Earth’s Atmosphere Under Extreme Stress

A picture of a temperature thermometer that says problem, emergency, crisis, disaster.

The Earth and the atmosphere are heating up for multiple reasons, and this is creating a global crisis.

As if the peak of the solar cycle isn’t enough to heat things up on our home planet, an increase in volcanic eruptions and wildfires are now adding to the mix.

Atmospheric heating creates changes in global climate patterns, shifts in the Jet Stream, the relocation of ocean currents, and an increase in earthquakes, volcanoes, violent storms, wildfires, and tsunamis.

Our atmosphere is under extreme stress.

Everything Is Heating Up

The Earth’s external heat is supplied by the Sun, which “drives” the atmospheric winds and the ocean currents. Today, our magnetic field is very weak, and the atmosphere has thinned considerably.

The atmosphere is saturated now with particulate matter, and the Sun keeps getting hotter – EVERYTHING – EVERYWHERE is heating up.

Increase In Volcanic Eruptions

Volcanic eruptions add to global warming in our atmosphere, and like metal on metal, the strange sounds that are heard coming from the hollows of the Earth are molten magma working its way up toward the crust as the planet continues to heat up.

A picture of a volcano erupting.

Volcanic eruptions are increasing worldwide, pumping ash into the atmosphere.

There are many volcanoes on the Earth that we cannot see, and even with all of our fancy technology, we have no clue how many active volcanoes there really are.

We do know that there are over 500 volcanoes currently active around the world, and the following list of active volcanoes are the ones we need to closely watch today because they are puffing smoke and spewing ash into the already stressed atmosphere:

  1. Tara, Batu
  2. Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia
  3. Ulawun, Papua New Guinea
  4. Ubinas, Peru
  5. Tungurahua, Ecuador
  6. Reventador, Ecuador
  7. Shiveluch, Russia
  8. Popocatepeti, Mexico
  9. Kelimutu, Indonesia
  10. Turrialba, Costa Rica
  11. Fuji, Japan
A picture of a forest wildfire.

WIldfires are increasing worldwide, adding smoke and ash into the atmosphere.

Wildfires

The Earth will continue to get hotter for several reasons. The increase in solar activity, an increase in Greenhouse gases, a rise in volcanic activity, and increasing wildfires are all happening at the same time today, and this is warming the planet all the more.

Wildfires add to the volcanic ash already smothering the atmosphere, and a change in the atmosphere, no matter how small a change, has a trickle-down effect all over the globe.

Wildfires that are now burning worldwide:

  1. Norway
  2. Estonia/Latvia
  3. Spain
  4. Colorado USA
  5. California, USA
  6. Alaska, USA
  7. Nevada, USA
  8. Montana, USA

When will things cool down? Don’t hold your breath … not anytime soon.

 

Wildfires Continue To Burn Colorado, New Mexico, And Arizona

A picture of a forest wildfire.

Thousands of acres are burning in Colorado and New Mexico.

As with Colorado and other areas in the southwest United States, New Mexico and Arizona are now inundated with wildfires.

Horse evacuation plans have been put into place in Colorado, and roads have been closed, re-opened, and closed again as the fires continue to shift and change daily.

In New Mexico, two major fires caused by lightening (the Jaroso Fire and the Silver Fire) are burning rapidly, with only 45 % of the Silver Fire contained. Fire crews have been battling both fires since early June, but so far have made little headway due to the shifting winds.

The towns of Yarnell and Peeples Valley, Arizona have now been evacuated due to fires that have burned over 8,000 acres since June 28, 2013.

Wildfire Season Getting Longer

According to scientists, an analysis of data going back to 1970 shows that wildfires increased “suddenly and dramatically” in the 1980s, and the wildfire season has gotten longer. Beginning in 1987, there was a change from infrequent fires burning for an average of one week to more frequent fires that burned five weeks or more. The average length of the wildfire season has now extended 78 days[i].

Researchers believe these changes are linked to annual spring and summer temperatures, with many more wildfires burning in hotter years than in cooler years. They also found a connection between early spring snowmelt in the mountainous regions in the United States and the occurrence of large forest fires. An earlier snowmelt can lead to an earlier and longer dry season, which provides greater opportunities for large fires.

Fires And Climate Change

“The increase in large wildfires appears to be another part of a chain of reactions to climate warming,” states Dan Cayan, Director of the Climate Research Division at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The increase in wildfires adds to the many Earth changes occurring today, signaling a planetary shift.

As the climate warms in the coming decades, atmospheric scientists at Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) expect that the frequency of wildfires will increase in many regions around the world. One important type of smoke particle, organic carbon aerosols, will increase, on average, by 40 percent over the next decade, and this, in turn, will contribute to even more global warming.

“It all fits together,” said climate researcher Anthony Westerling, Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla. “The fire seasons are starting earlier and running longer. It is consistent with a changing climate.”


[i] The Associated Press. Wildfires May Be Linked to Global Warming. July 6, 2006.

 

Global Disasters Create Floods To Wildfires

A picture of a forest wildfire.

Thousands of acres are burning in the forests and National Parks in Colorado.

Colorado Wildfires

As of June 17, 2013, four wildfires are burning the following acreage in Colorado:

  1. Royal Gorge – 3,218 acres burning
  2. Black Forest (Colorado Springs) – 14, 198 acres burning
  3. Ward Gulch (Colorado River) – 485 acres burning
  4. Big Meadows (Rocky Mountain National Park) – 604 acres burning

Tropical Disturbance Two and

Tropical Depression Four

Tropical Disturbance Two is making landfall in Central America off the Caribbean, but it has yet to be determined if this severe storm will morph into a Tropical Depression or a Cyclone. It IS expected to dump double digit rainfall onto Belize and parts of Mexico as it makes it way west into the Pacific Ocean.

Pacific-bound Tropical Depression Four is fast-tracking NNE of Manila, Philippines with wave heights now at 10 feet.

Severe Weather In Mexico

A picture of a road sign saying Stormy Weather Ahead

Severe storms are affecting countries all over the world.

Severe weather dropping very heavy rainfall is effecting the state of Coahuila in Northern Mexico where 1,000 people recently evacuated Piedras Negras. 10,000 houses and 40,000 people have been currently affected by the heavy rains from this storm.

Monsoon In India

River levels continue to rise in southern India where over 26 people have been killed in swirling waters. Early seasonal rain and flooding have impacted Nepal, New Delhi, and parts of the India/China border, but these Indian regions have suffered from droughts over the past years, and the heavy rains are actually welcomed.

Flooding Worldwide

  1. Thunderstorms – Spain
  2. Floods – France
  3. Floods – South Texas
  4. River flooding – Middle Mississippi Valley
  5. Floods – North Dakota
  6. Severe Thunderstorms – British Columbia
  7. Severe Thunderstorms – Alberta, Canada
  8. Floods – Tasmania
  9. Floods – Victoria, Australia

We’ll give the people in these regions a break and just stop the list here – we’ll let them know how many volcanoes are heating up in these same areas some other time …

A picture of a volcano erupting.

Volcanic eruptions are increasing worldwde in areas already hit with other natural disasters.