ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE
Natural disasters are occurring more frequently, disrupting lives and economies worldwide. With these events becoming harder to predict, reliable climate data has never been more essential. Advanced analysis of weather patterns, historical trends, and environmental changes provides valuable insights that can save lives. Dr. Philippe Smith discusses how data shapes predictions, so communities and leaders can better prepare for what’s ahead.
Understanding Climate Data
Accurate natural disaster prediction relies on analyzing climate data, which records Earth’s atmospheric and environmental conditions over time. This data helps experts identify potential disaster warning signs by revealing key environmental trends.
Climate data is grouped into categories reflecting significant environmental factors. Temperature records track daily highs and lows, seasonal averages, and long-term shifts, providing insight into trends like heat waves or ice melting, which can lead to flooding. Precipitation data, including rainfall and snow measurements, assess the risks of storms and droughts. Analyzing changes in these patterns helps predict floods, landslides, or water scarcity. Atmospheric pressure data highlights shifts in weather systems; low-pressure areas often indicate storms, while high-pressure areas may signal dry conditions, aiding in hurricane forecasts.
Reliable predictions draw from a variety of data sources.
“Advances in technology and research have enhanced data collection methods, boosting accuracy and relevance,” says Dr. Philippe Smith. “Satellites orbit Earth and provide real-time insights into temperature, cloud cover, and atmospheric composition, offering a global view for tracking large-scale weather systems.”
Ground-based weather stations monitor local conditions such as temperature, rainfall, and wind speed, providing consistent information for specific areas. Climate models use historical and current data to simulate future conditions, predicting long-term trends like rising sea levels and increased storm activity.
Each source contributes a…
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Soldiers assigned to the 172nd Chemical Company and the 21st Chemical Company removed hazardous waste from sites where homes once stood in Southern California as part of the wildfire response mission
U.S. Army Chemical Corps Soldiers recently worked with joint and interagency partners to support the wildfire response mission in Southern California, Feb. 12-17, 2025.
Highly trained Soldiers from the 172nd Chemical Company (Hazard Response) and the 21st Chemical Company (Hazard Response) joined together with Sailors, Marines and Airmen under the command of U.S. Northern Command’s Joint Task Force-Civil Support to remove hazardous waste from debris ridden homesites in California.
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Capt. Addison M. Love, the commander of the 172nd Chemical Company (Hazard Response), said the Soldiers were selected for the mission based on their readiness.
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Collaborating with researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder, Reider examined the ecosystems at elevations reaching 17,700 feet, revealing that animal excrement significantly alters the soil’s biotic and abiotic components. The dung, found in concentrated areas known as latrines, maintains a more stable soil temperature amidst the drastic fluctuations typical of high-altitude environments — where nights can feel like winter while days are reminiscent of summer.
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By Yves Ducrot / Environmental ReporterLast month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed the monarch butterfly be afforded new protections under the Endangered Species Act.
The Defense Department, with nearly 27 million acres of land, air and water resources, already plays a role in providing protections for the monarch butterfly. However, the new “Conservation Strategy for the Monarch Butterfly” details what its role will be if the monarch butterfly becomes federally listed as a threatened species under the ESA.
In preparation for the monarch’s potential listing, the department has been collaborating with USFWS to develop a conservation strategy that allows DOD to contribute to the monarch’s conservation. That same collaborative effort also ensures that the department will still be able to perform its mission and maintain military readiness.
The strategy’s key tenets are to enable DOD to meet its mission with flexibility and certainty while participating in the conservation of the monarch butterfly.
The strategy promotes the continued implementation of existing conservation programs to benefit the monarch butterfly on the over 1.7 million acres of grasslands that the department manages by providing nectar and milkweed resources and protecting 53 sites for overwintering monarchs. These efforts allow for realistic military training, testing and operations on natural landscapes that are critical for maintaining mission readiness.
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U.S. Military already fighting fires in California, ready to do more
The Defense Department now has 500 active-duty troops and a variety of equipment on standby to assist with the wildfires in California, said the deputy Pentagon press secretary.
“As announced by the president, 500 active-duty personnel currently stationed at Camp Pendleton, California, are preparing to support requests from federal and state authorities with route clearance, commodity distribution, search and rescue, rotary wing, airlift and general support, as requested,” said Sabrina Singh during a briefing today.
Those 500 active-duty personnel are from the Marine Corps, she said.
March Air Reserve Base, about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, is also now serving as a staging base for efforts by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Singh also said that a defense coordinating officer and support element are being activated as well.
The department is also preparing some 10 Navy-provided helicopters with water delivery buckets to assist with aerial fire suppression, Singh said. Those Navy helicopters, along with aircrew, are coming from California’s Naval Station North Island, Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendelton and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
“Under a long-standing memorandum of agreement with CAL FIRE, active-duty units in Naval Region Southwest are prepared to provide aircraft and aircrew to support the firefighting efforts,”…
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