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This winter has been a warm one, but it isn't in the top ten just yet.  As of Tuesday, February 28, 2012, this winter ranks as the 11th warmest.  It might edge into the top ten thanks to a leap year. Winters have been warming over the past few decades nationwide.  Here in South Carolina the winters have warm about 2 degrees F over the past 35 years.  The South has always enjoyed milder winters, but this has been more so lately in spite of the last two winters. This map shows the average winter temperature trend 1976-2010.  Image Credit: Climate Central. The warming has had benefits and problems.  Problems have included more summer insects, fewer chilling hours for peaches, and drier conditions.  However, one of the benefits has been a longer growing season.  The growing season has expanded by one week in the Midlands over the past 35 years. The number of below freezing days in Columbia.  To see the interactive graphic, click here .  Ima...

As a youngster growing up in Florida I often read about the Indian civilizations in Central America.  The two most talked about in history classes were the Aztec and Maya.  The Mayan civilization was considered one of the most advanced civilizations of its time.  They made significant contributions to math and astronomy. Mayan Temple The Mayan civilization ranged over what is now southern Mexico, Guatemala, and parts of Honduras.  Their cities were large with ceremonial pyramids.  They developed quite a culture with fine sculptures, paintings, and ceramics. Yet, the civilization collapsed between 800-950 B.C.  There have been a number of theories put forth to explain the collapse.  These include, drought, disease, and sociopolitical conflicts.  None of these can be ruled out, but it appears that whatever the ultimate cause was climate change stands out. A paper has just been published in Science by British and Mexican scientists.  Here are ex...

The media got wind of a story released by NASA and the headline was irresistible.  It was a NASA-funded university study based on NASA satellite data.  Earth's clouds got a little lower, about one percent on average, during the first decade of this century. Scientists at the University of Auckland in New Zealand analyzed the first 10 years of global cloud-top height measurements (from March 2000 to February 2010) from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft. The study, published recently in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, revealed an overall trend of decreasing cloud height. Global average cloud height declined by around one percent over the decade, or by around 100 to 130 feet (30 to 40 meters). Most of the reduction was due to fewer clouds occurring at very high altitudes. Data from NASA's MISR instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft show that global average cloud height declined by about 1 percent over t...