With Indonesia having been affected by volcanic activity during the earlier part of December 2022 from the volcanic eruption of Mount Semeru, which caused injury and displacement to thousands of people,(including pets and wildlife) along with damage to the infrastructure; earthquakes soon followed across both East and West Java, at over a magnitude of 6.0.
The Mauna Loa Volcano in Hawaii also erupted from the end of November 2022 until the 10th of December in 2022. (As previously mentioned, Volcanic eruptions play a part in colder winters).*
PINEAPPLE EXPRESS…
A type of moisture laden Polar Jet Stream/Atmospheric River, which is also referred to as the Pineapple Express, usually occurs in both the Arctic and Hawaii, bringing with it strong gusty winds, rain storms and snow storms; and much of the severe Climatic impact from both recently reported rain and ice storms has been attributed to the seasonal occurrence of Atmospheric Rivers, which are usually made up of a stream of atmospheric moisture currents that build up towards being many miles long whilst travelling across the sky.
STORMS AND FLOODS….
In view of the recent Snow Storms which occurred across parts of the U.S.A, it appears that moisture from the Atmospheric River would have diminished to create more of an ice vortex which headed across from the Arctic, into Canada and then also into other areas of the United States as was the case with Storm Elliott. Many are now currently faced with flood damage problems from the snow melt of the severe Snow and Ice Storms which hit places such as Buffalo in N.Y over the Christmas period of 2022, leaving many stranded and causing fatalities, with many experiencing temperatures of minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7.2 degrees Celsius).
The Atmospheric River also brought strong winds, and heavy rainfall to parts of California, whilst at the same time bringing snowfall in areas closer to the mountains, with the hazardous weather putting many in very difficult and at times highly perilous conditions.
In regards to the repeatedly growing weather inconsistencies attributed to Climatic Flux, the rainfall and the snow have been much needed in regards to naturally counteracting the climatic problems across areas that have been experiencing longer heatwaves and drought, such as areas which include Southern California and Buffalo N.Y.
Artwork: Copyright of L.D.K
The ITZ (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone) normally starts in November and arrives in the way of bringing stormy weather and precipitation around late December.
However, along with the Amazon, the Rainy Season across places that include areas such as California, has actually shifted, starting a month later than it did previously; meaning that the dry season now has the extended period of an additional month, bringing with it a longer drought period, and although, (according to scientific estimates); 6 inches of rainfall in a 24 hour period in general is projected to have an average of a 50 year recurrence interval; it must also be remembered that a couple of months or even a year’s worth of missing rainfall can and does in many cases result in more severe rain storms.
HEATWAVES AND DROUGHTS ACROSS EUROPE…
The heatwave over the summer of 2022 showed no signs of dissipating as it continued across several parts of Europe, which included Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Moldova, Germany and the United Kingdom; with high temperatures and drought which had affected many rivers and reservoirs , such as the Po River in Italy, the Rhine (which runs through the Swiss Alps, France, Germany, and The Netherlands) the Danube River, the River Loire in France, and the Kemble area of the Thames River head point in Gloucestershire in the U.K, (along with other areas such as Herts, Lincolnshire, East Anglia and parts of the East Midlands) where rivers and water reservoirs in many areas including Devon and Cornwall in the U.K were in many situations, reduced to puddles.
A number of Agricultural areas across Europe including the U.K became parched, with farmers struggling to feed their livestock alongside of the added problem of a lack of water for animals having reached a very critical point.
The European Centre for Drought Management declared the current drought across Europe as being the worst in 500 years. (With drought having been declared in England, various regions acting under the guidelines of the ECDM (i.e the Environmental Disaster management Plan) requested people not to use up more tap drinking water than necessary on daily activities, such as excessive vehicle washing with hose pipes, so as not to waste the drinking water,(with other regions on the brink of drought implementing a hose pipe ban) as the drought was expected to continue into October of 2022).
HISTORICAL DROUGHT ACROSS EUROPE…
Indeed, 500 years ago, drought swept over many parts of Europe, causing a sharp reduction in fresh groundwater levels along with the drying up of rivers (including the Seine in Paris), whereby unfortunately, large numbers of fish which succumbed to bacterial infection from the overheated, stagnant and extremely diminished water levels lay floating in the river beds which were becoming almost completely dried up; and whilst the unusually warmer seasonal temperatures of 1540 resulted in a good harvest of cherries, along with good grape production yields from a couple of vineyards; the year long drought resulted in many other highly diminished (i.e greatly reduced) Crop Yields for a considerable number of farmers; with many parts of Europe suffering a growth in mortality rates which resulted not only from a severe lack of food, but also from the lack of available drinking water, along with the growing problem of poor sanitation issues that became even more prevalent at the time.
Earlier, in February of 2022, storms such as Storm Franklin and Storm Eunice flooded many parts of England ( along with Wales); with both groundwater and surface water causing a large number of buildings across several regions of the U.K to flood; and which included Gloucestershire and parts of Kent, along with the Mersey of Greater Manchester (and also parts of Yorkshire and Derbyshire).
TREE LOSS, SKY RIVERS AND LONGER, MORE SEVERE PERIODS OF DROUGHT ACROSS THE AMAZON…
The increasingly vulnerable Eco-System of the Amazon relies on 50% (fifty percent) of it’s own rainfall; which is meant to come down naturally: from where there should otherwise (but for the massive and un-halted deforestation), be enough tree coverage in the first instance, in order to be able to sufficiently produce it’s own natural moisture vapour cycle (i.e known as the process of transpiration) which in turn is supposed to come back down as rain from Atmospheric River Rainfall.
(The main Atmospheric River, known as “Flying River,” is usually supposed to occur over Southern Brazil; making it’s way in a South-Westerly direction towards the Andes whereby some of the Amazon moisture vapour makes landfall as rain, over places that include Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina and Peru, and whereby the rest of the atmospheric river vapour then gets pushed back over mountainous areas of those regions, and back towards the entire Amazon Basin, consisting of Venezuela, Colombia, (British) Guyana, French Guiana, and Dutch Guyana, known as Suriname).*
Tree coverage across the Amazon along with many other parts of the World is vital.
When fires occur across the Amazon; the top soil gets scorched and is no longer able to drink in or be able to hold in any water. Not only is there the problem of literally no tree coverage being left in what should have otherwise been a Green area; but there is also
the added problem which arises from the burning out of these trees, plants and vegetation…the very roots of which would have been in the earth, to not only hold the soil in place against storm damage and crop depletion; but also, (if not burnt out from ongoing deforestation) -would have crucially helped in acting as a natural drainage eco-system; along with being a vital and natural buffering system on the whole, in order to cope with various climatic situations such as a scenario of excessive water levels from climatic events such as flash floods whereby the severity is attributed to Earth Flux/Climate Change anomalies).
The ongoing problem in terms of man-made/anthropogenic over-utilisation from large-scale Deforestation/Eco System Damage being done across vast areas of the Amazon Basin, -(which also includes major widespread destruction being done across the Amazon Arc area -much of which started from the Southern Amazonian area of Brazil); is that the continued rate of widespread deforestation will cause an increase in the length/period of catastrophic drought levels and crop loss; along with rising food insecurity (i.e increased hunger levels along with severe cases of starvation) across many parts of the Amazon;(which is already currently occurring -and in some cases worsening across certain areas which include various rural and also isolated areas threatened with increasing deforestation), and whereby the situation will only get worse if the Amazon continues to loose more trees that play such a vital/key role in what should be the Amazon’s own natural ability to make fifty percent of it’s own rainfall coverage through it’s natural Atmospheric River Rain Cycle.
A LACK OF TREE COVERAGE IS EVERYONE’S PROBLEM…
Indeed, the lack of trees in one area means problems for another area; which then affects another neighbouring region’s ability to cope with Climate Change, and which in turn continues to extend out to the rest of the world in the whole deforestation loop. Therefore, a Cross-Regional Anti-Deforestation Blanket Agreement which covers all affected and neighbouring regions; including all regions within the Entire Amazon Basin, should not only be drafted but implemented properly and without fail in order to counter-act any further negative Climatic impacts caused by excessively widespread deforestation.
RAIN WATER HARVESTING…
In view of Climate Disaster Risk Management; better Planning is needed, not only in regards to better Health and Safety Risk Management in terms of things like sewage, proper drainage and sanitation, along with better infrastructure in general; but also in terms of utilising things such as rain water harvesting (which includes methods such as underground rainwater harvesting and cistern installations) which could be implemented in areas of localised flooding, (as well as being put into place across areas of non-localised flooding); whereby such things like the utilisation of Rain Water Catchment (once stored and handled properly) would be more efficient in improving Fresh Water Reserve Planning, along with fresh drinking water conservation, (as opposed to the idea of resorting to drinking something that could otherwise turn out to be in many cases; unwholesomely recycled water).
In general, Higher Standards of Fresh Water Reserve Planning should be more vigorously implemented within Flood Risk and Environmental Disaster Management, so as to more effectively combat periods of extended drought- not only as and where it occurs; but in the years to follow; and not only across neighbouring regions of Europe, the U.K and the U.S, but also across many other neighbouring regions of the whole world as well.
Flood Mitigation in terms of the Greening of areas, is vital in order for many parts of the world to better cope with the increasing intensity in the severity of Storms.*
Better soil management is also needed in terms of more efficient irrigation practices in order to both employ and to implement irrigation techniques that keep the soil moist whilst reducing major soil erosion.
SNOW MELT (WATER) HARVESTING…
Not only harvesting rain water, but harvesting snow as potable water is something that could and should be done (where it can be done) in anticipation of prolonged heatwaves and periods of drought. (Snow melt can be used to water vegetation and also used as drinking water once boiled).
(In general, Atmospheric River Water is known to be some of the freshest drinking water in the world)...
Artwork: Copyright of L.D.K
It is also important to Green areas in places with foods that people can eat, in the planting of more drought tolerant vegetables such as potatoes, along with the planting of more drought tolerant fruits such as grapes, cherries, plums, apples and mangoes.
Some of you may have heard the saying, “When life gives you lemons; you make
lemonade”…when applied to the increasing Climate Change /Climatic Flux severity that is going on in a lot of cases throughout many parts of the world; it is important for all of us to keep focus on continuing to take any and all of the vital steps necessary towards ensuring the preservation of all life on Earth, (which obviously includes the preservation of the Earth herself).
(By the way, if you are thinking of making some home made lemonade, (even from potted i.e harvested rain water or boiled and cooled snow melt) then it is also good to know that lemon trees are drought tolerant and happen to grow all year round.
(N.B Whilst citrus fruits such as lemons may be fine for some, please note that you should not include fruit such as lemons within your diet if you have or are unsure that you or anyone else around you has an allergy to lemons).
Artwork:Copyright of L.D.K
Whilst (and in view of many Climatic Change occurrences intensifying throughout this
age), we may not have in some circumstances 100% surety by way of approximating
averages when it comes to fully anticipating the scope of climatic shifts more effectively in order to determine the wider, further knock-on effects of any extreme Climatic Event, (given that in many cases, Climate Change opens up the door to different kinds of Climate flux anomalies, both as they occur and through data comparison in general)…there are a lot of things that we can still do/put into place in order to better cope with the effects of Climatic Change.
For instance; better Coastal Management and Natural Flood Management; such as planting trees so as to minimise major soil erosion, mud slides, infrastructure damage and crop damage; along with Flood Plain Restoration (which involves restoring river channels): means that excessive water levels from storms could be diverted in the way of being pumped and channelled into Flood-Control/Water Conservation Reservoirs, -so as to store the water from any excessive water levels, in order to better prepare towards reducing the severity of drought periods throughout any oncoming drier and warmer months ahead; which in many cases will continue to have an increasing impact across many parts of our world...
Peace and love to everyone, L.D.K
(Article Copyright of L.D.K)