#cloud physics

Listen to The Monolith on YouTube.

I am sorry not to be able to join the press conference physically since I am on my way to the UN water conference. The report echoes the findings of all of the IPCC assessment reports since the 1990. Now with a much higher tone: the earlier theoretical risks have materialized. Climate change is already visible and it’s human, economic and social problems growing. And the other key message has been: it is extremely rational to limit climate change as compared to inaction or to face its consequences. This report shows that we are at the moment heading towards 2.2 - 3.5 °C of warming. Warming of 3 °C would have dramatic impact on human health, biosphere, food security, refugees and global economy. Many of those risks could be avoided if we would reach 1.5 °C of warming. WMO will publish its State of the Global Climate report in a few weeks, where we will show that all of the climate parameters are moving in totally the wrong direction: ocean warming, ocean acidification, melting of glaciers, sea level rise, flooding and drought events, and concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. The good news is that we have both economically and technically attractive means to limit warming even to 1.5 °C, and the transition is also a great opportunity for new businesses and financial savings. At WMO we are at the moment promoting the Early Warnings for All initiative to improve early warning systems in 100 countries which do not have proper Multi-hazard Early Warning Systems in place and have major gaps in their weather and climate observing systems. It is one of the most effective ways to mitigate climate risks. We have also a new initiative to monitor sources and sinks of CO2, CH4 and N2O by using ground based and satellite measurements and models to assess what is happening in the real atmosphere. Our scientific advisory panel and the World Climate Research Programme have recommended the establishment of a km-scale climate modeling system to considerably improve the cloud physics parameterization, and future estimates of weather extremes, like flooding and drought as well as to assess the risk of speedier melting of Antarctic glacier with dramatic, up to 10 m sea level rise risk. Finally great thanks for the authors and hosts of the TSUs for your hard work for the whole 6th assessment report series as well as for the 3 special reports.

How to Make a Cloud in Your Mouth

Learn how to make a wispy cloud come out of your mouth, even when it’s not cold out. Like any awesome trick, physics is to thank for the mouth cloud. This simple and fun demonstration can be used to explain the cloud in a bottle experiment, and real clouds in the sky.

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3 Strange-Looking Kinds of Clouds