The American Meteorological Society continuously publishes research on climate, weather, and water in its 12 journals. Many of these articles are available for early online access–they are peer-reviewed, but not yet in their final published form. Below are some recent examples.
JOURNAL ARTICLES
Climate Change Increases Energy Demand and Cost in Texas
Weather, Climate, and Society
Climate change is driving large increases in electricity demand and costs in Texas’ ERCOT market. Compared to a 1950–1980 baseline climate, ERCOT electricity demand in 2023 was 1.9 GW (3.9%) higher because of the extreme temperatures that year — climate change contributed 47% of this increase. The total cost of electricity increased by $7.6B ($290 per ERCOT customer; as demand on the grid increases, so does the price per unit of electricity) and climate change contributed about 29% of this. Increasing power supply and transmission as well as reducing demand could help ease this burden.
The Changing Nature of Atmospheric Rivers
Journal of Climate
Atmospheric rivers are “more frequent, larger, and moister” now. Atmospheric rivers (ARs), responsible for a large proportion of mid-latitude extreme precipitation, are projected to intensify due to warmer air’s ability to hold more moisture. This study finds that ARs globally have already become more frequent, larger, and moister during 1980–2023, with extreme ARs becoming more intense at an even faster rate.
Diagnostic Study of Seasonal Prediction of Malaria: A Case Study in Senegal, West Africa
Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology
Predicting malaria outbreaks five months in advance. Sea-surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the tropical Pacific and Atlantic Oceans are strongly correlated with malaria outbreaks in Senegal, based on data from 1982–2010. Cool SSTs in the tropical Pacific translate to increased rain over Senegal, boosting mosquito populations and malaria transmission, while a dipole climate pattern in the Atlantic is correlated with less malaria transmission. Both have a five-month lead time, which may help health authorities prepare.
Drivers of Regional Variation in the De-Emergence of Climate Change under Negative Emissions
Journal of Climate
Decades after greenhouse gas reductions, only a few regions will return to pre-industrial temps. Assuming that global warming goes beyond a 1.5°C threshold, attempts at large-scale atmospheric greenhouse gas reductions will take some time to return most of the Earth to pre-industrial conditions, this modeling study suggests. After several decades, the only areas most likely to “de-emerge” from global warming are “Northwestern Eurasia and a small area off West Antarctica, and to a lesser extent parts of North America and East Asia,” the authors’ findings suggest.
The Imminent Data Desert: The Future of Stratospheric Monitoring in a Rapidly Changing World
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
Loss of two aging satellite instruments will create “data desert” around stratospheric composition. The ACE-FTS and MLS satellite instruments have played a vital role in advancing understanding of stratospheric composition and the impacts of human activities on the ozone layer. As these instruments near the end of their operational lifetimes, the imminent loss of data portends profound and irrevocable gaps in atmospheric observations, which the authors suggest will hinder our understanding of climate change.
Relationships between Environmental Parameters and Storm Observations in Po Valley: Are They Climate–Change Invariant?
Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology
Predicting storms in a warming climate proves tricky. Radiosonde observations in the Po Valley region of Italy over 1992–2022 show upward trends in temperature and other factors (particularly those linked to water content and potential instability) that normally favor convective storm formation and intensification. However, actual observations of storms show no significant increase. “The development of storms is a highly complex phenomenon,” the authors note. Storm activity under climate change may not always be predictable based solely on increases in parameters we normally associate with storms.
How Do Vulnerable People Adapt to the Impact of Sedimentation in the Haor Wetlands of North-Eastern Bangladesh?
Weather, Climate, and Society
Coping with a ‘silent’ disaster in Bangladesh. Increasing flash floods in northeastern Bangladesh bring sedimentation that destroys wetlands and properties and blocks water channels, with disastrous consequences for agriculture, fisheries, and dry-season water supplies. In response, local households often borrow money unsustainably, decrease spending, sell assets at a loss, allow child labor, work for almost nothing, or migrate to other areas. Alternative strategies can help mitigate harm – including some types of agricultural adaptation, resource sharing, water storage, constructing sustainable dikes, and building houses at higher elevations. Success requires support from governments and NGOs as well as improved international watershed management.
You can view all research published in AMS Journals at journals.ametsoc.org.
About the American Meteorological Society
The American Meteorological Society advances the atmospheric and related sciences, technologies, applications, and services for the benefit of society. Founded in 1919, AMS has a membership of around 12,000 professionals, students, and weather enthusiasts. AMS publishes 12 atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic science journals; hosts more than 12 conferences annually; and offers numerous programs and services. Visit us at www.ametsoc.org/.
About AMS Journals
The American Meteorological Society continuously publishes research on climate, weather, and water in its 12 journals. Some AMS journals are open access. Media login credentials are available for subscription journals. Journals include the Bulletin of the American Meteorolocial Society, Weather, Climate, and Society, the Journal of Climate, and Monthly Weather Review.
END
