season

Wine And Wildfire Smoke | Earth Wise

September 22, 2021 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Rising global temperatures have made droughts and heatwaves more common and intense, leading to larger and more destructive wildfires. In 2020, wildfires in California blackened more than 4 million acres, the largest wildfire season on record. With its continuing drought, California has already had 1.5 million acres burned by wildfires this year, and the fires continue.

Wildfires can cause extensive damage throughout the agricultural industry by destroying crops and killing livestock. But the fires can have a unique effect on the wine industry: wine grapes can be affected by smoke taint.

Vineyards have demonstrated themselves to be good fire breaks. They definitely help prevent the movement of wildfires. But there is no way to stop smoke from the fires from drifting into vineyards. By far, the damage caused by smoke far outweighs direct losses from fires in vineyards.

Winemakers sometimes add subtle smoky notes to their vintages by aging them in toasted oak barrels. But wildfire smoke permeating vineyards – even from distant blazes – can end up making wines undrinkable. Smoke-tainted wines end up having unpleasant aromas that people describe as being like disinfectants or burnt rubber.

With wildfires an increasingly persistent presence in California, the state’s $43 billion wine industry is facing a major challenge. An estimated 165,000 to 325,000 tons of California wine grapes went unharvested last year, adding up to more than $600 million in losses from fire and smoke. The industry will need to figure out ways to detect and manage smoke taint as the problem isn’t going to go away.

**********

Web Links

Wildfire Smoke: An Emerging Threat to West Coast Wines

Photo, posted July 25, 2021, courtesy of Felton Davis via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Tracking Ocean Plastics | Earth Wise

July 30, 2021 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Plastic pollution in the oceans is a major problem. An estimated 8 million tons of plastic trash enters the ocean every year. Most of it is broken up by sun and waves into microplastics, which are tiny bits that ride currents for hundreds or thousands of miles. All of this debris is harmful to marine ecosystems, and it is both challenging to track and very difficult to clean up.

University of Michigan researchers have developed a new technique for spotting and tracking ocean microplastics across the globe. The approach relies on the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, or CYGNSS, which is a constellation of eight microsatellites launched in 2016 to monitor weather near large storm systems. It turns out that the radar systems on CYGNSS that measure surface roughness to calculate the wind speed near the eyes of hurricanes can also be used to detect the presence of microplastics.

With the satellite measurements, the researchers have found that global microplastic concentrations tend to vary by season, peaking during the summer months. For example, June and July are the peak months for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The data also showed spikes in microplastic concentration at the mouth of China’s Yangtze River, long suspected to be a chief source of plastic pollution. The researchers produced visualizations that show microplastic concentrations around the world.

The information provided by the new technique could help organizations that clean up microplastics to deploy ships and other resources more efficiently. Data of single-point release of plastics, such as from rivers, may also be useful to UNESCO, which has sponsored a task force to find new ways to track the release of microplastics into the world’s waters.

**********

Web Links

Ocean microplastics: First global view shows seasonal changes and sources

Photo, posted April 3, 2018, courtesy of Rey Perezoso via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

A Dangerous Fire Season | Earth Wise

June 9, 2021 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

The western United States is entering the fire season under much worse drought conditions than last year. Last year, 15,800 square miles burned in the U.S., mostly in the West.

The western U.S. is in the midst of a 20-year mega-drought. Rainfall in the Rocky Mountains and farther west was the second lowest on record this April. The soil in the western half of the country is the driest it has been since 1895.

The situation is particularly bad in California and the Southwest. In March, less than a third of California was experiencing extreme or exceptional drought. Now, 73% of the state is. A year ago, a record-breaking fire season burned 4% of the state and, at that time, only 3% of California was in a state of extreme drought.

A year ago, no parts of Arizona, Nevada, or Utah were in extreme or exceptional drought. Now, more than 90% of Utah, 86% of Arizona, and 75% of Nevada face severe drought conditions. At this time last year, only 4% of New Mexico faced extreme drought but 77% does now.

These extreme drought conditions, which are believed to be linked to climate change, are causing increased tree mortality among many species, ranging from junipers in the Southwest even to drought-tolerant blue oaks in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Conditions are extremely ripe for a lot of forest fire this year. Last year was a terrible year for wildfires in the West and we are heading into a fire season with much drier fuels than there were last year. The risks of great damage from wildfires are higher than ever.

**********

Web Links

US West Enters Fire Season Facing Extremely Dry Conditions

Photo, posted September 18, 2020, courtesy of USFS/National Interagency Fire Center via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Not All Eggs In One Basket | Earth Wise

March 2, 2021 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Sea turtles lay their eggs in burrows on sandy beaches. Many species lay their eggs on the exact same beach year after year. On average, sea turtles lay over 100 eggs in a nest and produce between 2 and 8 nests per season.

Animals that produce such large numbers of eggs have this reproductive strategy because so few survive to adulthood. Sea turtle eggs and hatchlings face numerous threats including powerful storms, poachers, marauding birds, and more. Estimates are that only one in thousand sea turtle eggs leads to an adult turtle.

A recent study by the University of South Florida looked at the reproductive strategy of loggerhead sea turtles nesting on Keewaydin Island off the southwestern Gulf coast of Florida. The researchers found that individual females lay numerous clutches of eggs in locations as much as six miles apart from each other to increase the chance that some of their offspring will survive.

As the saying goes, nesting loggerhead turtles don’t lay all their eggs in one basket. The researchers compare the turtles’ strategy to investing in a mutual fund. The female turtles divide their resources among many stocks rather than investing everything in a single stock.

During their 50-year lifetime, a single female loggerhead will produce over 4,000 eggs and scatter them at 40 different sites. This strategy helps reduce the risk of complete reproductive failure caused by hurricanes and thunderstorms that could wash out or flood all their clutches. The combination of unpredictable patterns of nests over time and space results in nearly two-thirds of loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings making it into the Gulf of Mexico. The species still faces significant challenges but it is doing its part to try to survive.

**********

Web Links

Not all in one basket: Loggerhead sea turtles lay eggs in multiple locations to improve reproductive success

Photo, posted January 27, 2012, courtesy of Jeroen Looye via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Fall Safety Tips | Earth Wise

November 4, 2020 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

The fall season has its own weather-related hazards, such as raging wildfires across the West and a busy hurricane season in the Atlantic. There might even be snow in some places. The National Weather Service issued a set of four broad safety tips for being prepared for the dangers of fall weather.

With regard to wildfires, it is important for smokers to properly discard cigarettes, for people to avoid activities with open flames or sparks, and to use fire-resistant landscaping around our homes. The Weather Service issues Red Flag Warnings when conditions are ripe for wildfires.

In this busy hurricane season, even people who don’t live in hurricane surge evacuation areas need to know their home’s vulnerability to damage from high winds and inland flooding. People should have a plan that includes an emergency kit and a safe place to shelter should they need to evacuate.

It is important to have a plan in case strong winds pose a threat. When preparing for an extreme wind event, secure objects that can be tossed or rolled, trim trees near homes, and have a plan in case of an extended power failure. Strong winds can even happen on a clear day.

The key advice in case you encounter flood waters is “turn around, don’t drown.” It is never safe to walk or drive into a flooded roadway. It is best to delay travel until roads are clear.

Fall can be the most beautiful season of the year, but it also has its dangers. Following advice such as that provided by the Weather Service is prudent and potentially life-saving.

**********

Web Links

Four safety tips for fall hazards: Small actions can have big impacts

Photo, posted October 30, 2014, courtesy of Virginia State Parks via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

More Extreme Wildfire Seasons | Earth Wise

April 29, 2020 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

According to a new study led by researchers at Stanford University, autumn in California feels more like summer now as a result of climate change, and this hotter and drier weather increases the risk of longer and more dangerous wildfire seasons.

The research team, whose work was recently published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, found that the frequency of extreme fire weather conditions in the fall in California has doubled since the early 1980s. Average temperatures during the season have increased by more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit, and rainfall has fallen by approximately 30%. The most pronounced warming has occurred in the late summer and early fall. That finding means that tinder-dry conditions coincide with the strong “Diablo” and “Santa Ana” winds that are typical in California at this time of year.

In recent years, these conditions have fed large and fast-moving wildfires across California. The state’s two largest wildfires, two most destructive wildfires, and the most deadly wildfire all occurred during 2017 and 2018, resulting in more than 150 deaths and $50 billion in damage.

Because summertime has typically been peak fire season, the recent spate of autumn fires is putting a strain on firefighting resources and funding. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could further strain emergency resources. Since fire-prone regions have historically shared wildfire-fighting resources throughout the year, the consequences of California’s extended wildfire season could have a global impact. (For example, California’s recent autumn wildfires have coincided with the beginning of wildfires in Australia).

The researchers highlight some opportunities to manage the intensifying wildfire risk in California, including limiting the trajectory of global warming in keeping with the targets identified in the United Nations’ Paris agreement.

**********

Web Links

Researchers forecast longer, more extreme wildfire seasons

Photo, posted September 12, 2019, courtesy of the California National Guard via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Maple Syrup And Climate Change

October 11, 2019 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

According to a study recently published in the journal Forest Ecology and Management, scientists are predicting another casualty of climate change: the U.S. maple industry. By the year 2100, the maple syrup season in the United States may be less productive and arrive one month earlier than it has between 1950 and 2017.

Maple syrup production is impacted by two climate-sensitive factors: sugar content and sap flow. Sugar content is determined by the previous year’s carbohydrate stores. Sap flow depends on the freeze/thaw cycle. Sap begins to flow in sugar maples when winter nights dip below freezing and the days warm above freezing.

The researchers studied six sugar maple stands from Virginia to Quebec, Canada over a six year period. They created a model that predicted the timing of optimal sap flow based on historical temperature data on freeze/thaw days, actual sap collection from their field work, and monthly climate.

According to modeling projections, the maple syrup season is expected to be, on average, one month earlier by the end of the century. States like Indiana and Virginia will barely produce any sap. New Hampshire and Vermont are likely to be least affected, but are still expected to experience a decrease in production. In fact, most areas of maple production in the United States are projected to see decreases in production by the year 2100, while areas in northern Ontario and Quebec should see moderate to large increases in production.

Currently, Canada is responsible for approximately 80% of global maple syrup production while the U.S. produces 20%. The shifting climate for optimal maple production will leave many scrambling to find the sweet spot.

**********