get More Training? | Green Infrastructure | US EPA

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Where Can I Get More Training? | Green Infrastructure | US EPA.

EPA is pleased to announce a brand-new webcast series on implementing green infrastructure. This page provides information on the 2014 webcast series, as well as links to archived webcasts and a summary of certification programs. To be added to a mailing list for additional training opportunities, please send an email to join-greenstream@lists.epa.gov.

First Webcast: January 7th, 2014
1:00pm – 2:30pm EST

Register!

O&M and Green:
Best Practices for Green Infrastructure Operations and Maintenance
Climate Issues, Education, Integrated Water Resources, Sustainable Water Management, Urban & Suburban, Water Conservation

What to Plant | WaterSense | US EPA

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What to Plant | WaterSense | US EPA.

The United States has many different climate zones and topographic and geographic features. Each state and even areas within states differ in their ability to support different plant species without the need for supplemental water and fertilizers. The following plant lists will help you identify plants appropriate for your location. When designing your landscape for water-efficiency, be sure to choose plants that are defined as low water use or drought tolerant for your area. These plant species will be able to survive in your climate with minimal, if any, need for supplemental watering. See these simple tips for water-efficient landscaping for more ideas on lowering water use in your yard.

Climate Issues, Nutrient Management

Climate Change to Increase Lake Erie “Dead Zones” | Michigan Today

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Climate Change to Increase Lake Erie “Dead Zones” | Michigan Today.

The green scum shown in this image is the worst algae bloom Lake Erie has experienced in decades. (Landsat image created for NASA’s Earth Observatory by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using data provided courtesy of the United States Geological Survey.)

The green scum shown in this image is the worst algae bloom Lake Erie has experienced in decades. (Landsat image created for NASA’s Earth Observatory by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using data provided courtesy of the United States Geological Survey.)

Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of intense spring rain storms in the Great Lakes region throughout this century and will likely add to the number of harmful algal blooms and “dead zones” in Lake Erie, unless additional conservation actions are taken, says aquatic ecologist Donald Scavia.