Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/category/climate/page/15/)
This includes climate change and stories about extreme weather. The main menu further divides this category with tags for drought and cold.
Although the immediate effects of the Arctic vortex storm that devastated the Midwest have passed, there is one lasting effect that Michigan residents will continue to deal with.
Jagged potholes on the state’s already-damaged roads.
In a few years, Michigan anglers might have the polar vortex to thank for good hauls.
But in a few months, they might have it to blame for particularly disappointing catches.
When last week’s snowstorm and cold spell made its way through the Great Lakes, nearly 90 percent of Lake Erie froze over, according to the NASA Earth Observatory. The colorized picture above shows ice (pale blue) and snow (blue-green) formed on top of the lake. A report by Jeff Masters, director of meteorology at Wunderground.com, showed that these high levels of ice coverage had not been seen on the Great Lakes since January 1994.
The Chicago River just west of where it enters Lake Michigan with what is known as brash ice, floating fragments of ice usually less than two meters across. Image: Greg Monahan
This color-enhanced picture from the NASA Earth Observatory shows how the cold air moving across warmer waters of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior during this week’s arctic storm transformed water vapor into steam fog. NASA says one of its satellites on Jan. 6 captured the data used here to illustrate the difference between snow (bright orange), water clouds (white), and mixed clouds (peach). Here’s what steam fog looked like near Chicago and from the ground view.
Take a look at the NASA Earth Observatory’s remarkable photo of the gigantic snowstorm this week that affected all of the Great Lakes region, plus many other states.
Public interest in (and donations for) the devastating Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines is alarmingly low compared to similar recent international disasters, a recent report says.
But some Michigan residents, like Hollyann Powers and her family, are working to make sure information gets out – and leads to action.
Throughout the 20th century large investments of time and money were made to help restore big game populations across the U.S.
Many of these efforts were successful and continue today. But they may be short lived.
According to a new report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 40 percent of the world’s population will live under severe water stress by 2050. While the Great Lakes region is water rich, the report suggest that even water wealthy areas should work toward adaptive policies to secure freshwater’s future.
Wetlands have been drained for farming and development and blamed for obstructing lake views.
Researchers are studying how they combat climate change, countering the impact of fossil fuel emissions by storing all that extra carbon.