houck2040/artisci huggingface dataset:
dr oliver frauenfeld an associate professor and climatologist in texas a&m universitys department of geography collaborated with scientists conducting the first global assessment of the extent of snow ice cover and frozen ground on earths surface a critical factor in cooling the planet through reflected sunlight and its response to increasing temperatures frauenfeld and the team of researchers discovered that the earths cryosphere is shrinking by 33 000 square miles (87 000 square kilometers) per year their research findings were recently published in earths future agus journal for interdisciplinary research on the past present and future of our planet and its inhabitants this means that all of the areas with frozen water and soil on earth shrank by about the size of lake superior per year on average between 1979 and 2016 as a result of climate change this research is the first to make a global estimate of the surface area of the earth covered by sea ice snow cover and frozen ground despite frequent reports of a 'shrinking' cryosphere previous estimates only focused on individual variables like sea ice area or snow cover extent no one had attempted to come up with a global estimate of the cryosphere as a whole and quantify the magnitude of its decrease our record of cryospheric extent can serve as a useful climate change indicator similar to other vital signs like global temperature or sea level frauenfeld said the extent of land covered by frozen water is just as important as its mass because the bright white surface reflects sunlight so effectively cooling the planet changes in the size or location of ice and snow can alter air temperatures change the sea level and even affect ocean currents worldwide the cryosphere is one of the most sensitive climate indicators and the first one to demonstrate a changing world said first author dr xiaoqing peng a physical geographer at lanzhou university its change in size represents a major global change rather than a regional or local issue
the percentage of each area that experiences ice snow or frozen ground at some point during the year (1981–2010) credit: peng et al (2021) earths future https://doiorg/101029/2020ef001969
the cryosphere holds almost three-quarters of earths fresh water and in some mountainous regions dwindling glaciers threaten drinking water supplies many scientists have documented shrinking ice sheets dwindling snow cover and loss of arctic sea ice individually due to climate change but no previous study has considered the entire extent of the cryosphere over earths surface and its response to warming temperatures contraction in time and space peng and his co-authors from lanzhou university calculated the daily extent of the cryosphere and averaged those values to come up with yearly estimates while the extent of the cryosphere grows and shrinks with the seasons they found that the average area covered by earths cryosphere has contracted overall since 1979 correlating with rising air temperatures the shrinkage primarily occurred in the northern hemisphere with a loss of about 102 000 square kilometers (about 39 300 square miles) or about half the size of kansas each year those losses are offset slightly by growth in the southern hemisphere where the cryosphere expanded by about 14 000 square kilometers (5 400 square miles) annually this growth mainly occurred in the sea ice in the ross sea around antarctica likely due to patterns of wind and ocean currents and the addition of cold meltwater from antarctic ice sheets the estimates showed that not only was the global cryosphere shrinking but that many regions remained frozen for less time the average first day of freezing now occurs about 36 days later than in 1979 and the ice thaws about 57 days earlier this kind of analysis is a nice idea for a global index or indicator of climate change said dr shawn marshall a glaciologist at the university of calgary who was not involved in the study he thinks that a natural next step would be to use these data to examine when ice and snow cover give earth its peak brightness to see how changes in albedo impact the climate on a seasonal or monthly basis and how this is changing over time to compile their global estimate of the extent of the cryosphere the authors divided up the planets surface into a grid system they used existing data sets of global sea ice extent snow cover and frozen soil to classify each cell in the grid as part of the cryosphere if it contained at least one of the three components then they estimated the extent of the cryosphere on a daily monthly and yearly basis and examined how it changed over the 37 years of their study this estimate of cryospheric extent is an important first step according to frauenfeld what would be even better is a similar record of cryospheric volume because it would allow us to link cryospheric variability to other climate change impacts like sea level rise unfortunately we do not currently have good enough observations for all parts of the globe to develop robust cryospheric volume estimates the authors say that the global dataset can now be used to further probe the impact of climate change on the cryosphere and how these changes impact ecosystems carbon exchange and the timing of plant and animal life cycles by mariam moeen19 originally published by agu
under the radarthe aggie doppler radar helps students and the national weather service track severe weatherjul 20 2021photograph by igor kraguljacone hundred and fifty feet above the hustle and bustle of students below the aggie doppler radar sits atop the highest point on texas a&m universitys campus its 16-foot-diameter dish was built in 1962 and moved to the roof of the eller oceanography and meteorology (o&m) building in 1973 where it has since been continually updated to keep up with technological advances dr don conlee 94 an atmospheric sciences professor in the college of geosciences helps oversee a program that allows undergraduate and graduate meteorology students to operate the fully functional weather radar firsthand we train students to monitor the radar in severe or interesting weather situations conlee said thats an irreplaceable experience that most students around the country even those at institutions specializing in radar dont get to do though the instruments technical specifications are closer to what national researchers used in the 1990s than the cutting edge conlee considers it the most capable weather radar dedicated to education in the country because of its prime real estate in central texas the national weather service still routinely calls upon its data to track and assess severe weather across the state when a deadly tornado tore through the east texas town of onalaska on april 23 2020 the radar was in the best position to record the tornados formation and help deliver timely warnings to the community the college of geosciences seeks a $2 million endowment to provide for the continued maintenance of the radar as a unique educational tool forecasting aid and historical icon of the texas a&m atmospheric sciences program to learn more about this unique giving opportunity contact david bacot '90 senior director of development for the college of geosciences: (979) 862-4944 dbacot@txamfoundationcom by bailey payne '19 texas a&m foundation
one hundred and fifty feet above the hustle and bustle of students below the aggie doppler radar sits atop the highest point on texas a&m universitys campus its 16-foot-diameter dish was built in 1962 and moved to the roof of the eller oceanography and meteorology (o&m) building in 1973 where it has since been continually updated to keep up with technological advances dr don conlee 94 an atmospheric sciences professor in the college of geosciences helps oversee a program that allows undergraduate and graduate meteorology students to operate the fully functional weather radar firsthand we train students to monitor the radar in severe or interesting weather situations conlee said thats an irreplaceable experience that most students around the country even those at institutions specializing in radar dont get to do though the instruments technical specifications are closer to what national researchers used in the 1990s than the cutting edge conlee considers it the most capable weather radar dedicated to education in the country because of its prime real estate in central texas the national weather service still routinely calls upon its data to track and assess severe weather across the state when a deadly tornado tore through the east texas town of onalaska on april 23 2020 the radar was in the best position to record the tornados formation and help deliver timely warnings to the community the college of geosciences seeks a $2 million endowment to provide for the continued maintenance of the radar as a unique educational tool forecasting aid and historical icon of the texas a&m atmospheric sciences program to learn more about this unique giving opportunity contact david bacot '90 senior director of development for the college of geosciences: (979) 862-4944 dbacot@txamfoundationcom by bailey payne '19 texas a&m foundation
texas sea grant welcomes new fisheries bycatch reduction project managermatthew kammann will work with the sustainable fisheries and aquaculture team to lend support and expertise to the noaa better bycatch reduction device projectjul 9 2021texas sea grant (txsg) welcomes matthew kammann as the organizations new fisheries bycatch reduction project manager he joins the extensive sustainable fisheries and aquaculture team to provide support and expertise to national oceanic and atmospheric administration (noaa) better bycatch reduction devices for the gulf of mexico shrimp trawl fishery project funded by the deepwater horizon open ocean trustee implementation group kammanns position is part of a large cooperative project between txsg louisiana sea grant and noaa to work with the shrimp industry on developing new bycatch reduction devices to help restore finfish populations in the gulf of mexico i am very excited to be working with sea grant said kammann i love working in the community i love helping people and the environment and its great to lend my help and expertise to this project kammann holds a masters degree in marine and environmental science from the university of the virgin islands and comes to txsg with a wealth of fisheries experience before coming aboard with txsg he worked as a fisheries biologist with the us virgin islands department of planning and natural resources for over four years working closely on fisheries management and research projects in the caribbean i think being somewhere like sea grant that intersects science academia and industry is the perfect fit for me said kammann by corley-ann parker '20
texas sea grant (txsg) welcomes matthew kammann as the organizations new fisheries bycatch reduction project manager he joins the extensive sustainable fisheries and aquaculture team to provide support and expertise to national oceanic and atmospheric administration (noaa) better bycatch reduction devices for the gulf of mexico shrimp trawl fishery project funded by the deepwater horizon open ocean trustee implementation group kammanns position is part of a large cooperative project between txsg louisiana sea grant and noaa to work with the shrimp industry on developing new bycatch reduction devices to help restore finfish populations in the gulf of mexico i am very excited to be working with sea grant said kammann i love working in the community i love helping people and the environment and its great to lend my help and expertise to this project kammann holds a masters degree in marine and environmental science from the university of the virgin islands and comes to txsg with a wealth of fisheries experience before coming aboard with txsg he worked as a fisheries biologist with the us virgin islands department of planning and natural resources for over four years working closely on fisheries management and research projects in the caribbean i think being somewhere like sea grant that intersects science academia and industry is the perfect fit for me said kammann by corley-ann parker '20
makeda mills to receive ralph rayburn scholarship from texas sea grant this scholarship is named in honor of ralph rayburn 69 former texas sea grant associate director and extension program leader jul 7 2021makeda mills a phd student studying oceanography at texas a&m university will receive the 2021 ralph rayburn 69 texas sea grant scholarship mills is currently researching deep sea coral microbiomes to better understand their survival in changing environments i am hoping to apply this information to better understand how coral bleaching happens and how [corals] come back from that said mills my research goes hand in hand with that phenomenon so it will be great to get more information to share mills love for and fascination with the ocean started at a young age she said growing up near the ocean in saint kitts and saint thomas really allowed [her] interest in ocean science to grow even further in fact her plans after finishing her phd involve gaining further understanding of the oceans i would hope to do some research with noaa in the future said mills i havent quite figured out if im going more into the academic side of things yet but im okay with wherever life takes me at this point the rayburn scholarship is already proving to be beneficial in helping mills through her phd program having this scholarship definitely helps remove some stress from the experience of getting your phd said mills you can just focus more on studying and preparing for exams rather than wondering about how youre going to pay for certain things i just want to say thank you to the committee for choosing me for this scholarship said mills i greatly appreciate it this scholarship is named in honor of ralph rayburn 69 a graduate of texas a&m university rayburn first joined texas sea grant in 1978 as a marine agent for aransas and san patricio counties after several years as executive director of the texas shrimp association and in a number of roles at texas parks and wildlife department he returned to texas sea grant in 1999 as the associate director and extension program leader through his association with these three organizations he worked tirelessly for the protection of texas' marine resources but he is also remembered for his integrity professionalism work ethic and outgoing personality by corley-ann parker '20
makeda mills a phd student studying oceanography at texas a&m university will receive the 2021 ralph rayburn 69 texas sea grant scholarship mills is currently researching deep sea coral microbiomes to better understand their survival in changing environments i am hoping to apply this information to better understand how coral bleaching happens and how [corals] come back from that said mills my research goes hand in hand with that phenomenon so it will be great to get more information to share mills love for and fascination with the ocean started at a young age she said growing up near the ocean in saint kitts and saint thomas really allowed [her] interest in ocean science to grow even further in fact her plans after finishing her phd involve gaining further understanding of the oceans i would hope to do some research with noaa in the future said mills i havent quite figured out if im going more into the academic side of things yet but im okay with wherever life takes me at this point the rayburn scholarship is already proving to be beneficial in helping mills through her phd program having this scholarship definitely helps remove some stress from the experience of getting your phd said mills you can just focus more on studying and preparing for exams rather than wondering about how youre going to pay for certain things i just want to say thank you to the committee for choosing me for this scholarship said mills i greatly appreciate it this scholarship is named in honor of ralph rayburn 69 a graduate of texas a&m university rayburn first joined texas sea grant in 1978 as a marine agent for aransas and san patricio counties after several years as executive director of the texas shrimp association and in a number of roles at texas parks and wildlife department he returned to texas sea grant in 1999 as the associate director and extension program leader through his association with these three organizations he worked tirelessly for the protection of texas' marine resources but he is also remembered for his integrity professionalism work ethic and outgoing personality by corley-ann parker '20
texas sea grant exhibit: 50 years of science and stewardship to be featured at the george hw bush presidential library and museumthe bush library and museum announces 50 years of science and stewardship exhibit from texas sea grant jun 30 2021the texas sea grant exhibit at the bush library and museum (photo courtesy of texas sea grant)a hallmark of texas a&m university is its status as a land- sea- and space-grant university one of those programs the texas sea grant college program is celebrating 50 years of science and stewardship at the bush library and museum the exhibit is slated to run from july 1 2021 to july 5 2022 in the ansary gallery of american history tickets must be purchased in advance visitors are encouraged to visit bush41org for updates to hours of operation as one of the first sea grant programs texas sea grant has a rich history of supporting the texas coast and its people through cutting-edge research and innovative outreach and educational programs from maintaining healthy coastal ecosystems to aiding sustainable fisheries to promoting resilient communities: texas sea grant has helped texans protect and enhance the unique culturally significant and economically important resources of texas coastal and marine environments at this exhibit visitors can discover the wonders of the texas coast learn how sea turtles are saved by turtle excluder devices (by walking through a shrimpers net) find out how experts build communities for the changing texas coast see how texas sea grant has helped these efforts and more visitors will learn about historic and current texas sea grant programs and successes and they will realize their own impact as stewards of the texas coast -- about texas sea grant: texas sea grant is a unique partnership that unites the resources of the federal government the state of texas and universities across the state to create knowledge tools products and services that benefit the economy the environment and the citizens of texas it is administered through the national oceanic and atmospheric administration and is one of 34 university-based sea grant programs around the country texas sea grant is a non-academic research center in the college of geosciences at texas a&m university the programs mission is to improve the understanding wise use and stewardship of texas coastal and marine resources about the george bush presidential library and museum: located on the campus of texas a&m university the george bush presidential library and museum is part of the national archives and records administration the bush library and museum is located at 1000 george bush drive west college station tx 77845 the museum is fully handicapped accessible for more information call 979-691-4000 or go to bush41org media contact: sara carney communications manager texas sea grant 713-435-9585 scarney@tamuedu tracy paine interim marketing and communications director george hw bush presidential library and museum 979-691-4014 paine@naragov
the texas sea grant exhibit at the bush library and museum (photo courtesy of texas sea grant)
a hallmark of texas a&m university is its status as a land- sea- and space-grant university one of those programs the texas sea grant college program is celebrating 50 years of science and stewardship at the bush library and museum the exhibit is slated to run from july 1 2021 to july 5 2022 in the ansary gallery of american history tickets must be purchased in advance visitors are encouraged to visit bush41org for updates to hours of operation as one of the first sea grant programs texas sea grant has a rich history of supporting the texas coast and its people through cutting-edge research and innovative outreach and educational programs from maintaining healthy coastal ecosystems to aiding sustainable fisheries to promoting resilient communities: texas sea grant has helped texans protect and enhance the unique culturally significant and economically important resources of texas coastal and marine environments at this exhibit visitors can discover the wonders of the texas coast learn how sea turtles are saved by turtle excluder devices (by walking through a shrimpers net) find out how experts build communities for the changing texas coast see how texas sea grant has helped these efforts and more visitors will learn about historic and current texas sea grant programs and successes and they will realize their own impact as stewards of the texas coast -- about texas sea grant: texas sea grant is a unique partnership that unites the resources of the federal government the state of texas and universities across the state to create knowledge tools products and services that benefit the economy the environment and the citizens of texas it is administered through the national oceanic and atmospheric administration and is one of 34 university-based sea grant programs around the country texas sea grant is a non-academic research center in the college of geosciences at texas a&m university the programs mission is to improve the understanding wise use and stewardship of texas coastal and marine resources about the george bush presidential library and museum: located on the campus of texas a&m university the george bush presidential library and museum is part of the national archives and records administration the bush library and museum is located at 1000 george bush drive west college station tx 77845 the museum is fully handicapped accessible for more information call 979-691-4000 or go to bush41org media contact: sara carney communications manager texas sea grant 713-435-9585 scarney@tamuedu tracy paine interim marketing and communications director george hw bush presidential library and museum 979-691-4014 paine@naragov