Year: 2012

Spring is Coming Earlier

The average change in the date of "first leaf" in the United States. Note that states farther to the north have seen greater change. Image from the interactive by Climate Central.

In Missouri, between 1981 and 2010 the average date at which trees first showed their leaves was two days earlier than the average between 1951 and 1980, according to this graphic by Climate Central.

You’ll also note the north-south trend, where change is greater as you go north. Most models predict that global warming/climate change due to increasing carbon dioxide will result in bigger changes as you get toward the poles.

The map is based on data from the National Phenology Network. The National Phenology Network has a good educational resource page, as well as access to their datasets.

Spring has been coming two days earlier (on average) in Missouri. Image from Climate Central.

Seeds of Change: Cotton

Andrew Sullivan compiles some interesting commentary on the extent of global cotton production (40% of all agricultural land), and the argument that all this production for cheap clothes is exacerbating hunger problems around the world.

Note: the history of cotton makes for a fascinating read.

Where cotton comes from? "There grew there a wonderful tree which bore tiny lambs on the endes of its branches. These branches were so pliable that they bent down to allow the lambs to feed when they are hungrie" - Mandeville (1350). (Image via Wikipedia)

The History of the Moon

In the early solar system, 4.5 billion years ago, the planets were still coalescing, something enormous hit the Earth.

After it formed, huge impacts shaped the surface of the moon into what we see today. NASA takes up the story:

These videos are awesome introductions to the early history of the Earth, Moon, and solar system.

Jupiter and Venus in Conjuction

Venus (brighter) and Jupiter.

Jupiter and Venus have been sitting near the western horizon, shining so brightly that even I have noticed them. Phil Plait explains with some back-of-the-envelope math, why Venus is brighter even though it’s smaller than Jupiter. It’s a nice example of how a little math can do a great job explaining how the world (and others) works.