Cold snaps, record heat waves, and droughts will come and go all over the planet regardless if there's climate change in progress or not. Establishing causality is exceedingly difficult in a system as complex as weather and climate. Nevertheless, there is now some evidence that recent droughts, geologically speaking, in California are indeed linked to warming periods in the northern hemisphere:
The researchers don't know exactly what connects Arctic temperatures to precipitation over California. However, climate models developed by others suggest that when Arctic sea ice disappears, the jet stream—high-altitude winds with a profound influence on climate—shifts north, moving precipitation away from California.
"If there is a connection to Arctic sea ice then there are big implications for us in California," Montañez said. Arctic sea ice has declined by about 3 percent a year over the past three decades, and some forecasts predict an ice-free Arctic ocean as soon as 2020.
- This give us an idea of what the center of our galaxy might look like, if the intervening gas and dust were removed. Glorious! And a little bit deadly, too. Meanwhile, a little closer to home, there is water on that there moon! Meg Marquardt has more and I briefly explain why that's extremely useful stuff.
- Recipients of the AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards have been announced and I'm pleased as punch that my friend and colleague Carl Zimmer was recognized for several science columns he wrote for the NYT. Head on over and congratulate him and check out what a little evolution can do in his article Feathers that Sing.
- A 16 year-old patient left a Houston hospital this week with a sort of partial artificial heart called a ventricular assist device that could offer hope to millions of Americans when they finally face down the nation's number one killer.
- Say hello to Aardonyx celestae: it's a new dino fossil that helps bridge the gap between smaller, bipedal critters and the largest, long necked, walking mountains of meat to ever stomp and thunder across the land.