Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States: a state of knowledge report from the U.S. Global Change Research Program

Executive Summary: Observations show that warming of the climate is unequivocal. The global warming observed over the past 50 years is due primarily to human-induced emissions of heat-trapping gases. These emissions come mainly from the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas), with important contributions from the clearing of forests, agricultural practices, and other activities. Warming over this century is projected to be considerably greater than over the last century. The global average temperature since 1900 has risen by about 1.5ºF. By 2100, it is projected to rise another 2 to 11.5ºF. The U.S. average temperature has risen by a comparable amount and is very likely to rise more than the global average over this century, with some variation from place to place. Several factors will determine future temperature increases. Increases at the lower end of this range are more likely if global heat-trapping gas emissions are cut substantially. If emissions continue to rise at or near current rates, temperature increases are more likely to be near the upper end of the range. Volcanic eruptions or other natural variations could temporarily counteract some of the human-induced warming, slowing the rise in global temperature, but these effects would only last a few years. Reducing emissions of carbon dioxide would lessen warming over this century and beyond. Sizable early cuts in emissions would significantly reduce the pace and the overall amount of climate change. Earlier cuts in emissions would have a greater effect in reducing climate change than comparable reductions made later. In addition, reducing emissions of some shorter-lived heat-trapping gases, such as methane, and some types of particles, such as soot, would begin to reduce warming within weeks to decades. Climate-related changes have already been observed globally and in the United States. These include increases in air and water temperatures, reduced frost days, increased frequency and intensity of heavy downpours, a rise in sea level, and reduced snow cover, glaciers, permafrost, and sea ice. A longer ice-free period on lakes and rivers, lengthening of the growing season, and increased water vapor in the atmosphere have also been observed. Over the past 30 years, temperatures have risen faster in winter than in any other season, with average winter temperatures in the Midwest and northern Great Plains increasing more than 7ºF. Some of the changes have been faster than previous assessments had suggested. These climate-related changes are expected to continue while new ones develop. Likely future changes for the United States and surrounding coastal waters include more intense hurricanes with related increases in wind, rain, and storm surges (but not necessarily an increase in the number of these storms that make landfall), as well as drier conditions in the Southwest and Caribbean. These changes will affect human health, water supply, agriculture, coastal areas, and many other aspects of society and the natural environment. This report synthesizes information from a wide variety of scientific assessments (see page 7) and recently published research to summarize what is known about the observed and projected consequences of climate change on the United States. It combines analysis of impacts on various sectors such as energy, water, and transportation at the national level with an assessment of key impacts on specific regions of the United States. For example, sea-level rise will increase risks of erosion, storm surge damage, and flooding for coastal communities, especially in the Southeast and parts of Alaska. Reduced snowpack and earlier snow melt will alter the timing and amount of water supplies, posing significant challenges for water resource management in the West. (PDF contains 196 pages)

The Little Ice Age: glacier variations and climate since AD 1250 [abstract]

EXTRACT (SEE PDF FOR FULL ABSTRACT): During the past hundred years, mountain glaciers throughout the world have retreated significantly from moraines built during the previous several centuries. In the 1930s, Francois Matthes of the U.S. Geological Survey concluded that the moraines represent the greatest advances of glaciers since the end of the last glacial age, some 10,000 years earlier, and informally referred to this late Holocene interval of expanded ice cover as the Little Ice Age.

Studies on the post-mortem changes in shrimp and prawn during ice storage. Pt. 1. Organoleptic and physical changes

The organoleptic characteristics such as appearance, textural condition, colour and odour indicated that the M. rosenbergii stored in ice for 5-6 days was acceptable for processing in the industry while P. monodon under similar ice storage condition was acceptable for 8-9 days. In both species, samples stored in headless condition in ice had longer shelf life than that of stored in head-on condition. Physical changes were evaluated by determining expressible moisture and breaking strength of sample of muscles. The expressible moisture increased continuously in both samples with the lapse of storage period. The expressible moisture increased up to around 44% in 4-5 days of ice stored M. rosenbergii muscle while it was around 40% in 8-9 days ice stored P. monodon. At the end of 9 days of ice storage, the expressible moisture content in M. rosenbergii increased up to 60%, while it was up to 47% in P. monodon after 11 days of ice storage. The breaking strength declined from 0. 78 kg/cm² to 0.53 kg/cm² in tiger shrimp after 8 days of ice storage, while in case of immediately killed prawn, the breaking strength of muscle was 0.8 kg/cm² which declined to 0.43 to 0.35 kg/cm².

Annual report 2004 - North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES). Thirteenth meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A., October 14-24, 2004

Report of Opening Session (pdf 0.07 Mb) Report of Governing Council (pdf 0.2 Mb) Report of the Finance and Administration Committee (pdf 0.08 Mb) Reports of Science Board and Committees Science Board inter-sessional meeting (pdf 0.05 Mb) Science Board (pdf 0.1 Mb) Biological Oceanography Committee (pdf 0.1 Mb) Fishery Science Committee (pdf 0.04 Mb) Marine Environmental Quality Committee (pdf 0.04 Mb) Physical Oceanography and Climate Committee (pdf 0.04 Mb) Technical Committee on Data Exchange (pdf 0.04 Mb) Reports of Sections, Working and Study Groups Harmful Algal Blooms Section (pdf 0.03 Mb) Working Group 17 on Biogeochemical data integration and synthesis (pdf 0.03 Mb) Working Group 18 on Mariculture in the 21st century - The intersection between ecology, socio-economics and production (pdf 0.06 Mb) Study Group on Ecosystem-based management science and its application to the North Pacific (pdf 0.04 Mb) Reports of the Climate Change and Carrying Capacity Program Implementation Panel on the CCCC Program (pdf 0.04 Mb) BASS Task Team (pdf 0.04 Mb) CFAME Task Team (pdf 0.04 Mb) MODEL Task Team (pdf 0.04 Mb) MONITOR Task Team (pdf 0.03 Mb) REX Task Team (pdf 0.04 Mb) Reports of Advisory Panels Advisory Panel on Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey in the North Pacific (pdf 0.4 Mb) Advisory Panel on Iron Fertilization Experiment in the Subarctic Pacific Ocean (pdf 0.03 Mb) Advisory Panel on Marine Birds and Mammals (pdf 0.04 Mb) Advisory Panel on Micronekton Sampling Inter-Calibration experiment (pdf 0.04 Mb) Summary of Scientific Sessions and Workshops (pdf 0.2 Mb) Membership List (pdf 0.07 Mb) List of Participants (pdf 0.09 Mb) List of Acronyms (pdf 0.03 Mb)

Annual report 1998 - North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES). Seventh meeting, Fairbanks, Alaska, U.S.A., October 14-25, 1998

Report of Opening Session (pdf 68 KB) Report of Governing Council Meetings (pdf 61 KB) Reports of Science Board and Committees: Science Board (pdf 56 KB) Biological Oceanography Committee (pdf 64 KB) Working Group 14: Effective sampling of micronekton to estimate ecosystem carrying capacity Working Group 11: Consumption of Marine Resources by Marine Birds and Mammals Fishery Science Committee (pdf 55 KB) Working Group 12: Crabs and Shrimps Marine Environmental Quality Committee (pdf 104 KB) Working Group 8: Practical Assessment Methodology Physical Oceanography and Climate Committee (pdf 44KB) Working Group 13: CO2 in the North Pacific Technical Committee on Data Exchange (pdf 37 KB) Implementation Panel on the CCCC Program (pdf 54 KB) Finance and Administration: Report of the Finance and Administration Committee (pdf 31 KB) Assets on 31st of December, 1997 Income and Expenditures for 1997 Budget for 1999 Composition of the Organization (pdf 27 KB) List of Participants (pdf 48 KB) List of Acronyms (pdf 13 KB)

Annual report 1993 - North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES). Second meeting, Seattle, WA, U.S.A., October 25-30, 1993

Report of Opening Session Report of Governing Council Meetings Reports of Science Board and Committees: Science Board Biological Oceanography Committee Fishery Science Committee Marine Environmental Quality Committee Physical Oceanography and Climate Committee Finance and Administration: Report of the Finance and Administration Committee Assets on 31st of December, 1992 Income and Expenditures for 1992 Budget for 1994 Composition of the Organization List of Participants (Document has 78 pages.)

First U.S. battleships through Panama Canal: Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin (postcard ca 1914)

Leonard Carpenter Panama Canal Collection. Photographs: Dredging, Soldiers, and Ships. [Box 1] from the Special Collections & Area Studies Department, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida.

U.S.S. Ohio, Panama Canal (ca. 1914)

Leonard Carpenter Panama Canal Collection. Photographs: Dredging, Soldiers, and Ships. [Box 1] from the Special Collections & Area Studies Department, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida.

U.S. Favorite, Pedro Miguel Lock - Old Timers Trip through the Canal, Jan. 20, 1928

Leonard Carpenter Panama Canal Collection. Photographs: Views of Panama and the Canal. [Box 1] from the Special Collections & Area Studies Department, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida.

80 C 143 U.S. Aeroplane carrier "Saratoga" in Guillard Cut- Panama Canal - Feb. 7, 1928

Leonard Carpenter Panama Canal Collection. Photographs: Views of Panama and the Canal. [Box 1] from the Special Collections & Area Studies Department, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida.

80 C 146 U.S. Aeroplane carrier "Saratoga" and French cruiser "Joan D'Arc" in Pedro Miguel Lock - Panama Canal - 2/7/28

Leonard Carpenter Panama Canal Collection. Photographs: Views of Panama and the Canal. [Box 1] from the Special Collections & Area Studies Department, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida.

80 C 147 U.S. Aeroplane carrier "Saratoga" and H.M.S. "Despatch" in lower chambers, Miraflores Locks - Panama Canal - 2/7/28

Leonard Carpenter Panama Canal Collection. Photographs: Views of Panama and the Canal. [Box 1] from the Special Collections & Area Studies Department, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida.