Climate Fact Sheets

Climate and America’s Freshwater (July 2010)

America’s diverse collection of aquatic systems are being affected by global climate trends. These trends have implications for the biological make-up of freshwater ecosystems, as well as water quality and supply.

Ecosystems, Elevation Gradients and Climate Trends (June 2010)

Life zones – areas with specific temperature and moisture conditions, along with plants and animals adapted to those conditions – change as Earth’s climate changes. The connection between changes in climate and changes in life zones is readily illustrated by ecosystem shifts in mountain areas.

Climate Change and Alpine Glaciers (April 2010)

What happens to Earth’s mountain glaciers has consequences for mountain ecosystems, freshwater resources for populations living at lower elevations, sea levels and mountain morphology. Understanding glacier dynamics and recent trends is crucial for understanding changes in the larger climate system.

Climate Variability and Renewable Energy Resources (March 2010)

Renewable sources are becoming a larger component of America’s energy supply. How much wind and solar power can be generated is variable and depends on the weather. Understanding how variations in weather and climate affect electricity generation will help investors and resource planners make more cost effective-decisions.

Tipping Elements and Feedbacks (February 2010)

Many of the large scale features that characterize Earth’s climate today, such as ice sheets, rainforests and wind regimes, are believed to have been in considerably different states tens to hundreds of thousands of years ago. This climate fact sheet discusses some of these changeable components, known as tipping elements

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (January 2010)

This climate fact sheet provides information about ENSO and related concepts, including coupled systems, ocean-atmosphere interactions and interannual variability.

Climate and Winter Recreation (December 2009)

In this fact sheet, learn how weather and climate influence a 66 billion dollar ski industry that employs 600,000 Americans.

Satellites (November 2009)

Right now, hundreds of satellites are flying through the sky above us, taking measurements of the variables that control Earth’s weather. This fact sheet discusses the basic principles behind satellite-based remote sensing.

Climate and Bird Migration (October 2009)

Learn about how climate changes – such as temperature changes, decreasing snow cover and longer growing seasons – impact bird migration.

Modeling the Earth’s Climate (September 2009)

History and developments in climate modeling. Also read about types of climate models and the differences between weather and climate models.

Climate and Civilizations of the Past (August 2009)

Read about the integral role that climate change played in the development of large scale societies.

Mineral Dust and Climate (July 2009)

Learn about the origins, properties and effects of dust suspended in our atmosphere.

Oscillations and Teleconnections (June 2009)

Information on regular shifts in sea-surface temperature distributions, why these shifts occur, and how they affect your weather.

Paleoclimate: Precambrian Time (May 2009)

The world as we know it, with continents, an oxygen-rich atmosphere and multicellular organisms did not always exist. Learn more about the first four billion years of Earth’s history.

Regional Climate and Precipitation Trends (April 2009)

Learn about regional precipitation trends in the U.S., where there was a seven to 15 percent increase in total accumulated rainfall during the 20th century.

Paleoclimate: The Quaternary Period (March 2009)

This climate fact sheet continues with our theme of the evolution of Earth’s climate system, taking us to the modern world of glacial-interglacial cycles.

Paleoclimate: The Tertiary Period (February 2009)

This fact sheet chronicles the evolution of the Earth’s climate from the demise of the dinosaurs to the beginning of the last ice age.

Winter Storm Track Variability in the Northern Hemisphere (January 2009)

This fact sheet describes some of the latest research on storm tracks and the factors that control their strength and behavior

Using the Sedimentary Record to Understand Climates of the Past (December 2008)

Did you know that cycads and palm trees lived 53 million years ago in what is now Wyoming?  Or that pebbles on the ocean bottom have been used to reconstruct the extent of glaciers during the last ice age?  This is the first of a fact sheet series on paleoclimatology, the study of climate prior to the age of weather records.

Climate Change and the Amazon (November 2008)

Learn about the interactions between Earth’s climate and the Amazon Basin.

Climate Change and Atlantic Circulation (October 2008)

From affecting tropical storm behavior to rainfall patterns to extreme winter temperatures, what happens in the Atlantic Ocean can strongly influence North America’s weather.

Climate and America’s Public Lands (September 2008)

Case studies on climate-driven changes in Glacier National Park, the Boise River Watershed, and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Climate and Ecosystems of the Far North (August 2008)

Information on climate-driven changes the Boreal Forest and Arctic Tundra regions

Agriculture (July 2008)

Describes how things like carbon dioxide concentrations, temperature increases, exteme rainfall events, etc. can impact crops and livestock.

Climate and Mosquitoes (June 2008)

Provides information on mosquito life-cycles, and how climate impacts mosquito populations and mosquito-borne diseases.

North American Wildlife (June 2008)

Information on how recent climate trends have affected North America’s wild animals.

Climate Cycles and Tropical Cyclones (May 2008)

A discussion of how natural climate cycles have likely influenced hurricane frequency and intensity over the past 5,000 years.

North American Terrestrial Ecosystems (May 2008)

Decribes how climate change can affect disturbance regimes, phenology, species composition, and cause life zone shifts.

Public Health (April 2008)

Explores how recent trends such as temperature extremes, longer growing seasons, and milder winters have impacted heat and cold related mortality, airborne allergens, and diseases.

Antarctica (March 2008)

A description of Antarctica’s regions, geologic history, interaction with global climate cycles, and recent trends in different segments of the Continent’s ice.

Drought (December 2007)

Discusses the climate variables that affect the occurrence of drought in the United States, which include the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, the El Niño Southern Oscillation cycle, and recent unidirectional climate trends.

Ocean Ecosystem Changes (November 2007)

Examples of how a general warming of ocean waters and changes in the behavior of ocean currents are affecting ocean food webs.

Weather Related Disasters (September 2007)

Information on how recent climate trends have affected the frequency and severity of weather related disasters.