What you're seeing are wet microbursts—intense downdrafts from thunderstorms that slam rain into the ground, creating those stunning lobes. Like a reverse explosion from the sky. Captured in Perth, #Australia
This is phenomenal geology humor (full video at www.instagram.com/reel/DHHL3fI...)
That’s a great point. I think it’s really hard to communicate the “so what?” of nonlinear outcomes from complex systems interactions to the general public. It’s hard enough for us scientists to understand!
I wonder, is any research happening in risk communication to find better ways of doing so?
From 1.5C to 2C of global warming is an increase by 33.3 percent. Many people assume that the negative impacts of this would also increase by only 33.3 percent. Unfortunately, that is not the case. The increase is non-linear.
This is one of the biggest missing pieces in public climate literacy.
I often show my students this visualization of how atmospheric CO₂ travels around the globe. Our attitude toward burning fossil fuels would change significantly if we could actually see CO₂.
svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/goto?11719
This graphic shows four line graph time series and each are monthly from January 1984 through October 2024. The first graph is a 12-month running mean of global mean surface temperature anomalies. Anomalies are computed relative to a 1991-2020 baseline using ERA5 data. The second graph is monthly carbon dioxide abundance. The CO2 graph is the Keeling Curve. Current levels are 422 ppm. The third graph is monthly global methane abundance. Current levels are 1921 ppb. The fourth graph is monthly global nitrous oxide abundance. Current levels are 338 ppb. The three greenhouse gases show seasonal cycles and long-term increasing trends using data from NOAA ESRL. The global mean surface temperature anomaly record also exhibits decadal variability and a long-term increasing trend. All graphs are rising and shown in four different colors, including white, yellow, orange, and pink.
My November climate indicator update...
Graphic available at zacklabe.com/climate-chan... ⚒️🧪🌊
