<
https://www.hcn.org/articles/the-ramifications-of-record-shattering-heat-on-the-wests-ecosystems/>
"In March, a month traditionally known for heavy mountain snows and dreary
lower-elevation weather, a heat wave settled across the West, shattering
temperature records from Tucson, Arizona, to Casper, Wyoming.
The heat wave’s intensity and early arrival shocked many climate scientists.
“It is exceptionally difficult for the Earth system to produce temperatures
this warm so early in the season,” wrote Daniel Swain, a climatologist with the
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources who runs the Weather
West blog.
Yet not only did Western locations set new March highs; many exceeded
temperature records for
May. And those high temperatures kept hanging on,
said Zachary Labe, a climate scientist at the nonprofit science center Climate
Central, for nearly two weeks.
While heat waves are a natural phenomenon, this was the earliest and most
widespread one ever recorded in the Southwest. And it was caused by climate
change, which is making intense heat waves much more likely. Researchers say
this means understanding their fallout is even more important.
Scientists are just now beginning to understand the ramifications of a
devastating 2021 heat wave, when a massive heat dome brought 120-degree
temperatures to the Pacific Northwest, causing widespread ecological damage.
Tens of thousands of trees died. Baby birds that could not yet fly plummeted to
the ground as they tried to escape the heat. Salmon and trout suffocated in
small streams. Millions — perhaps even billions — of mussels and barnacles
cooked.
This year’s heat wave may not have had the same immediate ecological impacts,
but it comes on the heels of an already record-breaking hot, dry winter.
Researchers say 2021 holds lessons about what lies ahead for both vulnerable
and resilient species. Ecosystems, they warn, are likely to permanently change
as some species simply can’t handle the heat."
Via Joyce Donahue.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
