Clipmarks | Tropics Clips

Tropical downpours 'becoming more intense'

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 06:46:08 GMT

clipped by: pokkets

Alister Doyle

Tropical downpours are becoming more frequent and the trend seems worse than expected, bringing greater risks of flash floods, say scientists.

Writing in the journal Science, a team of scientists from England and the US, say the trend towards extreme soakings was stronger than predicted by computer models "implying that projections of future changes in rainfall extremes ... may be underestimated".

findings were based on a study of the tropical ocean rainstorms since the 1980s

"As the tropics warm we are seeing an increased frequency in the heaviest rainfall," says Dr Richard Allan of the University of Reading, who co-authored a study of tropical rains with Professor Brian Soden of the University of Miami.

The study provides the first observational evidence to confirm computer models that predict more intense cloudbursts because of global warming stoked by human activities

The satellite data showed two to three times more intense downpours than predicted by the climate models

World's Smallest Snake

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:22:26 GMT

clipped by: nhorn

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - A U.S. scientist said Sunday he has discovered the globe's tiniest species of snake in the easternmost Caribbean island of Barbados, with full-grown adults typically stretching less than 4 inches (10 centimeters) long.

"New and interesting species are still being discovered on Caribbean islands, despite the very small amount of natural forests remaining," said Hedges, who christened the miniature brown snake "Leptotyphlops carlae" after his herpetologist wife, Carla Ann Hass.

The Barbadian snake apparently eats termites and insect larvae, but nothing is yet known of its ecology and behavior. Genetic tests identified the snake as a new species, according to Hedges. It is not venomous.

McDiarmid said the Barbados creature is a type of thread snake, also called worm snake, which are mostly found in the tropics. "We really know very little about these things," he said in a Sunday telephone interview from his Virginia home.

Tags: snakes, animals

penguins head north

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:25:53 GMT

clipped by: zadoz

Clip Source: www.news.com.au

Penguins wash up in the tropics

PENGUINS are washing up on tropical beaches - leaving scientists baffled as to why the Antarctic birds are heading closer to the equator than ever before.

About 300 penguins have recently been found dead and alive along the coast of the Brazil' s Bahia state, 1200km northeast of Rio de Janeiro, the Associated Press reports.

The area is more renowned as a place to get a tan than it is to spot penguins. Its capital Salvador is closer to the equator than Cairns in northern Queensland and its temperature has hovered around 20 degrees Celsius this month.

Mr Silva said biologists believe stronger-than-usual ocean currents had pulled the birds north but others have said overfishing and warmer ocean temperatures may have led the birds to search for food further north than their normal Antarctic and Patagonian habitats.

Up to 90 of the penguins found alive had since died in animal hospitals struggling to deal with the influx.

Tags: penguins

Supercontinent Pangea Gets Climate Rethink

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:25:10 GMT

clipped by: revenantdm
clipper's remarks: From Discovery... Topic interested me as it has been some time since any rethinking of the Ancient Past stagnated after the Kahoutek Comet hit Earth and resulting global cooling killed off the dinosaurs. The Paleozoic Age is history's most diverse zoological period other than modern times. Learning more of this ancient past helps us understand the cycle of life and death that wipes out upwards of 92% of Earth species when the cycle occurs. The relative time-frame is every 50 million years o0r so.. The last one? The destruction caused by Kahoutek was roughly 65 million years ago.

To Say the Least, We are Overdue...

Clip Source: dsc.discovery.com

Supercontinent Pangea Gets Climate Rethink

Unaweep Canyon

July 28, 2008 -- Once thought temperate, the climate on Earth 300 million years ago may have gotten far colder than scientists ever suspected.

Scientists tend to think that life on the great supercontinent Pangea enjoyed weather that was similar to today's. With an ice sheet dominating the landscape near the south pole, there was certainly an occasional cold snap, but the tropics are believed to have been hot and humid

They've found evidence that a massive glacier lived near the equator

further south and closer to sea level than thought

If true,

the climate during the late Paleozoic Era was even chillier than during the last Ice Age

could also have been extremely volatile, swinging in wild cycles

Gerilyn Soreghan of Oklahoma University

discovered strange rocks

floor of the remote Unaweep Canyon, high on the Colorado Pleateau

Clip Source: dsc.discovery.com

If Unaweep were carved by a huge tongue of ice in the late Paleozoic

it just stayed a lot colder all of the time

Tags: pangea, ice age, glaciers, unaweep canyon, paleozoic, climate change

Events for July 25, 2008 Vegas 10

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:59:57 GMT

clipped by: skwirlinator

Clip Source: www.lasvegassun.com

Kenny Dee Band: Rock 'n' Roll the way it was meant to be played. at Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon, 8 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. (Free)

Binion's $120 Buy-In Daily Poker Tournament: No limit Hold'em at Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel, 8 p.m. ($120)

Live Entertainment : Inside Club Armadillo at Texas Station Gambling Hall and Hotel, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. (Free)

Super Summer Theatre presents "1776": Outdoor theatre at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, 8 p.m. ($10)

Jim Gaffigan: Comedian from TBS series "My Boys." at Mandalay Bay, 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. ($63.05)

Gilby Clarke: Friday night at Wasted Space. at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, 8 p.m.

Social Dance Parties: Mingle while learning a few new steps. at Dance Charisma, 8:15 p.m. ($10)

Tropics Lounge Karaoke: It's karaoke time at the Tropics Lounge. at Tropicana Resort & Casino, 8:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Dance and DJs at Ra Sushi: Let loose on the weekends with a live DJ. at Ra Sushi at the Fashion Show, 8:30 p.m. to 11:59 a.m.

Tags: events, july 25, 2008, vegas, birthday

Dr. David Evans: Australian Greenhouse Office - 1999 to 2005

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:57:50 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: There has not been a public debate about the causes of global warming and most of the public and our decision makers are not aware of the most basic salient facts:

1. The greenhouse signature is missing. We have been looking and measuring for years, and cannot find it.

The signature of an increased greenhouse effect is a hot spot about 10km up in the atmosphere over the tropics. We have been measuring the atmosphere for decades using radiosondes: weather balloons with thermometers that radio back the temperature as the balloon ascends through the atmosphere. They show no hot spot. Whatsoever.

If there is no hot spot then an increased greenhouse effect is not the cause of global warming. So we know for sure that carbon emissions are not a significant cause of the global warming. If we had found the greenhouse signature then I would be an alarmist again.

When the signature was found to be missing in 2007 (after the latest IPCC report),

Clip Source: www.theaustralian.news.com.au

When I started that job in 1999 the evidence that carbon emissions caused global warming seemed pretty good: CO2 is a greenhouse gas, the old ice core data, no other suspects.

The evidence was not conclusive, but why wait until we were certain when it appeared we needed to act quickly? Soon government and the scientific community were working together and lots of science research jobs were created. We scientists had political support, the ear of government, big budgets, and we felt fairly important and useful (well, I did anyway). It was great. We were working to save the planet.

But since 1999 new evidence has seriously weakened the case that carbon emissions are the main cause of global warming, and by 2007 the evidence was pretty conclusive that carbon played only a minor role and was not the main cause of the recent global warming. As Lord Keynes famously said, "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?"

Tags: carbon emissions, radiosondes thermometers, weather balloons, greenhouse signature

Corals, Already in Danger, Are Facing New Threat From Farmed Algae

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:19:37 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Corals are being covered and smothered to death by a bushy seaweed that is so tough even algae-grazing fish avoid it. It settles in the reef’s crevices that fish once called home, driving them away.

Dead coral stops supporting the ecosystem and, within a couple of decades, it will crumble into rubble, allowing big ocean waves to reach the beach during storms and destroy the flimsy thatched huts of the Micronesians.

This equatorial island of 4,000 people is the latest victim of a 30-year global effort to encourage poor people in the coastal areas of the tropics to grow seaweed that, while not edible, produces carrageenan, an increasingly sought-after binder and fat substitute used in the food industry, notably in ice cream.

the industry has lost money almost every year and the farmers have shown little enduring enthusiasm for the crop.

Tags: environment, sea, coral, i-destruction, i-increase

Top 10 Flavor Pairings

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 04:31:49 GMT

clipped by: willhelm
clipper's remarks: Recipes for each pairing included at site.

Clip Source: www.mccormickgourmet.com

The intersection of functional food and fantastic flavor, this coupling is an antioxidant powerhouse.

A flavor match made in heaven taps into America's growing passion for indulgent, yet approachable luxury.

Old world authenticity in a modern context – the result is complex heat, depth, dimension and richness.

The essence of the tropics coaxes nuances of a chameleon-like spice bringing forth light, clean flavors.

Exotic fruits from far away and the ever-growing popularity of Asian cuisines pave the way for this refreshing match.

This duo brings together Latin and Asian influences to create a unique flavor experience.

A new taste sensation is born when the smokiness of wood is matched with tangy orange peel.

This adventurous combination represents America's pursuit of experimentation.

An elegant and sensuous pair that captures the pursuit of cuisines from North Africa and the Middle East.

Tropical biodiversity on "a trajectory toward disaster"

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:44:27 GMT

clipped by: BirdBarista
clipper's remarks: Corey JA Bradshaw, Navjot S Sodhi, and Barry W Brook (2008). Tropical turmoil: a biodiversity tragedy in progress. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 2009: 7, doi:10.1890/070193

Clip Source: news.mongabay.com

Bradshaw and colleagues note that while more than 60 percent of known biodiversity is found in the tropics, these regions face an onslaught of threats, including high population growth, poverty, poor governance and corruption, and "unprecedented" rates of habitat loss. Degradation and destruction of these ecosystems not only put biodiversity at risk but threatens human well-being.

Market hunting is leaving some forests "empty" of key seed dispersers.

"The majority of the world's population live in the tropics and what is at stake is the survival of species that pollinate most of the world's food crops, purify our water systems, attenuate severe flood risk, sequester carbon... and modify climate."

Bradshaw and colleagues argue that valuing ecosystems for the services they provide will be a critical step to protecting them for the benefit of future generations.

Next decade 'may see no warming'

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 06:51:20 GMT

clipped by: MyndSurfer
clipper's remarks: ... but then the warming takes off again....

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Next decade 'may see no warming'

A new computer model developed by German researchers, reported in the journal Nature, suggests the cooling will counter greenhouse warming.

However, temperatures will again be rising quickly by about 2020, they say.

The key to the new prediction is the natural cycle of ocean temperatures called the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), which is closely related to the warm currents that bring heat from the tropics to the shores of Europe.

The cause of the oscillation is not well understood, but the cycle appears to come round about every 60 to 70 years.

It may partly explain why temperatures rose in the early years of the last century before beginning to cool in the 1940s.

His group's projection diverges from other computer models only for about 15-20 years; after that, the curves come back together and temperatures rise.

marriage

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:56:41 GMT

clipped by: tusky

Clip Source: www.poemhunter.com

And to melt the tears there's a heat wave here

We still sit at separate tables
And we sleep at different times
And the warm wind in the palm trees

Hasn't helped to change our minds

It was the lure of the tropics
That I thought might heal the scars
Of a love burned out by silence

In a marriage minus heart

And I call the kids on the telephone
Say there's something wrong out here
It's July but it's cold as Christmas

In the middle of the year

The temperature's up to ninety five
But there's a winter look in your mother's eyes
And to melt the tears there's a heat wave here

So how come it's cold as Christmas in the middle of the year

I dreamed of love in a better climate
And for what it's really worth
I put faith in the star we followed

To this Caribbean surf

But there's an icy fringe on everything
And I cannot find the lines
Where's the beauty in the beast we made
Why the frost in the summertime

Saving the Coral

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:38:11 GMT

clipped by: ruralart

Clip Source: www.nature.org

World Ocean Day is June 8. Celebrate by helping us rescue the coral reefs of the tropics. With your help, we can protect the world’s beautiful seascapes and Rescue the Reef!

Just below the water's surface lies a magical world teeming with life and value. Coral reefs are home to 4,000 fish species and provide the world with goods and services — such as jobs, foods, medicines and storm protection — worth $375 billion annually.

But scientists estimate that 70 percent of all corals reefs could be lost by 2050 if current rates of destruction continue — from factors ranging from overfishing to climate change.

That's why The Nature Conservancy is supporting three major policy efforts by island nations around the world to conserve marine diversity — the Micronesia Challenge, the Coral Triangle Initiative and the newly launched Caribbean Challenge, which is being aided by a $20 million Conservancy pledge.

aim of protecting 20 percent of the region's marine and coastal habitat by 2020

Tags: coral, caribbean, conservation, nature

Melting methane thawed frozen planet

Thu, 29 May 2008 12:01:25 GMT

clipped by: pokkets

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

The rapid release of methane into the earth's atmosphere 635 million years ago caused runaway global warming, and may happen again in the near future, a new study reports.

Snowball earth

The study, which appears in this week's edition of Nature, provides an insight into what may happen to the earth's atmosphere if today's frozen methane deposits in Canada, Siberia and Alaska begin to thaw.

During the Cryogenian period (850-630 million years), earth was completely frozen over, with glaciers that crept down into the tropics and possibly even reached the equator.

Also known as the 'snowball earth' era, the planet's chill was self-sustaining.

The ice covering the planet forms a brilliant white shell that reflected the sun's rays, preventing the surface from warming.

But after 155 million years of being in a deep freeze the earth warmed dramatically.

Scientists now point the finger at methane clathrates. These methane-rich ice deposits form under ice sheets at specific temperatures and pressures.

Parrot Fossil 55 Million Years Old Discovered In Scandinavia

Sun, 18 May 2008 15:50:26 GMT

clipped by: Mohir

Clip Source: www.sciencedaily.com

Palaeontologists have discovered fossil remains in Scandinavia of parrots dating back 55 million years. Reported May 14 in the journal Palaeontology, the fossils indicate that parrots once flew wild over what is now Norway and Denmark.

Parrots today live only in the tropics and southern hemisphere, but this new research suggests that they first evolved in the North, much earlier than had been thought.

The fossil parrot was discovered on the Isle of Mors in the northwest of Denmark – far from where you’d normally expect to find a parrot. It’s a new species, officially named 'Mopsitta tanta'. However, already its nick-name is the ‘Danish Blue Parrot’, a term derived from a famous comedy sketch about a 'Norwegian Blue Parrot' in the 1970s BBC television programme ‘Monty Python’.

At around 55 million years old, this is very much an ex-parrot. Indeed, Mopsitta represents the oldest and most northerly convincing remains of a parrot ever to have been discovered.

Tags: parrot, evolution

Environmental warning sins of doom

Wed, 07 May 2008 17:11:05 GMT

clipped by: papananook

Clip Source: community.livejournal.com

Dead ducks put Canada oil sands impact into focus. “Canada and the energy-rich province of Alberta are finding that nothing stains an oil supplier's environmental image, or emboldens its critics, like several hundred dead ducks. With 500 waterfowl killed in oily wastewater at the country's largest oil sands plant this week, government and industry now face a new struggle to convince the world they are not just paying lip service to cleaning up operations."

Low autumn flows sink Murray hopes. “South Australian Minister for the River Murray and Water Security Karlene Maywald said Lake Albert, at the bottom of the Murray, was in a critical state due to acid sulphate soils. 'We are going to see complete and utter ecological collapse unless we can raise the water level,' she said."

Tropics insects ‘face extinction’. “Many tropical insects face extinction by the end of this century unless they adapt to the rising global temperatures predicted, US scientists have said.”