WASHINGTON (Reuters) - So far, 2012 has been the warmest year the United States has ever seen, with the warmest spring and the second-warmest May since record-keeping began in 1895, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported on Thursday.
Temperatures for the past 12 months and the year-to-date have been the warmest on record for the contiguous United States, NOAA said.
The average temperature for the contiguous 48 states for meteorological spring, which runs from March through May, was 57.1 degrees F (13.9 C), 5.2 degrees (2.9 C) above the 20th century long-term average and 2 degrees F (1.1 C) warmer than the previous warmest spring in 1910.
Record warmth and near-record warmth blanketed the eastern two-thirds of the country from this spring, with 31 states reporting record warmth for the season and 11 more with spring temperatures among their 10 warmest.
"The Midwest and the upper Midwest were the epicenters for this vast warmth," Deke Arndt of NOAA's Climatic Data Center said in an online video. That meant farming started earlier in the year, and so did pests and weeds, bringing higher costs earlier in the growing season, Arndt said.
"This warmth is an example of what we would expect to see more often in a warming world," Arndt said.
More long-lasting heat waves, record-high daytime temperatures and record-high overnight low temperatures are to be expected in a warming world, said Jake Crouch of NOAA's National Climatic Data Center.
CARBON DIOXIDE MILESTONE
"And that's what we're seeing," Crouch said by telephone. "We've seen it quite a bit over the last 12 months." Alaska's spring months were 2.7 degrees F (1.5 C) cooler than average and 10.5 percent wetter and snowier, while drought spread over Hawaii, though exceptional drought was eliminated across the island state.
Warmth was evident in parts of the Arctic in May, where sea ice declined rapidly at first and then more slowly through the month, ending at below average levels for 1979-2000, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
However, there was more ice cover in the Arctic in May 2012 than in May 2011, the center said on Wednesday on its website http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/ . There was heavy ice in the Bering Sea, but unusually low ice extent in the Barents and Kara Seas.
Another Arctic measurement related to climate reached a milestone this spring, NOAA reported: the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide at Barrow, Alaska, reached 400 parts per million, the first time a monthly average for this greenhouse gas passed that level at a remote location.
The level of 450 ppm is regarded by many scientists and environmental activists as the upper limit the planet can afford if global temperature rise is to be kept to within 3.6 degrees F (2 C) this century. Some advocates suggest 350 ppm is a more appropriate target.
The 400 ppm mark for carbon dioxide in less remote locations, such as Cape May, New Jersey, has been reached for several years in the springtime, NOAA said in a statement.
But measurements of carbon dioxide over 400 ppm at remote sites like Barrow - and at six other remote Arctic sites - reflect long-term human emissions of the climate-warming gas, rather than direct emissions from a nearby population center.
The global monthly mean level of atmospheric carbon dioxide was about 394 ppm in April, compared to 336 ppm in 1979, pre-industrial levels of about 278 ppm and ice age levels of about 185 ppm.
(Editing by Vicki Allen)
I know this is before your time. The largest eruption of the 20th Century and one of the biggest ever. As in, 30 times larger than Mount St. Helens....and 230 years worth of Kilauea.
Never mind the 14 Earthquakes that registered between a 6 and 7. And 100 between a 5 and 6.
All the "energy released" as a result makes the 1964 Earthquake out to be a slight annoyance in comparison. Somewhat along the lines of a gnat.
I know this is before your time. The largest eruption of the 20th Century and one of the biggest ever. As in, 30 times larger than Mount St. Helens....and 230 years worth of Kilauea.
Never mind the 14 Earthquakes that registered between a 6 and 7. And 100 between a 5 and 6.
All the "energy released" as a result makes the 1964 Earthquake out to be a slight annoyance in comparison. Somewhat along the lines of a gnat.
• Comparing "energy released" with the dynamics of the March 27, 1964 earthquake isn't a valid (or necessary) comparison in my opinion. No one who lived through or has studied that particular quake would characterize it as "a slight annoyance" or "a gnat". I'm sure of that.
• The June, 1912 eruption of Novarupta Volcano was not "30 times larger than Mount St. Helens", per se. Novarupta erupted 30 times the volume of magma erupted by Mt. St. Helens in 1980. The eruption was 10 times more forceful than Mt. St. Helens.
Thanks for bringing this monumental event to the attention of posters on Jazz Corner, Blue Train. It's an overlooked, largely forgotten historic event.
Here's a link to some information regarding this amazing event in The Land Of 10,000 Smokes which will blow your mind.
This past Thursday, a dear friend came to town for the 1st time in 25 years. Patti and I had a wonderful reunion with drummer Danny Gottlieb, who was on a USO tour in Alaska with actor Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band (Forest Gump reference). Sinise is a fine bassist in his own right. It's a very well-rehearsed cover band which appeals to a wide range of musical tastes, perfect for a USO tour. They've been all over the world since 2004, playing for troops and their families.
We were able to spend a couple of hours on each of two evenings with Danny, as well as hear the 2-hour performance of this 14-piece group on Elmendorf AFB.
Danny may not be a familiar name to some of you, but the list of people he's recorded and performed with reads like a Who's Who of (mostly) jazz musicians. He also played on Jim Pepper's album Comin' and Goin' with an amazing list of players, including Kenny Werner, Don Cherry, Nana Vasconcelos & John Scofield, among others. Danny told me that it seemed as if it were only yesterday that he was in that studio in NYC with Jim and that amazing cast of characters.
We met Danny in 1974 when he played an extended gig that summer at the Top of the World, a cocktail lounge/restaurant on the 15th floor of the Anchorage Westward Hotel. The band was called Tanglewood, and included Bill Molenhof - vibes, Wayne Johnson - guitar, and Dewey Dellay - bass. They were backing singer Oleta Adams and performing their own sets as well, playing much of Gary Burton and Chick Coreas's tunes, plus original material.
We became good friends with all of the members of Tanglewood, and had them to our home where Patti cooked dinners for them, they played with our kids, and we listened to music. We also took extended drives with our family and them, showing them sights in our region of Alaska.
While on their gig in Alaska, I produced a concert for Tanglewood at Alaska Methodist University to provide them with some broader exposure. Soon after they left Alaska I began my broadcast experience with KJZZ-FM in Anchorage.
Danny, Patti & Me (with R2O2) at the Snow Goose Restaurant & Sleeping Lady Brewing Co.
Danny enjoying a Sleeping Lady Brewing Co. Honey Cream Ale on Summer Solstice Weekend just before sunset.
Last edited by Ron Thorne; June-28th-2012 at 08:04 PM.
Reason: Addition
it's so sweet that you got to have a reunion. wonderful for all concerned. Danny looks familiar to me but maybe it's just that we're from the same "tribe"!! LOL
Danny, as you know, is a killer!!
I think you would love this one Ron
You're right on both suggestions, Mike.
Danny is a killer, but one of the most humble musicians I've ever known.
I've had that 2-cd Mark Egan album in my collection for a while. It's a sleeper.
Have you heard any of their other collaborations, such as the series with their duo, Elements? Danny did 9 albums as a co-leader with Mark after their stint with Pat Metheny.
Have you heard Brooklyn Blues (Big World) with Gil Goldstein, John Abercrombie, Jeremy Steig & Chip Jackson?
it's so sweet that you got to have a reunion. wonderful for all concerned. Danny looks familiar to me but maybe it's just that we're from the same "tribe"!! LOL
I think Jim Pepper must have had the same thought when he chose Danny to be in the drum chair for one of Jim's premiere and most respected albums, Comin' and Goin'. Danny said "He (Jim) said he really liked me, but I'm not sure why". I told Danny that it wouldn't take much imagination to figure out why.
We savored every moment, though it was as though we hadn't been apart for all those years. Still, there was a lot of catching up to do, some of which must wait until next time.
I'm hoping to interest the powers that be at a local university to bring Danny up with a bassist for a series of clinics & workshops, followed by a performance next spring.
Danny is a killer, but one of the most humble musicians I've ever known.
I've had that 2-cd Mark Egan album in my collection for a while. It's a sleeper.
Have you heard any of their other collaborations, such as the series with their duo, Elements? Danny did 9 albums as a co-leader with Mark after their stint with Pat Metheny.
Have you heard Brooklyn Blues (Big World) with Gil Goldstein, John Abercrombie, Jeremy Steig & Chip Jackson?
Gottlieb's an excellent drummer and musician. My ex, who's a pianist and composer, studied when she was younger, with Nadia Boulanger, at the Fountainbleau school in France for a summer. She told me that one of the other students was this excellent pianist composer who is Gottlieb's brother...can't remember his first name. Do you know if this is true Ron?
Gottlieb's an excellent drummer and musician. My ex, who's a pianist and composer, studied when she was younger, with Nadia Boulanger, at the Fountainbleau school in France for a summer. She told me that one of the other students was this excellent pianist composer who is Gottlieb's brother...can't remember his first name. Do you know if this is true Ron?
bigtiny
I think she may be thinking about Jay Gottlieb, who is no relation, to the best of my knowledge. I'll double check with Danny to be certain.
Seeing is believing! Unfortunately, they missed capturing the very end of the saga on video.
Bear cub rescuer: 'He just looked at us and cried one time ... like saying thank you'
By DAN SCHWARTZ
Peninsula Clarion
Published: August 2nd, 2012 11:36 AM
KENAI -- Kenai River guide Dustin Klepacki, 22, did not expect to perform a rescue mission when he, his father and their friend floated the upper river last weekend.
They just wanted to avoid all the combat fishing -- just float rapids and fish trout down river, he said.
But after a section of rapids, their sunny scene changed -- a brown bear cub was drowning in a whirlpool.
"Sheeitt! Why the hell celebrate breaking up a chap's workout? I wasn't but 4 laps in - making good time too, not like you lot'd care - and then you fellers come right at me, pointing a Canon at me to boot - don't you know I hate being caught on camera?
Damn right I was whinging at the end (the bit you didn't catch, natch) - when Ma finds out I missed out on my exermecise, it'll be a major no-honey, no-catching-the-Chinook, no-chowing-down-on-the-lost-little-fat-Boy Scout grounding for this here bear."
Yeah, thanks guys, thanks a whole bunch!"
Q: 'How do you start free improvising?'
A: 'Well I usually start on D as a matter of fact'
"I wandered alone in the desert and cried "Oh Lord! Oh Lord! What hast thou done, lately?"
"Thought is not a saffron-robed monk pissing in the snow"
"Bitterness slowly crept into the marriage and by the time Lovborg was six years old his parents exchanged gunfire daily"
This is an amazing event, being held right now in Anchorage. The strength, stamina, flexibility, balance and sheer athleticism is incredible, all displayed within disciplines known only to these games.
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Originally Posted by Blue Train
