Category Archives: the land

Looking to past droughts to foresee CA’s future

The past is never dead. The past is not even past.  When William Faulkner wrote that, he was thinking of human history, but it's true on here on planet earth as well. Cycles repeat. For that reason, and because they were troubled by the drought they saw in the deep time record, paleoclimatologist B. LynnContinue reading “Looking to past droughts to foresee CA’s future”

The upside of drought in SoCal: Winter sunsets

The lack of rain, which depends on a lack of low clouds and overcast conditions, can make possible some utterly spectacular sunsets.  This one from Death Valley in late December, courtesy of David Huscher. Here's one I saw on the PCT from a place in the San Gabriel Mountains called Camp Guffy, at about 8200Continue reading “The upside of drought in SoCal: Winter sunsets”

The trail that goes under the freeway: Section D of the PCT

The fourth section of the Pacific Crest Trail, Section D, which I walked this past week, begins by passing under Interstate 15 (which goes from Los Angeles to Las Vegas), then turning north along a major rail arterial. It crosses the San Andreas Fault and then (literally) turns and heads for the hills.  It's aContinue reading “The trail that goes under the freeway: Section D of the PCT”

Death Dust, or, why I’m on the PCT in winter

Dana Goodyear absolutely crushes the story of valley fever in last week's New Yorker. An excerpt: The regionality of cocci is only partly to blame for the pace of research. In the lab, cocci presents a serious hazard. Early on, laboratory infections were common; a grad student would open a petri dish and, whoosh, millions ofContinue reading “Death Dust, or, why I’m on the PCT in winter”

Ridiculously Resilient Ridge to break down: NWS

Yesterday an exciting pressure chart came my way via the indefatiguable John Fleck of the Albuquerque Journal. Albuquerque, which has had no perceptible precipitation to date this winter, is as interested in the so-called "Ridiculously Resilient Ridge" of high pressure that has been blocking any possible weather from the Pacific as we are here inContinue reading “Ridiculously Resilient Ridge to break down: NWS”

“Ridiculously Resilient Ridge” explains West Coast drought

That's the meteorological explanation: a ridge of high pressure over the West Coast that has been blocking weather from the Pacific, driving it north, leaving the entire West Coast in drought.  But what explains the so-called "Ridiculously Resilient Ridge?".  That we really don't know yet and the climatologists are loathe to speculate. One spot ofContinue reading ““Ridiculously Resilient Ridge” explains West Coast drought”

A national hazard map for earthquakes in SoCal: VC Star

A few days after publishing my shockingly popular story on the Ventura fault last week, and thinking of the upcoming twenty-year anniversary of the Northridge quake, the Ventura County Star followed up with a brief story on seismic risk in Southern Califonia, quoting some of the same experts I qutoed. The new story can beContinue reading “A national hazard map for earthquakes in SoCal: VC Star”

Ventura stands on deep, dangerous fault system: VC Star

Several new studies funded by the Southern California Earthquake Center have identified Ventura as a hot spot for geological activity, with a fault running directly under downtown potentially far more dangerous than previously believed.

If the fault ruptures along its length and involves other faults, it could cause a major earthquake and massive damage, with the possibility of a strong local tsunami, researchers say.

Strange days: Winter dryness and smog in Bay Area

For countless years winters have brought to the San Francisco Bay Area wind and rain and green hills and fresh air  Not this year. Not yet.  From the San Jose Mercury News: The main factor in the poor air quality, they said, is the relentless dry weather. Normally, particle haze in the Bay Area increasesContinue reading “Strange days: Winter dryness and smog in Bay Area”