Day: October 8, 2026

From Kushite Pyramids to Climate Crisis: How Sudan’s Ancient Kingdom Foreshadows Its Modern Struggle

The Kingdom of Kush was a powerful ancient African civilization centered in Nubia (roughly modern northern Sudan and southern Egypt), along the Nile River south of Egypt. It flourished for over a thousand years, roughly from the 11th/8th century BCE to the 4th century CE and is best known today for its numerous steep- sided pyramids, its conquest of Egypt, and its sophisticated culture that blended local Nubian traditions with strong Egyptian influences.

Climate and environmental factors significantly shaped the Kingdom of Kush, from its rise and periods of prosperity to aspects of its decline, while modern climate pressures threaten its archaeological remains today.

A panoramic view of the pyramids in a desert landscape with a dramatic sky, showcasing a parched terrain and dry, cracked earth.
AI generated by Grok

The Kingdom of Kush was a powerful ancient African civilization centered in Nubia (roughly modern northern Sudan and southern Egypt), along the Nile River south of Egypt. It flourished for over a thousand years, roughly from the 11th/8th century BCE to the 4th century CE and is best known today for its numerous steep- sided pyramids, its conquest of Egypt, and its sophisticated culture that blended local Nubian traditions with strong Egyptian influences.

Geography and Early History

Kush occupied the Nile Valley in Upper Nubia, a resource- rich region with gold, ivory, ebony, and later major iron production. Earlier cultures in the area include the Kerma culture (c. 2500- 1500 BCE), a powerful independent kingdom that rivaled Egypt before being conquered during Egypt’s New Kingdom. After Egypt’s control weakened around 1070 BCE, a new independent Kushite state emerged.

Major Periods

  • Napatan Period (c. 1000/800- 270 BCE): Capital at Napata (near modern Jebel Barkal and the Fourth Cataract). Kings adopted many Egyptian religious and artistic practices, especially the cult of Amun.
    Key rulers include Alara (traditional founder), Kashta, Piye (Piankhi), Shabaka, and Taharqa. In the 8th- 7th centuries BCE, Kushite kings conquered Egypt and ruled as the 25th Dynasty (often called the “Black Pharaohs” or Kushite Dynasty). Their empire stretched from the Mediterranean into deep into Sudan- the largest unified Nile state of its time. They were eventually driven out by Assyrian invasions (culminating c. 663- 656 BCE).
  • Meroitic Period (c. 270 BCE- 350 CE): After Egyptian forces sacked Napata around 590 BCE, the capital shifted south to Meroë (between the Fifth and Sixth Cataracts). This became a major center of ironworking, trade, and distinctive culture. The Kushites developed their own writing system (Meroitic script, still only partially deciphered) and continued pyramid-building on a large scale. Queens (kandakes or “Candaces”) sometimes ruled in their own right and held significant power.

Achievements and Culture

  • Built over 200 pyramids (more than Egypt), mainly as royal and elite tombs, smaller and steeper than Egyptian ones, with the largest concentration at Meroë.
  • Excelled in iron production, goldworking, trade (ivory, gold, slaves, exotic goods), and archery.
  • Maintained a complex administration, temple architecture, and art that mixed Egyptian motifs (Amun worship, pyramids, hieroglyphs early on) with local African elements.
  • Strong tradition of female political and religious authority.

Decline

The kingdom gradually weakened due to overexploitation of resources, shifts in trade routes, and external pressures. It was effectively ended by an invasion from the Kingdom of Aksum (in modern Ethiopia and Eritrea) around 330- 350 CE, which destroyed Meroë.

Kush was one of Africa’s longest- lasting and most sophisticated ancient states. It interacted extensively with Egypt (sometimes as subject, rival, or conqueror), traded with the Mediterranean and Red Sea worlds, and left a rich archaeological legacy that is still being uncovered in Sudan. Its pyramids and sites (Meroë, Nuri, El-Kurru, Jebel Barkal) are UNESCO World Heritage locations.

A view of ancient pyramids and structures in a sandy desert landscape, with pyramids in the background and a clear blue sky.
The pyramids of Meroe – UNESCO World Heritage
Sudan Meroe Pyramids 30sep2005 2 – Kingdom of Kush – Wikipedia

Sudan has more ancient pyramids than Egypt.

Reliable sources, including Guinness World Records, consistently put the number of extant ancient pyramids in Sudan at roughly 200- 255 (with Guinness citing at least 230 as of 2025, and some estimates up to 255). Egypt’s total is generally given as around 118- 140, depending on how incomplete or smaller structures are counted.

These are the Nubian pyramids, built by the Kingdom of Kush (in the region of ancient Nubia, which spans parts of modern northern Sudan and southern Egypt). Construction spanned roughly a millennium, from about the 8th/7th century BCE into the 4th century CE.

Key sites include:

  • Meroë (the largest concentration, with well over 100, often cited as the densest cluster of pyramids anywhere)
  • Nuri
  • El- Kurru
  • Jebel Barkal
  • And smaller sites such as Sedeinga

They served as tombs for Kushite royalty, nobles, and high officials. Unlike most Egyptian examples, the deceased were typically buried beneath the pyramids rather than inside them. The structures are generally smaller and steeper (often ~60- 70° angles) than the famous Egyptian ones, with bases typically in the range of several to a few dozen meters rather than the massive scale of Giza.

The Kingdom of Kush was a sophisticated African civilization that at times rivaled and even ruled Egypt (the 25th Dynasty, often called the “Black Pharaohs”). Pyramid- building there continued long after it had largely ceased in Egypt, which helps explain the higher total count. The sites see far fewer visitors than Giza due to location, logistics, and Sudan’s recent challenges, but several (including the Island of Meroë) are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The contrast in fame is real and has more to do with modern history, accessibility, and scholarly focus than with the monuments’ historical importance.

A bustling market scene in an ancient setting, featuring people in traditional attire. A man and woman carry pottery and baskets of goods while walking with a child. Pyramids are visible in the background, alongside market stalls filled with various items.
A day in the Kuschite Empire (Kingdom of Kush), AI generated by Meta

Climate and environmental factors significantly shaped the Kingdom of Kush, from its rise and periods of prosperity to aspects of its decline, while modern climate pressures threaten its archaeological remains today.

Long-Term Holocene Context and the Rise of Kush

The broader region of Nubia (northern Sudan and southern Egypt) experienced major hydroclimatic shifts after the African Humid Period (“Green Sahara”, roughly ending around 5,000 years ago). As the climate dried, the Nile’s behavior changed dramatically.

Around 4,000 years ago, the river shifted from deep valley incision (erosion) to widespread floodplain aggradation (sediment buildup). This created more stable, fertile agricultural land near key sites such as Jebel Barkal and Napata.

The long- term stability of the Nile in this constrained valley section, combined with the sacred significance of Jebel Barkal, helped support enduring settlement and the later flourishing of the Kushite capital at Napata (c. 1070 BCE onward).

Relatively wetter conditions and more predictable Nile flooding in parts of the first millennium BCE underpinned agriculture, trade, and the kingdom’s expansion (including the 25th Dynasty conquest of Egypt).

Climate and the Meroitic Period and Decline

The capital later shifted south to Meroë (around the 3rd century BCE). Some researchers link this, at least in part, to hydroclimatic changes that made rain- fed agriculture more viable farther south.

From roughly 200 BCE (accelerating after ~50 CE), proxy records indicate progressive aridification across the region. This is associated with the end of the Roman Climatic Optimum, weakened monsoon systems, reduced rainfall in the Ethiopian Highlands (source of much of the Nile’s flow), and multi- century drought tendencies in the Sahel. Nile floods became less reliable.

A 2023 isotopic study of human and animal dental enamel from 13 cemeteries in Upper Nubia provides direct evidence: rising δ¹⁸O values (indicating greater aridity and higher temperatures or less precipitation) and less negative δ¹³C values (suggesting increased reliance on C₄ plants better adapted to dry conditions) toward the late Meroitic and post- Meroitic periods. These shifts align with changes in agricultural practices and land use and likely contributed to the kingdom’s dissolution around the mid- 4th century CE, alongside socio- political instability, economic pressures, and the Aksumite invasion.

Climate was not the sole cause of collapse, political fragmentation, trade shifts, and external military pressure were major factors, but increasing aridity appears to have stressed the agricultural base and resource systems that sustained the centralized Meroitic state.

Human Environmental Impacts (Especially Iron Production)

Meroë was a major iron- production center for centuries. Traditional narratives linked intensive charcoal use to large- scale deforestation and environmental degradation.

However, anthracological (charcoal) studies show extreme selectivity for Nile acacia (Acacia/Vachellia nilotica) throughout more than 1,000 years of metallurgy, with no clear evidence of fuel shortage or widespread environmental collapse from smelting alone.

Non metallurgical contexts used a broader range of woods. Resource management or access to specific wood sources may have mitigated impacts. Overgrazing and agricultural expansion likely played larger roles in local landscape pressure.

Modern Climate Impacts on Kushite Sites

Today the Nubian pyramids and related monuments (especially the UNESCO World Heritage site at Meroë) face accelerated threats from climate -related processes:

  • Encroaching sand dunes and wind erosion that bury structures, abrade stone, and promote salt crystallization and damage.
  • Occasional heavy rains and flooding risks that undermine foundations and accelerate decay.
  • Rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns that intensify these processes.

Conservation efforts have been severely disrupted by Sudan’s ongoing conflict since 2023, leaving sites more vulnerable.

In summary, the Kingdom of Kush thrived during phases of relative Nile stability and adequate moisture but faced growing environmental stress from progressive aridification in its later centuries.

These historical climate dynamics offer a clear illustration of how complex societies in the Nile corridor have long been intertwined with hydroclimatic variability, an issue that continues for the monuments left behind.

Map of the Kushite Empire highlighting its maximum extent around 700 BCE, including key locations like Thebes, Napata, and Merö, along with geographical features and trade routes.
Map of the Kushite Empire, AI generated by Meta

Climate change has severely impacted modern Sudan, ranking it among the world’s most vulnerable countries despite its minimal contribution to global emissions. Sudan consistently appears near the top of vulnerability indices (e.g., fourth most affected out of 186 countries in recent Notre Dame rankings and very high exposure with low readiness on the ND- GAIN Index).

Observed Climate Changes

  • Rising temperatures: Mean annual temperatures have increased at roughly 0.3°C per decade (1961- 2015), with some regions (e.g., Sennar) seeing ~0.36°C per decade. Heat extremes have become more frequent and intense; summer temperatures in the north often exceed 43°C.⁠
  • Erratic rainfall and extremes: Greater year- to- year variability, with alternating prolonged droughts and intense floods or flash floods. Rainfall patterns have shifted in timing, intensity, and distribution.
  • Desertification: Expanding arid and semi- arid zones, driven by higher temperatures, reduced soil moisture, overgrazing, and deforestation, reducing productive land (arid and semi- arid areas already cover a large share of the country).

Major Impacts

Agriculture and food security (the most direct and widespread effects):
Over 90% of Sudan’s agriculture is rain- fed and employs a large share of the population. Droughts reduce soil moisture, disrupt planting, and lower yields of staples like sorghum, millet, and sesame. Floods destroy crops, cause waterlogging, and erode soil. Key production areas (Gedaref, Sennar, Blue Nile, Darfur) face recurring stress. Historical droughts affected tens of millions; recent years include major floods (e.g., 2020 and 2024 damaging large cropland areas) and ongoing dry conditions in 2025- 2026 that threaten harvests, partly linked to El Niño. These pressures contribute heavily to acute food insecurity (around 19.5 million people in Crisis or worse levels in early 2026 analyses).

Water resources: Higher temperatures increase evaporation and reduce available water for irrigation, livestock, and domestic use. Floods damage infrastructure and contaminate sources.

Health: Extreme heat raises risks of heat stress (especially for outdoor workers, children, elderly, and pregnant people). Floods and droughts promote waterborne diseases (cholera, diarrhea) and vector- borne ones (malaria, dengue, Rift Valley fever).

Displacement and livelihoods: Weather- related disasters have triggered an average of about 150,000 internal displacements annually in recent years. Pastoralists and farmers face livestock losses, pasture decline, and livelihood collapse. Climate stress multiplies existing pressures from conflict (which has displaced millions since 2023), increasing competition over land and water.

Economy and infrastructure: Agriculture (a major GDP contributor) suffers repeated losses. Floods damage roads, canals, homes, and other infrastructure; overall climate- related losses run into billions of dollars. Desertification further shrinks the economic base.

Future Outlook

Projections under various emissions scenarios show continued strong warming (roughly 1.5- 3°C or more by mid- century, potentially higher by late century under high- emissions pathways), more frequent and intense droughts, heavier rainfall extremes when they occur, shorter optimal growing seasons for key crops, and heightened water stress. These trends will intensify existing vulnerabilities unless adaptation measures scale up significantly.

In short, climate change acts as a powerful risk multiplier in Sudan: it undermines the rain- dependent economy, worsens food and water insecurity, damages health and infrastructure, drives displacement, and interacts dangerously with conflict and poverty. The combination has created one of the world’s most acute humanitarian and environmental challenges.

A scenic view of a lush green landscape with acacia trees, a pond, and grazing cattle. People are tending to the livestock, while giraffes can be seen in the background amidst the open savannah.
African Humid Period (“Green Sahara”), AI generated by Meta

Wrong, Los Angeles Times, Climate Change Is Not Turning Nature into a Horror Movie

The Los Angeles Times (LAT) claims in “Killer mosquitoes, rabid bats and bear attacks: Climate change is making eco-horror feel real” that climate change is the common denominator behind a spate of rabid bats attacks, mosquito-borne illnesses, dangerous wildlife encounters, rattlesnake bites, hiker deaths, and flooding in California in 2026. These claims are pure hyperbole and demonstrably false.

The evidence shows these hazards have different causes and trends, and the LAT provides no trend analysis or attribution evidence demonstrating that climate change caused the collection of 2026 incidents. In lieu of science, the LAT stitched together a fictional eco-horror story.

A satirical infographic titled 'Climate Change: Nature Strikes Back!' featuring various animals and environmental concerns related to climate change, presented as a horror movie theme. The image highlights issues like rabid bats, hungry bears, killer mosquitoes, and apocalyptic floods, alongside advice for safety and climate awareness.
AI generated by ChatGPT

From ClimateRealism

By Anthony Watts

A frightened woman in the foreground reacting to various threats, including a bear, snake, and insects, with a newspaper headline about climate change-related dangers in the background.

The Los Angeles Times (LAT) claims in “Killer mosquitoes, rabid bats and bear attacks: Climate change is making eco-horror feel real” that climate change is the common denominator behind a spate of rabid bats attacks, mosquito-borne illnesses, dangerous wildlife encounters, rattlesnake bites, hiker deaths, and flooding in California in 2026. These claims are pure hyperbole and demonstrably false. The evidence shows these hazards have different causes and trends, and the LAT provides no trend analysis or attribution evidence demonstrating that climate change caused the collection of 2026 incidents. In lieu of science, the LAT stitched together a fictional eco-horror story.

The article begins with a grab bag of frightening events: “Rabid bats and rattlesnakes. Mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus and dengue fever. Increased bear and mountain lion attacks. A summer full of tragic hiker deaths.” After acknowledging that development, increased outdoor recreation, and diminished awareness of wildlife dangers have contributed to these incidents, the LAT nevertheless declares that they share a single “common denominator. Climate change.”

That is opinionated assertion, not factual scientific attribution.

As Climate at a Glance explains, weather occurs over days, months, and individual seasons, while climate is measured over much longer periods, conventionally 30 years. A collection of unusual California events during 2026 does not establish a climate trend.

Consider the article’s most dramatic example, rabid bats. Los Angeles County really has experienced an unusual increase, with 69 rabid bats reported by late September. But the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health says something the LAT neglected to mention: although rabies in bats has increased in recent years, “the reason behind this increase remains unknown.” Public Health also estimates that fewer than 1 percent of healthy bats carry rabies.

If the public health agency actually monitoring rabies says the cause of the increase is unknown, on what scientific basis does the Times declare climate change the common denominator?

There is another obvious factor the article briefly acknowledges and then largely ignores: people.

California’s population and developed areas have expanded enormously over the past century. Houses, roads, businesses, recreation areas, and suburbs increasingly occupy what was once wildlife habitat. More people also hike, camp, mountain bike, walk dogs, and otherwise recreate in areas inhabited by bears, bats, coyotes, mountain lions, rattlesnakes, and other wildlife. More overlap naturally creates more opportunities for encounters.

California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife says precisely this. The agency states that “as our human population expands into wildlife habitat, human-wildlife interactions have increased.” It also says encounters with black bears resulting in human injury remain rare.

That is a direct observation, with no further “climate change” explanation required.

The bear data makes the LATs’ narrative even shakier. California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates the state’s black bear population at between 49,000 and 71,000 and reports that it has been stable for the past decade. The agency says high bear densities can occur around urban areas where unsecured food is available, and identifies garbage and other human food sources as important causes of bears becoming habituated to people. So, a human cause, poor trash and food management, just not climate change.

Climate Realism has documented the same phenomenon elsewhere: expanding human populations, development in bear habitat, growing bear populations in some regions, unsecured garbage, and intentional or accidental feeding can all increase encounters without climate change being the cause.

Mosquitoes provide an even better example of the LATs reaching for climate change when more immediate causes are buzzing right under its nose. Mosquitoes require water to complete their life cycle, and many species thrive in standing water around human habitation. Buckets, flowerpots, clogged gutters, birdbaths, neglected pools, rain barrels, tires, toys, and countless other containers can become breeding sites.

Los Angeles County Public Health’s advice during this year’s West Nile outbreak is straightforward: eliminate standing water where mosquitoes breed. The county notes that mosquitoes can reproduce in very small quantities of water and specifically recommends emptying containers, cleaning pools, draining water from pool covers, and removing other sources.

Recent Los Angeles weather supplied plenty of that opportunity and it was primarily driven by moisture from Hurricane Marie in early September 2026, which brought up to an inch of rain, powerful surf, and coastal flooding.

Ironically, the LAT itself reported in February that major rainfall in December and early February created what local vector-control officials described as ideal mosquito-breeding conditions. Mosquitoes were found breeding in people’s backyards at unusually high levels after the rains.

In other words, rain fell, water accumulated, temperatures warmed, mosquitoes reproduced, and a lot of standing water was not eliminated. The climate hadn’t changed but the amount of standing water and thus breeding conditions had. That’s weather and vector control, not proof of climate change.

The Times’ own reporting this month attributes part of the current mosquito problem to extraordinary humidity associated with El Niño conditions. El Niño is a naturally occurring ocean-atmosphere cycle and a major source of year-to-year weather variability. Once again, not evidence of a climate change link.

Nor is 2026’s West Nile outbreak unprecedented. Los Angeles County currently reports 135 infections this year. That’s serious, but the county recorded 268 cases in 2017, 300 in 2015, 218 in 2014, and 309 in 2004. A bad mosquito season is not evidence by itself of a worsening climate trend.

Climate change can affect vector-borne disease risks, but even the IPCC notes that disease transmission is primarily a function of built environments, urbanization, population mobility, lack of vector control, human behavior, and other ecological factors. The IPCC also discusses the fact that some already hot areas, area’s where malaria bearing mosquito populations are viable, may become too hot for their continued habitation.

Climate Realism has similarly documented how international travel, transportation, urbanization, water management, mosquito-control practices, and human behavior complicate simplistic claims that climate change is responsible whenever mosquito-borne disease increases.

Also, as detailed in Chapter Four of Climate Change Reconsidered II: Fossil Fuels, the vast body of scientific literature refutes the LATs’ claim that climate change has been exacerbating the spread of mosquito borne diseases.

Studies from Africa, to England and Wales, to North and South America, to Thailand and beyond refute any link between climate change and the spread of malaria, Dengue fever, West Nile virus, and other vector-borne diseases. For example, a 2010 study in the peer-reviewed journal Nature reports, “[The study’s authors] compared historical and contemporary maps of the range and incidence of malaria and found endemic/stable malaria is likely to have covered 58% of the world’s land surface around 1900 but only 30% by 2007.” Clearly, malaria has become less prevalent and deadly as the climate has warmed.

The rattlesnake argument is weaker still. Three tragic California snakebite deaths during an unusual season are anecdotes, not a climate trend. Warm weather can certainly bring snakes and people outdoors earlier, increasing opportunities for encounters, but establishing that fact is not the same as demonstrating a long-term climate-driven increase in fatal snakebites. There is no sustained trend in the data of snake bite incidences corresponding to long-term modest warming.

The same logical problem appears with hikers. Hot weather can be dangerous, and long-term warming can increase heat exposure. But an individual hiking death can involve temperature, hydration, preparation, physical condition, route choice, time of day, experience, access to rescue, and simple human error. The LAT does acknowledge in passing that the increased popularity of “amateur nature tourism” contributes to accidents. But that is not a minor detail, but is likely the largest contributing factor to more hiking accidents. More, often out of shape, people venturing into hot deserts and remote wilderness areas which they may not be familiar with inevitably creates more opportunities for emergencies. A count of hiking tragedies cannot be transformed into a climate trend without controlling for how many people are actually hiking, where they are hiking, and under what conditions.

Then there is flooding, which the Times confidently calls a “hallmark of the warming planet’s increasingly extreme weather.”

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report concludes there is generally low confidence in attributing changes in the probability or magnitude of flood events to human influence, because flooding depends on numerous factors including rainfall, soil moisture, land-cover change, river management, drainage, and development. The IPCC explicitly warns in chapter 11 that attributing changes in heavy precipitation to human influence cannot simply be translated into attribution of flooding.

Climate at a Glance’s California state climate assessment also reports little overall change in statewide annual precipitation since 1900 and no long-term increase in extreme precipitation in its analysis.

Urban development further complicates the picture. Pave formerly absorbent ground, build in floodplains, expand roads and parking lots, alter drainage, and put more expensive property in vulnerable areas, and flood damages increase without requiring a corresponding increase in the underlying meteorological hazard. The logic is pretty simple, more people moving to and developing more property in areas with wildlife or prone to weather extremes results in more damage when animal encounters or disasters occur.

This is the basic mistake repeated throughout the article.

More people living along the wildland-urban boundary means more opportunities to encounter bears, bats, coyotes, mountain lions, and snakes. More people hiking and camping means more opportunities for wildlife encounters and outdoor accidents. Rain followed by uncontrolled standing water creates mosquito habitat. Garbage and pet food attract bears. International travel can transport pathogens. Urban development alters drainage and puts more people and property in harm’s way.

These are direct causes of the issues raised in the article.

Yet the LAT takes bats, mosquitoes, rattlesnakes, bears, mountain lions, hikers, floods, and even COVID-19 and staples the words “climate change” across the entire collection.

The LAT does raise legitimate public-health issues. Rabies is deadly. West Nile virus can kill. Rattlesnakes deserve respect and distancing. Bears should not be fed or approached. Hiking in extreme heat can be dangerous. Inclement weather can cause harm. And all of these things have been, are, and likely will be problems, regardless of long-term climate change.

Ignoring this fact, the LAT concludes ominously that if humans continue to ignore experts, “nature will correct the course on its own terms.” They could channel The Wizard of Oz and say: Mosquito’s, and bats, and bears, oh my! That’s a great line for an eco-horror movie but it’s lousy science journalism.

Nature isn’t staging a revolt against humanity. The LAT is simply staging a clickbait style horror story for its readers, and calling it climate science. That’s probably why it is listed as being in the paper’s entertainment section, because it is pure fiction.

Hidden Antarctic microbe forges iron minerals in total darkness — and may rewrite Snowball Earth history

A recent study by researchers from Yonsei University (led by Jaekyung Yoon and Jihyun F. Kim) and collaborators proposes that microbes capable of oxidizing iron in complete darkness and without oxygen could explain some banded iron formations (BIFs) from Snowball Earth periods.

An underwater scene featuring swirling blue particles and organic shapes against a dark background, with textured rocks and coral-like structures below.
AI generated by Grok

A recent study by researchers from Yonsei University (led by Jaekyung Yoon and Jihyun F. Kim) and collaborators proposes that microbes capable of oxidizing iron in complete darkness and without oxygen could explain some banded iron formations (BIFs) from Snowball Earth periods.

The work centers on Holocene (roughly the last ~11,700 years) sediments recovered from beneath Antarctica’s Larsen C Ice Shelf. A sediment core (GC16B) from ~324 m water depth provided a pristine, largely undisturbed archive sealed under ice since the Last Glacial Maximum.

Microbial community profiling (16S rRNA amplicon sequencing across many layers) showed distinct phases that track geological facies: more diverse communities in shallower, occasionally open-marine intervals versus chemolithoautotroph-dominated assemblages in deeper anoxic, aphotic sub- ice- shelf layers.

A keystone taxon in the sub- ice-shelf community is an uncultured member of the Thermodesulfovibrionia (phylum Nitrospirota). Metagenome -assembled genomes from these layers revealed a novel candidate order (Candidatus Mariimomonadales). The organism was provisionally named Candidatus Mariimomonas ferrooxydans.

Its genome encodes Cyc2, a fused porin– cytochrome outer -membrane protein previously linked to Fe (II) oxidation in other bacteria, along with other cytochromes, iron- sulfur proteins, and nitrate- related machinery that could support anaerobic iron oxidation coupled (directly or indirectly) to nitrate reduction.

Functional confirmation came from expressing the cyc2 gene (codon- optimized) in Escherichia coli: the protein incorporated heme, showed peroxidase activity, and significantly accelerated ferrous iron oxidation relative to controls.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization also visualized the cells in the sediment. Elevated iron- to- titanium ratios in the anoxic intervals roughly coincide with the distribution of these bacteria, consistent with in situ iron mineralization.

These dark, anoxic, oligotrophic, ice- covered sediments are presented as a modern analogue for synglacial BIFs deposited during Neoproterozoic Snowball Earth events (when ice reached low latitudes and iron- rich layers accumulated under or near ice).

Classic models emphasize photosynthetic cyanobacteria or anoxygenic photoferrotrophs that require light. The Larsen C findings supply genomic and experimental evidence that chemolithotrophic iron oxidizers can drive substantial Fe (III) precipitation without sunlight or free oxygen, potentially resolving how iron formations could accumulate under global ice cover.

The authors note this pathway may also have operated earlier in Earth’s history and has implications for interpreting iron minerals on other worlds (e.g., Mars) or icy- ocean moons.

The peer- reviewed paper is “Novel Antarctic chemolithotroph drives iron biomineralization” (Yoon et al., Microbiome, 2026).

A related preprint appeared earlier on bioRxiv under a similar title. Limitations include reliance on whole-genome amplification (due to very low DNA yields in deeper layers) and the still- open question of whether iron oxidation is directly coupled to nitrate reduction or involves abiotic steps. Overall, the work expands the known diversity of iron- cycling microbes and challenges purely phototroph- centered explanations for certain ancient iron deposits.

A multi-panel figure illustrating data from a sediment core analysis, showing age vs. depth, phylum and family composition, and alpha diversity indices across different phases.
Microbiota structure of the Holocene sediment beneath the Larsen C Ice Shelf.
Figure 1 | Novel Antarctic chemolithotroph drives iron biomineralization | Microbiome | Springer Nature Link

Novel Antarctic chemolithotroph drives iron biomineralization

Background

Iron is the most abundant redox- active metal in Earth’s crust and is tightly linked to many biogeochemical cycles, yet the organisms and mechanisms of iron oxidation are still incompletely understood. Banded iron formations (BIFs) are a major Precambrian iron- ore reservoir, but the biological contribution to their formation remains debated. Although large- scale BIF deposition largely stopped after the Proterozoic, modern Holocene sediments under fluctuating redox conditions offer analogues for studying similar iron-cycling processes.

Results

Sediments from beneath the Larsen C Ice Shelf (LCIS), Antarctica, record microbial community shifts that closely track environmental changes through the Holocene. Metagenomic analyses identified three dominant microbial phases that align with geological facies boundaries:

  • Phase A (shallower, occasionally open-marine conditions) showed higher taxonomic richness.
  • Phases B and C (deeper sub- ice-shelf sediments) were largely anoxic and dominated by diverse chemolithoautotrophic metabolisms.

A keystone taxon among the uncultured Thermodesulfovibrionia (visualized by fluorescence in situ hybridization) was designated Candidatus Mariimomonas ferrooxydans. It forms a novel clade within the phylum Nitrospirota. Metagenome- assembled genome analysis identified a putative outer- membrane Fe (II) oxidase, Cyc2, whose iron-oxidation activity was experimentally confirmed.

Conclusion

The LCIS sediments preserve a dynamic record of microbiome, environment interactions. The findings provide insights into microbial iron mineralization that parallel the biogeochemistry of the geologic past, particularly synglacial iron formation during the Neoproterozoic Snowball Earth.

Key additional points from the paper

  • Core GC16B (236 cm long) was recovered from ~324 m water depth in the Larsen C embayment (north-western Weddell Sea). It preserves an essentially undisturbed Holocene record sealed under ice since the Last Glacial Maximum.
  • Lithological units range from glacial till diamicton at the base, through parallel- and cross- laminated muds under the floating ice shelf, to sandy mud with ice-rafted debris near the top.
  • 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing (V5- V8) of 37 layers and shotgun metagenomics (with whole-genome amplification due to very low DNA yields) revealed the community structure and metabolic potential.
  • Elevated iron- to- titanium ratios in the anoxic intervals roughly coincide with the distribution of the Thermodesulfovibrionia, supporting in situ microbial iron mineralization under dark, anoxic conditions.
  • Heterologous expression of the cyc2 gene in Escherichia coli confirmed its ability to catalyze Fe (II) oxidation.

The study positions these modern sub-ice-shelf sediments as a living analogue for how chemolithotrophic iron oxidizers (rather than solely light- dependent phototrophs) could have contributed to iron deposition under global ice cover during Snowball Earth events.

Published:  Microbiome, 14, Article 225, 8 October 2026 (open access)

DOI: 10.1186/s40168-026-02536-0

Provided: Yonsei University

Authors: Jaekyung Yoon,
Boyoung Lee,
Kyu-Cheul Yoo,
Min-Jung Kwak,
Hae Jung Song,
Chung Yeon Hwang,
Yusook Chung,
Kitae Kim,
Soon-Kyeong Kwon,
Ju Yeon Song,
Hwan Su Yoon&
Jihyun F. Kim

Background

Iron, the most abundant redox-active metal in the Earth’s crust, is coupled to numerous biogeochemical cycles. However, the mechanisms of iron oxidation and the organisms involved remain incompletely understood. Banded iron formations (BIFs) are a major reservoir of iron ore in the Precambrian sedimentary record, yet the biological contribution to their genesis remains a subject of unresolved debate. While large-scale BIF deposition largely ceased after the Proterozoic, microbial activity in modern Holocene sediments under fluctuating redox conditions provides a unique opportunity to examine mechanisms reminiscent of ancient iron cycling. Here, we report the stratigraphic sequence of microbiome profiles recorded in laminated facies with iron-containing crystalline illite in the embayment sediments beneath the Larsen C Ice Shelf (LCIS) in Antarctica during the Holocene.

Wind Waste: Environmental Backlash Ahead?

Blue Oceans Solutions is concerned. “If you drive deep enough into the high desert near Casper, Wyoming,” their post states, “you will find a burial ground that shouldn’t exist.”

It isn’t for people. It’s for the “clean energy” revolution. Rows of massive, fiberglass wind turbine blades—cut into thirds with diamond-encrusted saws—are being stacked thirty feet deep in the earth. From the air, they look like the bleached rib cages of leviathans.

A satirical cartoon depicting a large pile of discarded wind turbine blades in a landfill with a sign pointing to 'NET ZERO' and 'NET LANDFILL?'. A bulldozer is working nearby, while birds sit on top of the blades. Texts in the image include phrases like 'CLEAN ENERGY!', '20 YEARS LATER...', and '100% RENEWABLE!'
AI generated by ChatGPT

From Master Resource

By Robert Bradley Jr.

“We are literally filling the scars of the fossil fuel age with the waste of the renewable age. ‘Net Zero’ cannot mean ‘Net Landfill’.” (- Blue Oceans Solutions, below)

Blue Oceans Solutions is concerned. “If you drive deep enough into the high desert near Casper, Wyoming,” their post states, “you will find a burial ground that shouldn’t exist.”

It isn’t for people. It’s for the “clean energy” revolution. Rows of massive, fiberglass wind turbine blades—cut into thirds with diamond-encrusted saws—are being stacked thirty feet deep in the earth. From the air, they look like the bleached rib cages of leviathans.

Continuing:

We built wind turbines to save the future, but we forgot to design them for the end. While 85% of a turbine (steel, copper, electronics) is highly recyclable, the blades are not. They are built to withstand hurricane-force winds for 20 years. They are composites of fiberglass and resin, designed specifically never to break down. When they die, they become “Zombie Waste”. You can’t melt them (they just burn). You can’t crush them easily. So, we bury them.

Big problems are ahead:

The scale is staggering. The U.S. alone is decommissioning roughly 8,000 blades a year—a number that will explode to millions of tons by 2050. As municipal landfills (like Casper’s) run out of space or refuse to take them, regulators in states like Wyoming have opened a new door. We are now permitting the burial of these “green” blades inside abandoned coal mines.

We are literally filling the scars of the fossil fuel age with the waste of the renewable age. “Net Zero” cannot mean “Net Landfill”

“Net landfill” is probably an exaggeration given what landfill technology can do to seal the waste (and build a golf course over it). But if wind turbines are dying out far sooner than what is the claim–say 10-15 years instead of 20-30 years–the scale of disposal is an issue.

This is the uncomfortable truth we need to face: We are currently solving a carbon crisis by creating a material crisis. The “bury it and forget it” era is over. The next green billion-dollar opportunity isn’t in erecting more turbines; it’s in closing the loop.

We need blades that can be chemically dissolved, not just buried. We need “Material Passports” that track every blade from factory to grave. If we don’t solve the back end of the green transition, we aren’t saving the planet. We’re just redecorating the landfill.

Recycling industrial wind turbines (blades, etc.) can add cost to cost for a technology that is not competitive to begin with for grid electricity. Landfill disposal is costly too. The ecological bargain by Big Green to support industrial wind and solar is not looking good, particularly if and when retrofits are uneconomic without an extension of expiring tax breaks.

And if industrial wind is on its own (without the PTC or ITC, as scheduled for the end of next year), will decommissions grow and exceed new capacity additions?

Penguin Poop Is Melting Antarctica’s Snow by Turning It Green

Penguin guano (poop) fertilizes green snow algae along the Antarctic Peninsula, causing denser green blooms that absorb more sunlight and accelerate snowmelt compared to clean white snow.

Penguin guano (excrement) is a major ecological driver in Antarctic and sub- Antarctic ecosystems.

It acts as a powerful natural fertilizer that transfers marine- derived nutrients to land, influencing soil formation, biodiversity, atmospheric chemistry, and even local climate feedback. Impacts range from highly localized (around colonies) to regional, with both positive and complex climate- related effects.

A snowy Antarctic landscape featuring multiple penguins walking across green patches of snow, with mountains and a body of water in the background.
AI generated by Grok

Penguin guano (poop) fertilizes green snow algae along the Antarctic Peninsula, causing denser green blooms that absorb more sunlight and accelerate snowmelt compared to clean white snow.

A study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences (led by researchers including Alia Khan of the University of Colorado Boulder) analyzed 111 snow samples from coastal sites.

Snow algae can appear red or green depending on conditions. When nutrients (especially phosphate from penguin and seabird guano) are scarce, algae produce red protective pigments and go relatively inactive.

With abundant phosphate, supplied when penguins feed at sea on marine organisms and then track or deposit their nutrient- rich droppings on the snow, the algae pack cells with green chlorophyll pigments, become denser, and photosynthesize more actively.

These colored patches darken the snow surface:

  • Red snow absorbs roughly 20% more solar energy than clean white snow.
  • Green snow absorbs about 40% more (roughly twice the extra energy absorption of red snow in some descriptions), heating the snow and speeding melt.

As Antarctic temperatures rise, snow algae habitats are expanding along coasts. Penguins and seabirds (such as skuas) link the marine food web to snow ecology by spreading these nutrients, intensifying the green blooms near colonies.

Researchers note that without accounting for this biological darkening, models likely underestimate how quickly coastal snowpacks melt and ice- free terrain expands. Fieldwork near colonies was notably smelly, as penguins track guano widely across the snow.

This is a newly highlighted feedback in Antarctic coastal systems rather than a primary driver of continent-wide ice loss.

Infographic showing various anthropogenic and natural sources of anions such as phosphate, nitrate, and chloride in a polar environment, with labeled diagrams of mountains, sea spray, cruise ships, and algae.
Nutrient cycling and inputs across Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) snowfield environments. Sources and pathways of nutrient delivery are illustrated in the conceptual diagram and summarized in the accompanying table of potential anion sources. Transport mechanisms are color-coded (yellow = atmospheric, blue = marine, red = terrestrial).
Phosphate Enrichment From Wildlife Inputs Shapes the Distribution and Pigmentation of Green and Red Snow Algae Along the West Antarctic Peninsula – Ryan – 2026 – Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences – Wiley Online Library

Penguin guano (excrement) is a major ecological driver in Antarctic and sub- Antarctic ecosystems.

It acts as a powerful natural fertilizer that transfers marine- derived nutrients to land, influencing soil formation, biodiversity, atmospheric chemistry, and even local climate feedback. Impacts range from highly localized (around colonies) to regional, with both positive and complex climate- related effects.

1. Nutrient fertilization and soil enrichment

Penguins feed primarily on krill, fish, and other marine organisms, concentrating nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), organic carbon, and trace metals (e.g., iron, copper, zinc) in their guano. Colonies deposit enormous quantities, seabirds (including penguins) globally contribute hundreds of gigagrams of N and P annually, with Antarctic and Southern Ocean coasts receiving some of the highest inputs per unit area.⁠

  • Soil formation (ornithogenic soils and phosphatization): Guano drives chemical weathering and creates specialized phosphate- rich soils. It forms minerals such as struvite and hydroxyapatite, elevating organic P, N, and organic matter. Abandoned colonies leave lasting “ornithogenic” soil legacies that influence landscape evolution after glacial retreat.⁠
  • Nitrogen and phosphorus cycling: Guano inputs can exceed agricultural fertilizer rates by orders of magnitude locally (e.g., tens of thousands of kg N ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ in dense colonies). Ammonia volatilizes and spreads inland via wind, enriching soils kilometers away (up to ~240 times the colony area in some estimates). This boosts microbial activity and phosphine (PH₃) production.

2. Impacts on terrestrial biodiversity

Nutrient enrichment dramatically increases primary productivity and supports higher trophic levels in otherwise nutrient- poor Antarctic terrestrial environments:

  • Mosses, lichens, algae, and microbial communities thrive near colonies.
  • Invertebrates (e.g., springtails) can be ~10 times more abundant in influenced moss communities than in milder European grasslands.
  • Overall biodiversity and biomass are elevated in the “halo” around active and abandoned colonies.

3. Effects on snow and ice (recent discovery)

A 2026 study (Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences) showed that phosphate from penguin (and other seabird) guano fertilizes coastal snow algae along the Antarctic Peninsula.

  • Nutrient- rich conditions keep algae in a dense, green (chlorophyll- rich) state rather than a red, dormant “sunscreen” state.
  • Green snow absorbs ~40% more solar energy than clean white snow (vs. ~20% for red snow), accelerating local snowmelt and potentially expanding ice-free areas as temperatures rise and penguin ranges shift.

This links the marine food web directly to snow- surface ecology and is previously under- accounted biological feedback in melt projections.

4. Atmospheric and climate effects

Guano releases large amounts of ammonia (NH₃). Near Adélie penguin colonies, atmospheric ammonia can reach 1,000 times background levels (and remain elevated for weeks after birds leave).

  • Ammonia reacts with sulfuric compounds from marine phytoplankton, boosting formation of aerosol particles (cloud condensation nuclei) by up to 1,000- 10,000 times.
  • This enhances low- level cloud and fog formation, which can reflect sunlight and exert a local cooling effect, potentially partially offsetting regional warming. However, the net climate impact depends on cloud location (over ice vs. ocean) and remains an active research area. Declining penguin populations could reduce this cooling feedback.

5. Marine and coastal connections

  • Guano and runoff return nutrients (including iron) to nearshore waters, stimulating phytoplankton growth and supporting the base of the marine food web.
  • Trace metals recycled via guano contribute to Southern Ocean productivity.
  • Historical human harvesting of guano (especially in South America) has disrupted nesting habitats for some penguin species (e.g., Humboldt penguins that burrow in guano deposits).

Broader context and vulnerabilities

Penguin colonies function as biological “pumps” moving nutrients from ocean to land and atmosphere.

Their ecological role is outsized relative to their biomass. However, many penguin populations face pressures from sea- ice loss, shifting prey availability (krill vs. fish), commercial fishing, and disease.

Declines could weaken these nutrient- transfer and climate- modulating services, creating potential positive feedback for local warming or reduced terrestrial productivity.

In summary, penguin guano is far more than waste, it is a keystone process shaping Antarctic biogeochemistry, biodiversity, snowmelt dynamics, and even atmospheric processes.

Research continues to quantify these interconnected effects amid rapid environmental change.

Phosphate Enrichment From Wildlife Inputs Shapes the Distribution and Pigmentation of Green and Red Snow Algae Along the West Antarctic Peninsula

This is the peer- reviewed paper corresponding to the recent news: “Phosphate Enrichment From Wildlife Inputs Shapes the Distribution and Pigmentation of Green and Red Snow Algae Along the West Antarctic Peninsula” by Elise Ryan and Alia Khan, published 7 October 2026 in Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences. 

The full text is available at the link you provided (via AGU/Wiley). Official press materials from AGU and EurekAlert summarize the key findings as follows:

Main findings

  • Researchers collected 111 snow samples (red and green algal blooms) along the West Antarctic Peninsula coast, spanning sites with and without penguin colonies across about five degrees of latitude.
  • Snow algae switch pigmentation based on nutrient availability:
    • Nutrient- scarce conditions → algae produce red (sunscreen- like) pigments and reduce growth. Red snow absorbs ~20% more solar energy than clean white snow, increasing melt.
    • Nutrient- rich conditions → algae pack cells with green chlorophyll pigments, stay active, and form denser blooms. Green snow absorbs ~40% more energy than clean white snow (roughly double the extra absorption of red snow), further accelerating melt.
  • Green algal samples contained substantially higher phosphate levels (a key nutrient abundant in penguin and seabird guano) than red samples. Lab work involved counting algal cells under a microscope and extracting pigments and nutrients.
  • Penguins (and other seabirds like skuas) act as a nutrient vector: they feed on marine organisms, then deposit and track phosphate- rich guano across coastal snow, fertilizing dense green blooms. This directly links the marine food web to snow- surface ecology.

Broader implications

As Antarctic coastal temperatures rise, snow- algae habitats are expanding. Penguin range shifts southward could further spread guano- fertilized green blooms, enhancing local snowmelt and the expansion of snow- and ice -free terrain. Current models of Antarctic melting do not yet include this biological “darkening” feedback; the authors note it is a critical missing component and that more data are needed before it can be fully incorporated into projections.

The work was supported in part by an NSF CAREER award to Alia Khan. Field sampling near colonies was described as particularly unpleasant due to the odor and visual similarity between guano and red algae.

Published: Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 

DOI: 10.1029/2026JG009918

Provided: American Geophysical Union

Authors: Elise L. Ryan, Alia L. Khan

Abstract

Snow algae darken snow through biomass accumulation and pigmentation, yet nutrient controls on algal abundance and pigment composition in Antarctic snowfields remain poorly constrained. Along the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP), coastal snowfields receive nutrient inputs from marine and wildlife sources that may influence bloom development. We analyzed 111 snow samples collected from nine coastal WAP sites during the 2024–2025 austral summer to assess the relationships between dissolved nutrients and algal cell density, pigment concentration, and pigment composition across red, green, and clean snow. In green snow, median phosphate (PO43−) concentrations were tenfold higher (114 μM) relative to red snow (11.4 μM), and ∼70-fold higher than clean snow (1.54 μM). High-phosphate samples, composed primarily of green snow, exhibited higher cell densities and per-cell pigment concentrations than low-phosphate samples, consistent with enhanced biomass and cellular pigment accumulation under phosphate-rich conditions. These results identify green snow as a bloom state strongly associated with elevated phosphate availability. Green snow was also characterized by lower NO−x :PO43− ratios (NO3− + NO2−: PO43−) and increased photoprotective carotenoids relative to red snow, suggesting that dense green blooms rapidly drawdown bioavailable nitrogen relative to excess phosphate, creating a distinct post-uptake stoichiometric signature in wildlife-influenced regimes. Phosphate concentrations were positively associated with wildlife influence (Spearman’s r = 0.54, p < 0.001), indicating ornithogenic inputs as a key phosphorus source. Collectively, these results link phosphate availability to snow algal biomass and cellular pigment composition and suggest that wildlife-mediated nutrient inputs may intensify algal-driven surface darkening.

A good old-fashioned weather debate on the “nor’easter”

I was involved in a weather debate on the so-called Nor’easter this weekend (you will see why I say so-called below), and it was refreshing to see there was no one blaming climate change for that storm.
I believe this storm should have been classified as such because it transitioned from a subtropical to a tropical system. I offered objective analysis to support my point. There was no question it was non-tropical at the start, but the system converted while over abnormally warm water (above the 26c threshold) that was so far north this year. What I do now, to try to avoid bias, is go to the AI, feed it the information, and see what it comes up with.

I believe this storm should have been classified as such because it transitioned from a subtropical to a tropical system. I offered objective analysis to support my point. There was no question it was non-tropical at the start, but the system converted while over abnormally warm water (above the 26c threshold) that was so far north this year. What I do now, to try to avoid bias, is go to the AI, feed it the information, and see what it comes up with.

Satellite image of a weather system affecting the northeastern United States, showing swirling clouds indicative of a hurricane or tropical storm.
Screenshot

From CFACT

By Joe Bastardi

Satellite image of a large storm system over the northeastern United States, showcasing thick clouds and a swirling formation indicative of a hurricane.

I was involved in a weather debate on the so-called Nor’easter this weekend (you will see why I say so-called below), and it was refreshing to see there was no one blaming climate change for that storm.

I believe this storm should have been classified as such because it transitioned from a subtropical to a tropical system. I offered objective analysis to support my point. There was no question it was non-tropical at the start, but the system converted while over abnormally warm water (above the 26c threshold) that was so far north this year. What I do now, to try to avoid bias, is go to the AI, feed it the information, and see what it comes up with.

So here is just a bit of the evidence I fed the AI:

Presented with this 850mb (which shows the warm center)

Weather map showing 850mb temperature predictions for the northeastern United States, with varying color gradients indicating temperature ranges. A hurricane-like feature is visible off the coast.

700mb (10,000 feet; also, a warm center)

Weather forecast map showing 700mb temperature anomalies for the Northeastern United States on September 26, 2026, with varying temperature gradients depicted in shades of red and purple.

and 1000-500 mb thickness and surface pattern (circular warm core at the center)

Weather forecast model showing a map of the northeastern United States with precipitation and pressure systems, indicating a low-pressure center with heavy rainfall.

Is this a warm-core feature?

Yes — this is a warm-core feature. The 850 mb map shows a clear warm anomaly in the center of the circulation (yellow core, ~15–18 °C, versus much cooler air wrapping around it over the ocean). The 700 mb map is consistent with that structure: The core is relatively warm compared with the cooler air to the west and shows no cold-core signature. The 1000–500 mb thickness field and surface pattern reinforce this. Thickness values are locally higher near the center of the tight 992 hPa low, and the precipitation shield is wrapped around a compact, quasi-circular circulation rather than being displaced well ahead of a cold-core mid-latitude cyclone.

Note the actual pressure was lower, making the 1000-500 mb thickness even warmer.  The higher the thickness, the warmer the column of air from the surface to 500mb (18000 feet)

Taken together, the mid-level temperature fields, thickness, and surface appearance indicate a warm-core (tropical or subtropical) cyclone rather than a cold-core extratropical low.

There has to be a reason the objective FSU cyclone phase evolution actually has a warmer look than Gonzalo.

No Name nor’easter:

Graph showing the transition of a weather system, indicating asymmetric and symmetric cold and warm core characteristics over time, with a track inset map of the system's projected path.

Gonzolo:

A weather analysis diagram showing the thickness symmetry and storm-relative features for an existing cyclone, labeled as Cyclone #15 with time markers and intensity scales.

I use AI to make sure I am not biased.

A recon report could have settled the argument. Yet no recon into a storm, in a year of no storms, to a feature that likely did 1-2 billion dollars of damage. I’m showing you all this to show I had my reasons to say this should have been classified.

Now, let’s look at the sat pics of all the storms this year at their strongest points and see which has the best presentation.

Our tropical season, so far, picture gallery (all are near the time of max intensity):

Arthur

Satellite image of Texas coastline depicting swirling clouds and weather patterns over land and the Gulf of Mexico.

This did have gales on the east side.

Bertha was interesting because its strong winds were associated with a feature that appeared southwest of the center.

Satellite image showing a large storm system over the Gulf of Mexico, with swirling clouds and a mix of land and water visible in the surrounding areas.

Cristobal. Slim pickings.

Satellite image of a developing storm system in the ocean, featuring swirling clouds and dark waters.

Dolly. Tried to develop in the Main Development Region, and guess what, homie don’t play that (for all you In Living Color fans); it was dead a day later.

Satellite image of a tropical cyclone with swirling clouds over the ocean.

Eduoard. Give it another 6 hours and it would have been a hurricane. Good-looking storm.

Satellite image of a tropical storm or hurricane over coastal waters, featuring a spiral formation of clouds and varying weather patterns.

Fay. It will be interesting to see if either of these storms in post-analysis get their intensities upped, which would of course mean the record for no hurricanes through Oct 1 would no longer apply if either is upgraded to a hurricane. Point is, both of these looked good.

Satellite image of a tropical storm with swirling clouds over the ocean.

Gonzalo. This was almost laughable, but again, gales were off to the east in one quad.

Satellite image showing a tropical storm with swirling clouds over the ocean.

Hanna. The center is way behind the thunderstorms.

Satellite image of a tropical storm with swirling clouds over ocean waters.

No name Nor’Easter. Arguably the best-looking of the bunch. Plus, it was impacting people.

Satellite image of a large hurricane swirling over the Atlantic Ocean, with visible cloud patterns and storm structure.

We’ve seen the infamous winter bomb cyclones do this, though not as tight as this. But the difference is that a bomb cyclone is not over water that is still 80 degrees; it’s 20-30 degrees lower. The energy over the warmer water, once entrained in a system, can lead to rapid feedback and rapid conversion. Sometimes, when I see the gawking at how fast storms do this, I think it’s a lack of respect for what the weather is capable of. And the fact that it weakened over cooler water was a sign of its true nature.

There have been many storms over the years that fell between the cracks.

But the fact is, no recon went in, so there is plausible deniability. It’s like the whole geothermal argument. I get told I have no proof, yet they have no proof it’s not, because we have no idea how much heat input is coming from the bottom of the ocean from underwater activity. There are no observations there, and saturating the ocean floor near known vents would end the argument one way or the other. Until then, whoever controls the information wins, and the rest of us who question it get pushed aside.

But it was a good old weather fight with people disagreeing with me, and they all had reasons; they weren’t saying anything about climate change. It was all offering ideas that supported the non-naming. But again, because of my reputation as a Warren Zevon Excitable Boy when it comes to the weather, AI’s and actual profiles do a lot to either support or counter the arguments.  And it was on my side.

I still think this whole naming thing can be simplified. If you have a closed rotary circulation attaining the required intensity over water at 25 °C or greater, name it and keep the name on it until it dissipates. No classroom arguments, which frankly are like theologians arguing over how many angels they can stick on the head of a needle.

But here is what this proved — something I have been saying for many years. No matter what occasional tiff I have with the NHC, they are completely above board on climate. Think about it: They could have named this. And it would have been the furthest north in that part of the ocean to get named — a real testament to the ocean’s warmth and the changing climate. That it did so much damage would have been a huge day for agenda-driven media, but NHC did not. And to show I am above board, I realize what a naming would have led to with people who simply want to prostitute any weather pattern for their own purpose, yet I thought it should have been named. But the real point is that we both had competing weather ideas, as we should, and it had nothing to do with climate change. They are the hurricane center, so no matter what, I am Western Michigan, and they are Michigan.

Of course, there are the usual rumblings that man-made climate change contributed to the storm being so strong. Here was a tweet Sept 18th on what was coming:

“Let’s see. Big highs moving off the East Coast. A disturbed weather area is developing off Florida this weekend; an upper trough is trying to pick it up next week over warm water. What could possibly go wrong with that? May get pulled back in for at least a nor’easter for the NE next weekend (if not a hybrid howler)”

What is more remarkable is that there have been no landfalling hurricanes on New England or Long Island in 35 years, and in the previous 53 years, there was an average of 1 every 7 years.

I will have another blog on the lack of Atlantic hurricanes this year. Again, we have to think globally. The EPAC is likely to break its ACE record for the most ACE units. People have not been watching the Western Pacific, which has averaged about the same number of below-normal ACE units over the past 5 years (100) as the Atlantic will this year. The point is that a large-scale shutdown pattern is evident and is showing up in other basins. This year, the combination of an unfavorable SST configuration in the Atlantic and, of course, El Niño has shifted it down.

Meanwhile, the EPAC is going wild, and as we said in the preseason, recurving features are helping dent the Southwest drought (the appetizer before winter, as the El Niño will continue to do that). There is likely to be a strong Pacific hurricane later this week hitting Mexico again, which, when it rains itself out, will try to help the drought.

And the Atlantic is down. But I am sure if we get another big hitter in Mexico, no one will say boo.

See, look at that: already two positive aspects of the big bad Niño. Though no one is going to bring that up. They will with Mexico, though.

BTW, watch the Gulf this week. Not over yet.